WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY
Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education
KP340: Sport and Gender
Room: Bricker Academic 210
Time: M/W/F 11:30 – 12:20
Instructor: Dr. Rob Lake
Office: BA 519
Tel: (519) 884-0710 ext. 4773
Email: rlake@wlu.ca
Office hours: Mon 12:30 – 1:30 or by appointment
Teaching Assistant: John Koumaris
Email: koum0910@mylaurier.ca
Course Description
The aim of this course is to develop student understanding of gender through the
powerful and increasingly relevant social context of sport. Students will engage in
critical discussion to develop an understanding of not only how sport as part of
popular culture is ‘gendered’, but also how the curious sport norms perpetuate
ideologies surrounding sexuality, in terms of the body, femininity and masculinity.
The role of sport and leisure within the wider feminist movements since the 19th
century are critically examined, to give a historical perspective to these subject areas.
Issues such as the ‘hero worship’ of male athletes and connected issues of sexual
violence, the role of sport in creating heterogeneous social conceptions of normality
in terms of sexuality, and the role of the sports films, TV and sports media in creating
and reproducing gender norms, values and identities will also be examined. Case
studies of female athletes will be introduced and studied in the context of their
significant roles in wider feminist struggles or for what their achievements
highlighted about sexuality and gender inequalities at the time. In general, students
will extend their critical understanding of sport and its perceived and often
publicised role as a ‘positive’ in modern society, and also introduce themselves to an
interesting and increasingly relevant social context through which to understand
gender in wider society, recognising sport as both a platform to challenge and
reproduce its associated dominant ideologies for both males and females.
Reading
This course has the following core text, available to purchase at the WLU Bookstore:
Young, K. & White, P. (2007). Sport and Gender in Canada (2nd Edition). Toronto:
Oxford University Press.
This course also has a number of other recommended texts, which will supplement
your understanding of key topics in this subject area:
Anderson, E. (2009). Inclusive masculinity: The changing nature of masculinities.
New York, NY: Routledge.
Hall, A. (1996). Feminism and sporting bodies: Essays on theory and practice.
Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.
Hargreaves, J. (1994). Sporting females: Critical issues in the history and sociology
of women’s sports. London: Routledge.
Hargreaves, J. (2000). Heroines of sport: The politics of difference and identity.
London: Psychology Press.
Lenskyj, H. (2003). Out on the Field: Sport, Gender and Sexualities. Toronto:
Women’s Press.
Messner, M. A. (2002). Taking the field: Women, men, and sports. Minneapolis,
MN: University of Minnesota Press.
Each week, students will have to search for further readings set out below (see
Lecture Schedule), all of which will be available online through a search using Ebsco,
Sport Discus, LA84, publisher search, Google Scholar or other means of academic
search engine. Others might be made available as a PDF on My Learning Space.
These readings will be geared toward the following week’s lecture, and will help
inform students of lecture content. They will be discussed during class, and students
will be awarded marks (see Class Participation and Contribution below) for their
involvement in these discussions. Students are encouraged to prepare themselves for
these discussions by reading the material as advised.
Assessments
Grades for this course will be based on the following assessments:
1. Mid-term Exams x 2 – short answer (Week 5)
2. Oral Presentation – in groups of 2 or 3 (due Week 8)
Presentations to take place from Week 8 – Week 12
3. Final Essay – 2000 words (due Week 13)
4. Participation in group discussions (throughout the course)
30%
30%
30%
10%
Mid-Terms: 30%
These will take place on the Monday and Wednesday of Week 5. My TA and I will try
and have exams graded and feedback prepared for you by the Friday class.
Exams will be 50 minutes long, during which students will be asked to answer 3
short answer questions, out of a possible six. Grades for the exam will be based on
the quality of knowledge presented and quantity of information provided, the use of
academic references and examples/case studies to support points made. Students are
encouraged to study from lecture notes, textbook readings and other supplementary
readings as specified in the lecture outline (see Lecture Schedule below)
Oral Presentation: 30%
Students are to form themselves into groups of 2 or 3 (depending on student
numbers) and prepare a 30-40 minute oral presentation, done as a group. The
presentation can be on any aspect from one of the following subject areas:
Representations of gender in sports media
Constructions of masculinity in sport
Constructions of femininity in sport
Homosexuality in sport and homophobia
Sexual violence/abuse in sport
Constructions of gender in deviant sport subcultures
Gender dimensions in new sports cultures
Gender dimensions in mixed-gender/co-ed sports
No more than 2 pairs can research a topic from the same subject area, so the
allocation of this will be done on a first-come, first-served basis.
