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The social construction of gender roles is an important issue in today’s society. Gender roles, which stem from cultural values, determine power, prestige and place within society. Why, in this modern era, are there still culturally constructed gender roles? Why, in the twenty-first century, is there still inequality between men and women? Half of the world’s female population has traditionally been excluded or discouraged from participating in sports, especially male-dominated sports. Sports reflect people’s ideas about masculinity and femininity, and many believe that females should not act or play like males. Today, however, women are fighting more than ever to abolish these gender inequalities. Despite their battles, there are still many barriers and obstacles for women in sports. Many claim that allowing women to play negatively affects team members’ cohesion and therefore team performance. On the other hand, there are many today who accept and even promote women’s participation in sports. Sports promote good health and physical fitness, to which females have a right equal to that of men. The development of women’s athletic abilities, whether contributing to a team or competing individually, should be seen as a sign of a modern, equal society. This essay argues that there should be increased integration of men and women in all sports, and that conventional ideas of ‘masculinity’ and ‘femininity’ must be made more flexible. The media have a great responsibility in promoting these changes to help alleviate social inequalities. Girls and women encounter the most resistance when they play sports that have traditionally been the ‘flag carriers of masculinity’. In the past, notions of female frailty were grounded in ideology rather than in nature. Anything related to strength, power, and speed was considered the domain of men. Sports in the past greatly resembled society – men were the workforce, doing the ‘hard’ work, while women stayed at home and did the ‘easy’ work. But society has changed in recent years, and it seems natural that sports should follow suit. In fact, there has been change, but it is a slow process. The process began with ‘gender morning’, in which rules of the game were manipulated in order to accommodate women. But at least women are now playing the sports they have tried for so long to own for themselves. It is generally males who have the most trouble coping with these changes. Some say the games have changed due to women’s presence. But if men are seen as naturally strong and tough, then women should likewise posses their own beneficial qualities. Males’ and females’ biological differences may actually enhance the games. For example, a female ice hockey player would be small enough to manoeuvre around bigger players, make smaller turning angles and generally be more agile throughout the game. This is what Hayley Wickenheiser did. She proved to men that she could play in a male professional hockey league by being the first woman to actually score a point in a men’s league. This was an important event for all the women hockey players who never thought they would have a chance to play with men, because now it is possible. Wickenheiser’s story demonstrated that women can play as well as men and even better, for that matter. Events like this have made people re-examine traditional gender roles, especially as they apply to sports. When it comes to females joining formerly all-male teams, many men also question team cohesion. Cohesion is an important concept in the study of sport psychology. It results through social interactions and communications within a group. Cohesion in a group facilitates the effectiveness of a group with regards to performance and productivity. In other words, any team operates better when its athletes are unified. Women interact with males in everyday life, so why would they reduce team cohesion? Team cohesion starts to break down when woman have to dress in separate rooms from the men, and have different rules and special exceptions applied to them. Most team bonding occurs off the field, but when women are separated from the men, they miss out on team bonding, an important aspect of team sports which contributes greatly to team cohesion. People who do not promote female participation in male leagues must recognize that by outcasting the women, they themselves are the ones responsible for damaging cohesion. If woman were made to observe the same principles and rules as men, they would be better accepted by the male members and could bond with them better, yielding a more productive team. Most men believe in fair play, but they do not allow women the same opportunities because they do not like the idea of a woman directly competing with and performing better than a man.
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