I stumbled across this article about this Japanese tennis player named Kimiko Date Krumm while looking for interesting articles about women in sport. Krumm recently became the oldest WTA winner since Billie Jean King. She is 39 and won this title after taking a 12 year gap in her career. I was very happy to read about this, until I reached the end where Krumm said that she would be retiring soon because she is married and wants to have children. Her exact quote was " "I think I won't have any problem in my physical strength over the next five years. But I'm married ... have to have kids and have a lot of things to do," she said. "I think I can play tennis for the next two years." " I was bothered by Krumm's quote because she says that she has no physical inability to hinder her from competing, but that she would want to give up her career just because she is married. While I understand her motives for retiring early, I wish they were different. I feel as though many women feel compelled to give up their careers and talents once they get married and have children, while it is typical of men to keep their careers and be the breadwinners. Even in the video that we watched in the class featuring Babe Didrikson, one can see the feminine changes in her appearance she made after getting married. Although she still kept her career, she felt the need to change herself after getting married. It bothers me to see women who have so much going for them, give it all up because of the idea that women should be the one to stay home and raise children. I recently read a Forbes article praising women in power who have managed to excel in their careers while still having a family. Most men in the Forbes top lists are married with children, but it is rare enough to see women doing the same that they had to write an article on it. I hope that one day it will be the standard to have women in power with a home life, not the exception.
Article: http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2009Sep27/0,4670,TENKoreaOpen,00.html
Charlene Chang
KIN 338-01
T Th 9:30-10:45 AM
Showing posts with label Charlene Chang Kin 338I-01 T TH 9:30-10:45. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Charlene Chang Kin 338I-01 T TH 9:30-10:45. Show all posts
Monday, December 14, 2009
Cultural Beliefs and Attitudes Toward Exercise
The reading "Cultural Beliefs and Attitudes of Black and Hispanic College-Age Women Toward Exercise" greatly resounded with me. I was never aware of the influence that my ethnicity and how my parents were brought up influenced my approach towards exercise. After reading this article, I've noticed all the little ways my ethnicity clouds my opinions concerning exercise.
An Asian woman, specifically Taiwanese, I was raised to think of exercise as a leisurely activity. I have never seen my parents go to the gym or play a sport competitively. They do not have a daily exercise routine or count calories. Most Taiwanese people think that taking a 15 minute walk down the street is enough exercise to benefit you for the week. The odd thing is that Taiwanese culture puts a lot of emphasis on body type and looks. They believe that slender is better and that a size 6 is too big. The largest size that most stores in Taiwan carry is a size 4. Parents, aunts, and even family friends will tell you without remorse how "fat" you look, when you've only gained five pounds. They will tell you that you eat to much and that you should exercise more, but they won't ever cite the health benefits of a proper diet and exercise as a reason. It is all about outer appearance. I've recently become more health conscious and have never felt better in my life. I didn't know why I didn't try to exercise more before or eat healthier, but now after reading this article and hearing my thoughts echoed in the quotes of the women interviewed, I understand more of why I used to think of exercise in the way that I did.
Charlene Chang
KIN 338-01
T Th 9:30-10:45 AM
An Asian woman, specifically Taiwanese, I was raised to think of exercise as a leisurely activity. I have never seen my parents go to the gym or play a sport competitively. They do not have a daily exercise routine or count calories. Most Taiwanese people think that taking a 15 minute walk down the street is enough exercise to benefit you for the week. The odd thing is that Taiwanese culture puts a lot of emphasis on body type and looks. They believe that slender is better and that a size 6 is too big. The largest size that most stores in Taiwan carry is a size 4. Parents, aunts, and even family friends will tell you without remorse how "fat" you look, when you've only gained five pounds. They will tell you that you eat to much and that you should exercise more, but they won't ever cite the health benefits of a proper diet and exercise as a reason. It is all about outer appearance. I've recently become more health conscious and have never felt better in my life. I didn't know why I didn't try to exercise more before or eat healthier, but now after reading this article and hearing my thoughts echoed in the quotes of the women interviewed, I understand more of why I used to think of exercise in the way that I did.
Charlene Chang
KIN 338-01
T Th 9:30-10:45 AM
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Gym Class Woes
The article, Unbearable Lessons: Contesting Fat Phobia, really addresses an issue that almost every child uncomfortable with their bodies has felt. Whether they are fat, skinny, or just average sized, gym class is awkward enough as is, and on top of that, they also have to go out and try new sports they've never tried before. At a time where most girls' bodies are changing physically, they now have to be publicly weighed in front of the opposite sex and demonstrate their physical prowess, or lack thereof.