Within these broad subject areas, students can choose to present on anything they
consider relevant, for example, an overall presentation on historical developments in
the topic; a case study of a particular sport, person or nation; a focus on a specific
relevant historical era or even, etc. It is recommended that students devise a
particular research question or aim to structure the presentation around. Guidance
on this will be provided throughout the course, and tutorials/meetings with the
instructor during week 7 will be specifically geared toward this end.
Note 1) This is an academic presentation, so it must demonstrate evidence of wider
reading and detailed critical analysis using academic sources (i.e. peer-reviewed
journal articles and books). These should be clearly marked in the presentation, and
a reference list of the sources used should be included at the end.
Note 2) Marks ARE awarded for the ‘presentation’ aspect, so your creativity will be
rewarded. The use of some multi-media and audio-visual material is recommended.
Note 3) Marks will be divided in the following ways:
Total 100%: 40%– Strength of Argument; 25% – Support from Literature; 10% –
Answers to Questions from the Audience (at the end of your presentation – see Note
4); 25% – Creativity, Display, Presentation, Style and Professionalism
Note 4) Students are encouraged to ask their peers questions at the end of their
presentation. Approximately 10 extra minutes will be allocated for this purpose. This
presents ideal opportunities to gain marks (up to 10%) and also to demonstrate your
in-depth knowledge of your chosen topic. Questions should be encouraged rather
than feared, therefore, and keep in mind that your peers will receive marks for the
quality of their answers, so ask good questions. It is important that we encourage a
healthy and supportive academic environment.
Note 5) Marks for the presentation will be shared among both members. In case of a
dispute, I will allow group members to divide the final mark themselves as they deem
acceptable. (i.e. if a mark of 70 was given to a pair of students, students can divide it
65/75 if they feel one person deserved more. Students are encouraged to come to an
agreement without the need to speak to me. Only as a last resort will I act as
mediator for any major disagreements. I should stress that the onus is on you to
work out any problems for yourselves.
Final Essay: 30%
You are to write a 2000-word case study essay on one key female sporting icon (or
group of key sporting icons, like a team or pair of sisters) whose gender or sexuality
played a major role in their own sporting history and/or in the broader context of
socio-political movements (i.e. the feminist movement, gay rights movement, etc.).
You need to answer the following questions:
1) Who were they (brief background info) and what did they achieve in their
sport?
2) What overall impact did they have on their sport?
3) Most important section! What impact did they have in wider society, in
the broader context of socio-political movements; i.e. in what ways did their
achievements transcend the sporting context?
 For this you should consider broader social, cultural, political and
economic developments in history and what role the athlete played in
them
Choice of Sporting Icon
Students can choose any athlete in the last 150 years, from any country and from any
sport or physical activity. E.g. a late-19th century female mountaineer would be an
acceptable choice, as would a 21st century WNBA player. However, the further back
in history you go to find your athlete, the more impressed I will be inevitably with
your analysis. It is arguably harder to write about a different historical period than
the present one, so if you want an ‘A’, I suggest avoiding an athlete from you own
generation. That said, an extremely well researched essay on Caster Semenya would
warrant an ‘A’, for example, but arguably a more thorough and detailed analysis
would be required in such an instance.
I suggest doing some preliminary research on a handful of different athletes, and
then choosing one – a simple Wikipedia search would probably suffice for that. The
choice is entirely yours, though I have compiled a list of possibilities based on essays
from previous students to whet your appetite. This is by no means a comprehensive
list, and of course you can choose athletes not on this list:
Hassiba Boulmerka – Algerian 1500m runner and Muslim female-rights activist,
early 1990s
Lottie Dod – English all-round athlete, arguably the most dominant female athlete of
all time, 1890s
Florence-Griffith Joyner – controversial American sprinter, 1990s
Nadia Comaneci – Romanian gymnast, 1970s
Billie Jean King – American tennis player and lesbian feminist activist, 1960s & 70s
The Edmonton Grads – Canadian women’s basketball team, 1920s & 30s
Myrtle Cook – Canadian sprinter and journalist, 1920s & 30s; member of the
Matchless Six
Suzanne Lenglen – French tennis player and fashion icon, 1920s
All-American Girls Professional Baseball League – pioneering baseball league for
