Socio-Cultural Perception Around Females Being ‘Active’
For centuries women didn’t participate in physical activity due to medical fears of sterility or fear of becoming too masculine. Near the end of the 19th century industrialization and technology made exercise and sports more accessible to women and there was a dramatic rise in the number of women participating. However, the belief still remained that if women participated in exercise and sports they would become too masculine (versus feminine). Winning and achievement were terms used to define the reasons for male participation in sport while fair play and everyone participating was viewed as the traditional female rationality for playing sport. Boys played aggressively to learn how to be successful in a competitive world and women learned how to become more graceful. This brought with it pressure for girls to conform and they were caught between what was deemed appropriate and acceptable.
Socio-cultural structure
Girls participate in physical activity in smaller numbers, with less intensity and for a shorter period of time than boys which partially stems from girls having less positive role models, supportive peers, or supportive families. The reinforcement that has the biggest impact comes from the parents as they encourage or discourage their daughter’s participation. The research has shown that girls exhibit lower expectancies than boys because mothers exhibit different achievement behaviors and have lower achievement expectancies than the father. This has an impact on the physical activity of girls.
It has been suggested that physical activity is a representation of the socio-cultural system in which it occurs and that physical activities reflect, as well as reproduce, the attitudes, beliefs, rituals, and values of the societies in which they are developed. It is therefore argued that physical activity has been, and continues to be, a site for the construction, reconstruction, strengthening and naturalization of perceived gender differences, and, further, that it serves to reaffirm the gender dichotomization and the gender order in which the gender categories are differently valued.
How does this impact girls as they get older
Although there seems to be less role conflict than prior years, it occurs when women engage in physical activity because ‘the role’ of female which (supposedly) includes passivity, submissiveness and meekness are not associated with being active. This is reflected in social role theory. Social role theory states that although the perception of sex differences may be based on actual differences, it is magnified by the unequal social roles occupied by men and women. The process of socialization can be interpreted as part of the male-female social construct which works to maintain and strengthen gender differences.
Is this really true in 2012
In my work with clients, socio-cultural structure and role conflict still impacts how women think about themselves and in this case their activity. Think about any unconscious messages you may have received as a girl about being active or involved in sports. One of those unconscious messages that many of my clients have ‘experienced’ comes from the fact that their mothers were inactive and didn’t value activity. This has impacted many of my clients. You might not think this has impacted you but I’ll bet if you look a little deeper you’d see that it probably has impacted you too.
There were many unconscious messages floating around when you were a girl growing up and they’ve all impacted your life in some way whether you recognize it or not. Those messages include information about your body, being a ‘girl’, your emotions, food, exercise (activity), etc. As a child we don’t know that these messages exist or what to do with them but they shape who we are. Some are more positive than others but they are all difficult to change because it’s all we know.
Good news is you can change them and I can help! 🙂
Happy Wednesday!
Dr. Michelle
Photo credit: kclibrary.lonestar.edu
