Understanding Title IX
Title IX can be defined as an “anti discrimination” law that prevents individuals from being discriminated against on the basis of their gender when it comes to any federally funded program which can encompass education or sports related activities (Wies 277). In essence, it is a means by which the government imposes limits on gender bias based on the growing gender equality movement that advocates for equal rights and opportunities for men and women.
Agreeing with Title IX or Not?
From a gender equality perspective, Title IX is an excellent piece of legislation that helps to “level the playing field” so to speak when it comes to educational and sports related activities within various school campuses. By allowing equal opportunities to be implemented, this allows people from different genders access to activities that they otherwise would not have been able to participate in on the basis of their sex (Stader and Surface 119). As such, this paper wholeheartedly agrees with the law’s implementation in various federally funded programs since it helps to influence the removal of discriminatory practices and perceived gender roles within present day society.
Benefits of Title IX
Some of the benefits of Title IX came in the form of reducing instances of sexual harassment, enabling women to have access to athletic scholarships, creating greater access to academic opportunities and changing long held gender stereotypes (Rose 163). The end result of such practices was that societal notions regarding roles that were “appropriate” for women slowly changed to the point that career paths and opportunities between men and women became “gender blind” (Brodsky and Deutsch 135).
Negative Effects of Title IX
One of the problems with Title IX was that it had unintended consequences which caused some harmful effects in its pursuit for equality. For instance, since the law demanded equal opportunity for women, this resulted in a redistribution of resources to the extent that some male athletic and education programs had to be removed due to budgetary limitations (Britt and Timmerman 84). Not only that, there were also instances where the athletic programs in some schools were entirely scrapped due to the inability of the institution to pay for activities for both genders.
Division One Athletes and Stipends
Technically, providing athletes with stipends may seem like a good idea since enabling them to worry less on monetary concerns and focus more on their school work and athletic abilities. However, one of the problems behind its implementation is that it may cause schools to create lucrative stipends to attract athletes. In other words, athletes may go to a school not due to the merits of its athletic program but by how much the school was willing to give them as a stipend (Buchanan 92). This can be described as flying in the face of what sports programs are supposed to be about since schools are in effect teaching students that who they are as athletes has a definite monetary worth.
Scholarships and Revenues
One of the main problems with this sort of idea is that it could potentially encourage sports programs to cheat since their access to scholarships would be limited by the performance of their athletes. However, it does have a valid point of view since it does not make sense to continue to extensively support a program that has not been performing well at all and seems more like a financial burden rather than a valued resource for the school.
References
Britt, Margaret, and Melanie Timmerman. “Title IX And Higher Education: The Implications For The 21St Century.” Franklin Business & Law Journal (2014): 83-86. Print
Brodsky, Alexandra, and Elizabeth Deutsch. “The Promise Of Title IX.” Dissent (00123846) 62.4 (2015): 135-144. Print
Buchanan, Maggie Jo Poertner. “Title IX Turns 40: A Brief History And Look Forward.” Texas Review Of Entertainment & Sports Law 14.1 (2012): 91-93. Print
Rose, Deondra. “Regulating Opportunity: Title IX And The Birth Of Gender-Conscious Higher Education Policy.” Journal Of Policy History 27.1 (2015): 157-183. Print
Stader, David L., and Jeanne L. Surface. “Not Second-Class: Title IX, Equity, And Girls’ High School Sports.” Clearing House 87.3 (2014): 119-123. Print
Wies, Jennifer R. “Title IX And The State Of Campus Sexual Violence In The United States: Power; Policy, And Local Bodies.” Human Organization 74.3 (2015): 276- 286. Print