Unit-8-Women-in-Education--Sports-and-Media

WomeninEducation,SportsandMediaPre-readingquestions1.WhyiseducationaspecialareaofconcernintheAmericanwomen’smovement?2.What’sthemeaningofpassage?3.What’stheoverallimprovementinwomen’seducation,sportsandmedia?Statethoseimprovementspecifics.Istherestillsomecommonprobleminallofthesefields?Ifany,whatisit?4.WhatisthemainideaofParagraph2&3inPartI?Howisitillustrated?5.Whathavebeenprejudicesagainstwomenaccordingtothistext?EducationWhiletherightsofwomenintheworldsofpoliticsandworkandthepositionofwomeninthefamilyarethefocusoftheAmericanwomen’smovementtoday,feministshavemanyotherconcernswhichindicatethewidespreadeffectsthatthemovementhashadoncontemporarylife.Onespecialareaofconcerniseducation.ManyeducatorsandparentsbelievethattheeliminationofsexbiasinschoolsisabsolutelynecessaryinorderforwomentoachieveequalityinAmericanlife.Untilthemiddleofthe1970’scoursesopentoonlyboysoronlygirls,automechanicsorcooking,forexample,werecommonplaceinschools.Physicaleducationclasseswereusuallysegregatedbysex,andmoremoneywasspentonsportsforboysthanforgirls.Careeradviceoftenencouragedgirlstotrainforsuch“acceptable”occupationsasnurseorsecretaryorteacher,whileboyswereprogrammedforhigh-levelmathematicsandsciencecoursesandindustrialartsclasses.SomeofthissegregationhasbeeneliminatedasaresultofCongress’passageofTitleIXoftheEducationAmendmentsin1972.TitleIXprohibitedsexdiscriminationineducationalprogramsreceivingfederalassistance.Enforcementofthismeasurehasencouragedprogressinmovingtowardequalityineducation.Mostschoolshavemadesomechangesintheiradmissionandcoursepolitics,thusencouragingmorewomentopursuenontraditionalcareers.Sportsparticipationbyfemaleshasincreaseddramatically.Women’sstudiesprogramshavebeeninstitutedinschoolsandcolleges.Yet,muchinequalityintheeducationofwomenstillremains.Feministspointoutthatmanytextbooksinusestillportraywomeninstereotypedwaysandoftentextsfailtoincludeanydiscussionofwomen’shistoryatall.Theyagreethatrealisticadviceaboutcareerandeducationalgoalsisoftenunavailabletowomen.Toofewwomenareindecision-makingpositionsadministrator,principal,superintendentofschools.GroupshavebeenorganizedtocheckontheenforcementofTitleIXandtoencouragetheeliminationofsexismineducation.Onesuchgroup,theProjectonEqualRights(PEER)hasreportedthatfewcomplaintsfiledaboutsexdiscriminationareactuallyinvestigated.“Hundredsofpeoplehavewrittento[thegovernment]forhelpunderTitleIX,”saysHollyKnox,directorofPEER.“Theycouldn’tgointoclassesorcouldn’tgetjobs;theyweredeniedequalpayorthechancetoplaysportssolelybecauseoftheirsex.[Thegovernment]turneditsbackonmostofthem.Citizenswhohadeveryrighttoexpectgovernmenthelpwereeitherignoredorofferedreliefwhenitnolongermattered.”EnforcementofTitleIXisstillacontinuingproblem.SportsTheAmericandevotiontosportsofallkindshad,untilrecently,beenadevotiontoactivitieswhichinvolvedmenandboysalmostexclusively.Today,however,inpartasaresultofTitleIX,butlargelyduetotheeffortsofsuchwomenastennischampionBillieJeanKing,women’sparticipationinsportsisgrowingrapidly.Thispastdecadehasseenwomen’stennisincreasedenormouslyinmediaattentionandinprizemoneyoffered,whichhadalwaysbeenconsiderablylessthanthatofferedtomen.Collegeandhighschoolshaveincreasedtheirsupportforwomen’steams,andthenumberofspectatorsatwomen’sgameshasexpandedgreatly.MothersandfathersnowcoachdaughtersaswellassonsonLittleLeagueteams.Educatorsandindustryleaderspointoutthatinadditiontobuildingphysicalenduranceandcoordinationskills,participationinsportsactivitiesteachesperseverance,teamwork,andleadershipskills,allofwhichareimportanttoyoungpeopleintheirfuturelives.Onehighschoolcoachsaid,“Girlscangetjustasmuchbenefitoutofsportsasboyscan.Thedayswhenpeoplethoughtitwasn’tfemininearegone.”MediaFeministshavealsobeenactiveinattemptingtoeliminatesexisminallformsofmedia.Pointingoutthatmagazines,books,television,radio,andmovieshaveatremendousinfluenceonAmericans,theyhaveaccusedthemediaofportrayingmenandwomeninstereotypedways.In1900,SusanB.Anthonywrote:aslongasnewspapersandmagazinesarecontrolledbymen,everywomenmustwritearticleswhicharereflectionsofmen’sideas.Aslongasthatcontinues,women'sideasanddeepestconvictionswillnevergetbeforethepublic.HerStatementisstillsignificanttodaywhenonlyabout5%ofallpolicy-makingpositionsinthemediaareheldbyfemalesandevenfewerbyminorityfemales.AlthoughwomenhavegainedvisibilityonTVnewsprogramsinthepastdecade,expertspointoutthatlittleattentionispaidtonewsofwomen,whoappearinlessthan10%ofthestoriesdefinedas“news.”Theysaythatoftennewsaboutwomenissegregatedintospecialsectionsofnewspapersorinspecialfeaturesonnewsprograms.Feministsbelievethat“therealityofthelivesmostwomenleaddoesnotcomethroughonthescreenorinthepress.”Women’sgroupshavebeenparticularlyactiveinprotestingtheimageofwomenpresentedbymostadvertisers.Womenstillareusedasdecorationsor“sex-objects”tosellaproduct;observerscallthiskindofadvertising“sexploitation.”Theysaythatmanyadvertisementsstillreinforcestereotypeswhichsay“women’splaceisinthehome,”“womenaredependent,”and“womenrarelymakeimportantdecisions”(theyareinfrequentlyh