For my awareness assignment I did the differential treatment audit, and the articles I found to support my topic was very interesting. I focused on women in exercise facilities, such as gyms and sport centers. One of the most interesting arguments in one of the articles was about how society models after the media, instead of vice versa - as if we're trying to live up to something fake and unreal. As a result of this, women are encouraged to look, dress, and act a certain way, and if someone does not fit the exact image, she is assumed to be lesbian.
The media has such a strong influence on our daily lives - especially on children, whose perception of gender and sexuality are constantly being shaped and molded. Another way the media controls society is in the way it limits females in sport. It has been studied that women who deem a sport to be gender neutral have more confidence than women who see it as more masculine.
The conclusion in both articles was that if the media would break away from the gender norms it has set, it is very likely that we as society would be more accepting and less critical of others who do not fit the mold, and thus increase individual self confidence.




Distance Learning Assignment:

When taking this course, I did not know what to expect - maybe just learning some history about women in sport. What surprised me the most was how big of an issue it still his today. From little, critical remarks like "She looks like a man," to the bigger issues like the video we watched about Rene Portland.
I was shocked and disgusted at how Portland treated her players and insisted that they not be, nor associate with lesbians (or perceived lesbians). Discrimination to her extent is far from ethical and it's amazing that she remained an esteemed coach for so long.

I cannot completely exclude myself from making critical remarks. In reference to very toned or muscular females, I would say things like, "she's too muscular," or dumb remarks like, "she looks like a guy." Because of this class, I now have a new appreciation for female athletes.

-Jennifer Elizalde