I attended public school my whole life and experienced all of this, as did many. Just the pure mention of P.E class made me shudder to think of the slew of embarrassing activities we were all forced to do. More education and sensitivity has to be put into how P.E classes are run. Students should be taught how to better themselves in sports instead of just being tossed blindly into an activity where many fail and few flourish. The usual procedure surrounding sports in P.E is choosing a sport of the day and letting the students learn how to play it on their own. Some know how to play; other stand timidly on the outskirts of the field hoping that no one comes their way. Teachers should also listen to the woes and the concerns of the students instead of following the standard procedures. If middle school and high school P.E teachers gave out the same critique sheet college students get at the end of their courses, they could hear how awkward and troubled some students feel and figure out a way to change that. Even just the little things like making weigh-ins and physical fitness tests less public would make the students feel less humiliated. If P.E classes were tailored just right, it could become a meaningful class for students instead of just being an alternative to academic classes. It could teach students healthy eating habits, how to exercise correctly and understand that bodies come in all different sizes. They could then take this advice and use it when they are encountering those moments of self-consciousness.
Charlene Chang
KIN 338-01
T & Th 9:30-10:45
I attended public school my whole life and experienced all of this, as did many. Just the pure mention of P.E class made me shudder to think of the slew of embarrassing activities we were all forced to do. More education and sensitivity has to be put into how P.E classes are run. Students should be taught how to better themselves in sports instead of just being tossed blindly into an activity where many fail and few flourish. The usual procedure surrounding sports in P.E is choosing a sport of the day and letting the students learn how to play it on their own. Some know how to play; other stand timidly on the outskirts of the field hoping that no one comes their way. Teachers should also listen to the woes and the concerns of the students instead of following the standard procedures. If middle school and high school P.E teachers gave out the same critique sheet college students get at the end of their courses, they could hear how awkward and troubled some students feel and figure out a way to change that. Even just the little things like making weigh-ins and physical fitness tests less public would make the students feel less humiliated. If P.E classes were tailored just right, it could become a meaningful class for students instead of just being an alternative to academic classes. It could teach students healthy eating habits, how to exercise correctly and understand that bodies come in all different sizes. They could then take this advice and use it when they are encountering those moments of self-consciousness.
Charlene Chang
KIN 338-01
T & Th 9:30-10:45
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Successes in Tennis
While trying to find stimulating topics to write about for this blog, I found it extremely difficult to find recent news articles specifically about women in sports on well-known sports websites. The only portrayals of women I came across were cheerleaders and women in bathing suits. The one exception to that is tennis.
The first thing I saw when I visited Yahoo's sports page was Maria Sharapova's face and a headline about her recent win in Tokyo. I think it is great how tennis seems to be consistent in broadcasting both men and women equally. Being someone who doesn't pay attention to sports frequently, I usually seem to know more about the women playing in the U.S Open versus the men who play. That shows how much the mainstream media is willing to broadcast achievements women have made in that sport. However, thinking back to the movie "Dare to Compete" helped me realize that women have been trying to make an impression on sports for decades and so far, tennis seems to be the only one holding mainstream interest. While I am glad that at least one sport has become so popular despite sexes, I would like to see more woman's sports gaining publicity. I hope someday when I open up the sports pages, I see women triumphing in all sports, not just tennis.
Charlene Chang
KIN 338I-01
T & Thr 9:30-10:45 AM
The first thing I saw when I visited Yahoo's sports page was Maria Sharapova's face and a headline about her recent win in Tokyo. I think it is great how tennis seems to be consistent in broadcasting both men and women equally. Being someone who doesn't pay attention to sports frequently, I usually seem to know more about the women playing in the U.S Open versus the men who play. That shows how much the mainstream media is willing to broadcast achievements women have made in that sport. However, thinking back to the movie "Dare to Compete" helped me realize that women have been trying to make an impression on sports for decades and so far, tennis seems to be the only one holding mainstream interest. While I am glad that at least one sport has become so popular despite sexes, I would like to see more woman's sports gaining publicity. I hope someday when I open up the sports pages, I see women triumphing in all sports, not just tennis.
Charlene Chang
KIN 338I-01
T & Thr 9:30-10:45 AM
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