Exam 4: Dimensions of Social Inequality in Sport

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A cultural ideology is a largely unquestioned set of interrelated ideas that people use to explain or justify individual action and social life. In the case of gender ideology, for example, it is a kind of cultural ideology or "cultural logic" that makes sense of the gender aspects of the world, our social relations, and the organization of social life, from families to politics, business and sport. The historically dominant gender ideology in society and sport is based on the core belief that males are naturally superior to females due to their greater physical prowess and that as a result, males deserve more respect, authority, and privilege than females. This kind of male-biased or sexist ideology is the cultural justification for historical patterns of gender inequality in society in general and sport in particular. In fact, it has been used to justify the virtual exclusion of females from most sports, and the acceptance of females only in sports that conformed to stereotypical conceptions of femininity - that is, individual sports that emphasize grace and aesthetic beauty over physical aggression and strength. Similar patterns of ideological justification of inequalities in sexual orientation, race and ethnicity, and disability have been found in sport as a result of the existence of homophobia, racism, and ableism, respectively.

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Feelings of estrangement come from the overwhelmingly heterosexually masculine orientation of sport. In fact, male bonding in team sports may include "gay bashing" and "contrived machismo," which teach male athletes to identify masculinity with heterosexuality and the sexual prowess with women. Learning these ideas is likely to lead male athletes to criticize, reject, or "bash" gay men and to discourage gay men from being in sports, especially aggressive sports, or admitting their homosexuality if they are in sports.