women, during WWII – late 1940s
Rachel Heyhoe Flint – British cricketer and founder of the women’s cricket world
cup, 1970s
Dick Kerr Ladies – hugely successful women’s soccer team in England, inter-war
years and post-WWII
Alice Coachman – black female athlete in the 1940s, and first African-American
woman to win Olympic gold
Agnes Keleti – Jewish Hungarian Olympic gymnast
Karen Koch – first woman professional hockey player, 1960s-70s
Preston Rivulettes – hugely successful women’s hockey team, 1930s
‘Hurricane’ Hazel McCallion – Canadian hockey player in the 1920s and current
mayor of Mississauga
Fanny Blankers-Koen – superb Dutch all-round athlete, 1940s & 50s
Babe Didrikson Zaharias – American all-round athlete, 1930s-50s
Alice Milliat – Olympic rower and founder of FSFI
‘Bobbie’ Rosenfeld – athlete in the 1920s and 30s; member of the Matchless Six
Dorothea Lambert Chambers – English tennis player and author, 1900s – 20s
Barbara-Ann Scott – Canadian figure-skater and media sensation, 1940s & 50s
Jackie Joyner-Kersee – controversial American sprinter, 1980s
Pat Summitt – head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers
Tanni Grey-Thompson – English wheelchair athlete, 1990s
Althea Gibson – American tennis player and first black women to win a major, 1950s
Olga Korbut – Belarusian gymnast and media sensation, 1970s
Martina Navratilova – defected Czech turned American lesbian tennis player, 1980s
– 2000s
Cathy Freeman – Australian Aboriginal 400m runner, late 1990s – early 2000s
Annie Londonderry – cycled around the world in 1890s
Ethel Catherwood – high jumper in the 1920s and 30s; member of the Matchless Six
Renee Richard – transgender (from male to female) tennis player in the 1970s
Advice for students who want an ‘A’: Don’t just do research on the athlete in
question!! You need to understand the historical period within which they were
active, so engage with general history literature alongside general sports history
literature.
Note: You are not permitted to write your essay on a person that you spoke about for
your presentation.
Class Participation and Contribution (10%)
Throughout the course, students are encouraged to participate in group discussions
and debates, answer questions and engage in the material in class. Students who
demonstrate confidence and willingness to do so and who contribute meaningfully
and relevantly will score highly in this element, which is a subjective mark based on
your overall oral/spoken contributions to classroom discussions. At times, specific
opportunities will be set aside for this purpose, but at other times, showing a
willingness to engage, rather than sit quietly or, worse, engage instead with laptops
or cell phones, will be rewarded accordingly. Therefore, it is important that students
engage with the course material, read the relevant readings and come prepared.
Tips for doing well: The mark for this element is subjectively and qualitatively
determined by me; marks are not given per number of times a student contributes, as
it were. My advice would be that if you want to score highly in this element, you make
yourself distinguishable. Sitting toward the front of class helps (you are perhaps less
likely to get distracted and you also appear bigger that way!), as does getting involved
in class discussions when opportunities arise. Simply, if you make an effort both in
and outside of class, you will score highly.
Lecture Schedule
Week number
Week 1: Course
Introduction
Jan 7-11
Week 2: Sport as
a ‘Male Preserve’
Jan 14-18
Week 3:
Eternally
Wounded
Sportswomen
Lecture info
Why Study Sport to Examine
Gender?
- Course outline and
requirements
- Setting groups, topics and
dates for presentations
Unpacking the Historical
Foundations of Sport as a
Gendered Social Construct
Sport as a Site for Women’s
Emancipation in the First-Wave
Feminist Movement
Jan 21-25
Week 4: Fighting
Sportswomen
Sport in Mid-Late 20th Century
Feminist Struggles
Jan 28-Feb 1
Week 5:
Midterms
Feb 4-8
Week 6:
Tutorials
Mon: Part 1: Ancient history
Wed: Part 2: Modern history
Fri: Exam feedback – must
attend!
Specific exam feedback and help
with your presentations
Required readings
Young, K. & White, P. (2007).
Sport and Gender in Canada (2nd
Edition). Toronto: Oxford
University Press (Chapter 1 by
Parker & White)
Vertinsky, P. (1989). The Eternally
Wounded Woman: Women,
Doctors and Exercise in LateNineteenth Century. Manchester:
Manchester University Press.
(Chapter 1)
Young, K. & White, P. (2007).
Sport and Gender in Canada (2nd
Edition). Toronto: Oxford
University Press (Chapter 3 by
Hall)
Lake, R. J. (2012). Gender and
Etiquette in ‘Mixed Doubles’ Lawn
Tennis 1870-1939. International
Journal of the History of Sport 29
(5), 691-710.
Caudwell, J. (2011). Gender,
feminism and football studies.
Soccer & Society 12 (3), 330-344.
Spencer, N. (2000). Reading
between the Lines: A Discursive
Analysis of the Billie Jean King vs.
Bobby Riggs “Battle of the Sexes”.
Sociology of Sport Journal, 17,
386-402
Textbook readings, PDF readings
and lecture notes so far
No specific required readings.
