Editing Sociology of sport (section)

==Gender in sports==
Female participation in sports is influenced by [[patriarchy|patriarchal ideologies]] surrounding the body, as well as ideas of [[femininity]] and sexuality. Physical exertion inevitably leads to development of muscle, which is connected to [[masculinity]], which is in contrast to the idea of women as presented by modern [[consumer culture]]. Women who enter sports early are more likely to challenge these stereotypes.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Mennesson |first1=Christine |title="Hard" women and "soft" women: The social construction of identities among female boxers |journal=International Review for the Sociology of Sport |date=March 2000 |volume=35 |issue=1 |doi=10.1177/101269000035001002|s2cid=144844174 }}</ref>

[[Television networks]] and corporations focus on showcasing female athlete which are considered as attractive, which trivializes the achievements of these sportswomen. Women's sports are less covered by news than male sports. During sporting events, the camera focuses on specifically on attractive women.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Markula |first1=Pirkko |title=Beyond the Perfect Body: Women's Body Image Distortion in Fitness Magazine Discourse |journal=Journal of Sport and Social Issues |date=1 May 2001 |volume=25 |issue=2 |doi=10.1177/0193723501252004 |s2cid=145292818 |url=https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0193723501252004 |access-date=1 February 2021}}</ref> Allen Guttman argues that erotic component of sports cannot be rooted out, and as such remains one of its key components. Further, attractive male and female athletes will always be more sought after. The erotic component of sports should be researched, instead of being outright rejected.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Guttmann |first1=Allen |title=Women's Sports: A History |date=1991 |publisher=Columbia University Press |location=New York |isbn=9780231069571 |pages=258–265}}</ref>

Jennifer Hargreaves sees three political strategies for women in sports:<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Hargreaves |first1=Jennifer |title=Gender on the Sports Agenda |journal=International Review for the Sociology of Sport |date=1990 |volume=25 |issue=4 |pages=287–307 |doi=10.1177/101269029002500403 |s2cid=144357744 |url=https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/101269029002500403 |access-date=1 February 2021}}</ref>

* [[Co-option]]: this strategy rejects conservative claims of biological differences and traditional gender values. [[Liberal feminists]] believe women will gradually take over more roles within sport created and controlled by men.
* [[Separatism]]: position held by [[radical feminists]], which advocates [[self-realization]] through organization of sport events and [[Sports governing body|governing bodies]] independent of men. It would further increase the number of women competing in various sports.
* [[Cooperation]]: advocated by [[socialist feminists]] who believe that cooperation between men and women would help to establish new sporting models that would negate gender differences. They recognize the diversity of struggles within modern capitalist societies, and aims at liberation from them. Unlike separatism it engages with men, and is more extensive than co-option. Co-operation posits that men are not inherently oppressive, but are socialized into reproducing oppressive roles.