Shifting Paradigms in Sports Theory and Gender Roles
At the turn of the 21st century, following humanistic and sociocultural goals, the development of sports theory in the life of society was achieved. It should be noted that the modern paradigm of managing the processes of physical culture is built on new global trends. They suggest the deformation of the historically recognized roles of men and women and the transition to new formations of masculine and feminine principles: femininity and masculinity, that is, an intention towards the gender theory of people’s culture. Ideas about gender division in modern sports are rapidly changing, and the question arises of the advisability of separating sports and athletics teams into men’s and women’s.
Debating Physical Differences Between Men and Women
People argue that it is wrong to consider men naturally larger, faster, and stronger than women. On average, a person who has undergone conditionally ‘male’ puberty will have stronger bones, a larger volume of lungs and heart, longer limbs, and, accordingly, more impressive muscles than a conditionally ‘female’ one (Nikolaidis et al., 2019). In most cases, if it is about physical strength in its classical sense, the average man will be stronger than the average woman.
Evolution, Patriarchy, and Athletic Performance
However, patriarchal foundations also influenced evolutionary processes, and the human body adapted, so it is now easier for men to discover the skills of running or swimming, and they show better results on average. There is no guarantee that in a few generations, the situation will not turn around if women have the same chances as men. In this regard, the main thing to strive for is equality of opportunity.
Promoting Gender Equality Through Physical Culture
Physical culture and sports are powerful tools for women’s full potential in both social and athletic development through the promotion of gender equality (Nikolaidis et al., 2019). The main strategic goal for today is to stimulate sports movements based on the promotion of gender equality through the development of new sports programs aimed at promoting the rights of women in sports. Thus, at this stage of the development of society, it is still difficult to imagine unisex teams, but this can and should be pursued.
Reference
Nikolaidis, P. T., Chalabaev, A., Rosemann, T., & Knechtle, B. (2019). Motivation in the Athens Classic Marathon: The role of sex, age, and performance level in Greek Recreational Marathon Runners. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(14), 2549. Web.