Focus on your presentations!!
Feb 11-15
Week 7: Reading
Week
Feb 18-22
Week 8: Group
presentations
and seminar
Feb 25-Mar 1
Week 9: Group
presentation and
seminar
No classes, but sign up for
tutorials
Focus on your presentations!!
Sport, Sexuality and Gender in
the Global Media
Mon: ALL PRESENTATIONS
DUE TODAY!!
Wed: Group presentations
Fri: Seminar
Koivula, N. (1999). Gender
stereotyping in televised media
sports coverage. Sex Roles 41, 7-8,
589-604.
Young, K. & White, P. (2007).
Sport and Gender in Canada (2nd
Edition). Toronto: Oxford
University Press (Chapter 11 by
Wilson)
Lenskyj (2003). Out on the Field:
Sport, Gender and Sexualities.
Toronto: Women’s Press. (Chapter
3)
Harris, J. (2000). The image
problem in women’s football.
Journal of Sport and Social Issues
29 (2), 184-197.
Young, K. & White, P. (2007).
Sport and Gender in Canada (2nd
Edition). Toronto: Oxford
University Press (Chapter 13 by
White and Young)
Anderson, E. (2011). Masculinities
and Sexualities in Sport and
Physical Cultures: Three Decades
of Evolving Research. Journal of
Homosexuality, 58 (5), 565–578.
Young, K. & White, P. (2007).
Sport and Gender in Canada (2nd
Edition). Toronto: Oxford
University Press (Chapter 9 by
Davison & Frank)
Lenskyj (2003). Out on the Field:
Sport, Gender and Sexualities.
Toronto: Women’s Press. (Chapter
1)
Hargreaves, J. (2000). Heroines of
sport: The politics of difference
and identity. London: Psychology
Press. (Chapters 1 & 2)
Young, K. & White, P. (2007).
Sport and Gender in Canada (2nd
Edition). Toronto: Oxford
University Press (Chapter 4 by
Walmsley)
Mar 4-8
Sport, the Body and the
(Re)Creation of Masculinity and
Femininity
Mon & Wed: Group presentations
Fri: Seminar
Week 10: Group
presentations
and seminar
Sport and Homophobia
Mon & Wed: Group presentations
Fri: Seminar
Mar 11-15
Week 11: Group
presentations
and seminar
Mar 18-22
Sport and the Intersection of
Class, Race, Religion, Gender and
Sexuality in Post-Modern
Feminist World
Mon & Wed: Group presentations
Fri: Seminar
Week 12: Group
presentations
and seminar
Sport and Sexual Deviance
Mon & Wed: Group presentations
Fri: Seminar
Mar 25-29
Week 13:
Revision Session
Mon: Toward an overall Critical
Understanding of Contemporary
Sport as Gendered: Sport,
Sexuality and Hegemonic
Masculinity
Wed: Last-minute essay-writing
help
Fri: Essays due in class
Messner, M. A. (2002). Taking the
field: Women, men, and sports.
Minneapolis, MN: University of
Minnesota Press. (Chapter 2:
Playing Center The Triad of
Violence in Mens Sports)
Young, K. & White, P. (2007).
Sport and Gender in Canada (2nd
Edition). Toronto: Oxford
University Press (Chapter 14 by
Donnelly)
Lenskyj (2003). Out on the Field:
Sport, Gender and Sexualities.
Toronto: Women’s Press. (Chapter
2)
Young, K. & White, P. (2007).
Sport and Gender in Canada (2nd
Edition). Toronto: Oxford
University Press (Chapter 5 by
Donnelly and Harvey)
Young, K. & White, P. (2007).
Sport and Gender in Canada (2nd
Edition). Toronto: Oxford
University Press (Chapter 7 by
Paraschak)
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Waterloo
My Regulations
Laptop Policy
Laptops are generally prohibited in this course, because I consider them to be a
distraction for the students using them and also those sat nearby. However, if you
believe that your academic performance will be unduly disadvantaged by not being
able to use a laptop and can provide a compelling reason for this, please discuss the
matter with me in person. All students granted leave to use a laptop in class will be
required to sit away from other students so as not to distract them.
Mobile Phone Policy
All phones are to be shut off at the start of class, except if you have a dire emergency
that you have to attend to, in which case you need to let me know at the start of class.
Text messaging is absolutely prohibited during class times.
Late Essay Policy
Essays handed in late will be deducted 10% for each 24-hour period past the due date
and time they are submitted. In the case of a student not being able to attend class to
submit work in person, I will accept an essay emailed to me provided that it is in
before the deadline and also comes with a suitable excuse.