Research essay draft 2

Aaron Batista

English 201

11 April 2018

Research paper

Anything You Can Do I Can Do... Better?

Abstract

Introduction:In this paper the issue of gender segregation will be explored through a societal, medical and moral/ethical standpoints. As of today all professional sports are separated into two leagues, for males and females. Originally done as an attempt to keep women out of mainstream sports, it has now taken on more of a scientific argument based upon physical qualities and fairness. The paper analyzes the aspects in greater detail to see if any of it holds true

Methods:Using a variety of sources such as official statistics regarding male and female physiology and competitive scores from the Olympics which hosts athletes on an international scale a gender segregation was analyzed in a medical fashion. Using videos, interviews and articles the societal standpoint was observed regarding how women have been perceived in sports as well as personal experience from current athlete. Finally moral/ethical situations were introduced in order to establish the complexities of situations that might occur.

Results:Results have shown that men typically perform 10% better than female competitors in regards to a majority of competitions. Female competitors perform better in sports that utilize their smaller, leaner body type. While transgenders in sports still requires more research to come to a definitive conclusion early reports indicate that there is a potential imbalance between transitioned and natural born competitors at a certain level. The rate of damage for head injuries between males and females requires more research but at the moment it seems like females are at less risk.

Discussion:The issue is very complex and ultimately comes down to the choice of the athlete whether or not they want to compete against the opposite gender.

Anything You Can Do I Can Do... Better?

Do you throw like a girl? If that didn’t bother you it’s probably because it isn’t the insult it once was, the strive for equality has been a broadening topic over the years ranging from, skin color, to representation and now sports. There are those that are still wondering why we have a separate division for men and women at this point in our society. Sports in the eyes of some people, should be about finding the best athletes regardless of gender. With the relatively new emergence of transgender athletes and restructure of gender norms, is gender segregation in sports still necessary? For decades men and women have competed in separate leagues due to perceived differences in physiology and ideology, but in our new society where equality is at the forefront gender segregation should no longer be so prevalent.

Baseball, football, and basketball are what comes to mind when you think of sports in America. However there are sports that are much more individualized such as weightlifting, track, and swimming which are all watched by millions during the international Olympic games. As all of these sports have grown there has been a strong emphasis on fairness and structure in order to get the most accurate results. Such as bans on performance enhancing drugs, separations by weight, and separate leagues for genders. Initially gender separation was done in order to prevent female athletes from gaining a foothold in sports. In this day and age not only has that changed drastically but in some sports, female competitors are actually outperforming their male counter parts.

As women were introduced into the 1900’s olympic games, their representation within the sports industry has been steadily growing to what it is today. Although they were met with fierce scrutiny they continued to fight to earn a significant place in the sports community. A two part video developed by Duke University explained how women participating in sports was seen as a taboo. Any sports that they were originally allowed to play in was to be something that was not strenuous for fears that it might be too much for women to handle. “Women are really only allowed or encouraged to play very lady-like, country club sports where they won't have to break a sweat”(4:40). Even in the 1970’s women competing in sports that were male dominated was looked down upon and many female athletes were accused of being homosexual in an attempt to discredit them. Today women face a different set of problems in their fight to remain in an industry where they are constantly looked down on.

Women routinely find themselves competing at lower standards, lower pay and lower treatment than their male counterparts as shown in the image above. An associate professor of political science Eileen McDonagh, explains how these limitations are present all throughout the professional level. “Women’s single games in badminton for example end at 11 points instead of 15… (women’s) matches are the best 2 out of 3 sets while men’s events are the best 3 out of 5” (McDonagh, pg 11). Payments across all sports are lower for the women’s league than the men’s as well as money spent on their teams. These reasons are driving points for why gender segregation in sports should be ended. However, opponents argue that this is systematic and could be corrected, what about the medical aspect?

There is no doubt that on the genetic level men and women are built differently. More specifically male and female bodies develop differently in regards to strength, stamina, flexibility, etc. A study published in the Journal of Sports Science and Medicine was conducted  using information gathered from the records of the Olympic committee to see if there was any statistical difference between men and women in sports. What they found was that as time went on both men and women’s records were getting better and better, specifically the women’s. However since 1983, there has been a very stable mean difference of 10% between male and female scores with the men scoring higher. The results suggested that women may not ever be able to run, jump, swim or ride as fast as men at an elite level.

These differences in scores have to do with the differences in muscle fibers between men and women. The European Journal of Applied Physiology and Occupational Physiology has found that women only contain “52-66% as much strength as males in their upper and lower bodies respectively”. While women are more lean and flexible they can perform better in instances such as long distance running men have a higher advantage of general power.  These considerations must be taken into account when observing sports that are entirely dependent on strength such as weight lifting or maneuverability such as gymnastics. These sports would have the highest differences between men and women as shown in the Journal of Sports Science and Medicine where there is a difference of about 36.8% in the mens favor. These differences are becoming very apparent with the relatively new emergence of the transgender athlete and the tricky situation of their league placement.

As our society continues to develop we have become more accepting and outspoken to fair treatment for all. Homosexuals have for a long time faced persecution and rejection from various institutions including sports. Now that this type of bigotry has become taboo in our modern society, there are more people who feel comfortable embracing who they are, even undergoing surgeries and treatments in order to best fit the image they want. The problems arise however when the discussion turns to what leagues they should play in. Should males who transitioned to females play in male leagues or female leagues and vice versa? In our country we have taken on an ideal that people should not be told what they can or can’t do in regards to their bodies and that disagreement with sexual identities is seen as discrimination. Except the situation isn’t as black and white when put into practice.

Articles from the Daily News and Excelle Sports has been covering stories that address the the results of these controversies. The Daily News mentions an MMA fighter, Fallon Fox who transitioned from male to female and is fighting in the women’s league, including the post fight interview of her opponent, “I can only say, I've never felt so overpowered ever in my life and I am an abnormally strong female in my own right. Her grip was different..” Fox (to the right on the image above) currently holds a 5-1 record with other female competitors refusing to compete against her because of he natural born advantages.

Excelle Sports focuses more on the scientific aspects of the argument such as bone density and testosterone, the hormone that makes better athletes. Males on comparison have significantly more bone density, and in contact sports especially that makes a very big difference. Currently male to female transgender athletes must undergo 12 months of hormone suppression therapy in order to meet the required testosterone limits. According to Dr. Ramona Krutzik, an endocrinologist “athletes who grow up as men have already enjoyed an increased ability to build muscle and bone mass for years, which accounts for endurance and strength differences between biological men and women. And a few years of hormone suppression does not reverse these effects” (Jackson-Gibson). As of right now there are records in women’s sports that are being overtaken by transgender men and some are calling it unfair.  Although there are other scientists that might disagree with Dr. Krutzik there is a overall consensus that more research must be conducted in order to get more accurate results on proper testosterone levels. As well as the types of advantages if any transitioned athletes might have over their competitors.

Contact sports may be the most worrisome aspect of gender mixed leagues due to the physical differences between men and women. Sports such as MMA, football, and boxing there is a focus on strength just as much as skill. As this paper has discussed males are able sustain a higher percentage of muscle growth as well as bone density, resulting in statistically harder hits. One of the main injuries sustained during contact sports are concussions, and it turns out that they affect both men and women differently. From the Journal of Neurosurgery it was discovered that although initially women recovered from concussions faster than men, they experienced worse long term damage. “Women ended up performing worse in about 85% more variables than the men”(, the article unfortunately used a small sample size and is calling for more research into the matter. Another journal article published by the Journal of trauma states “ Female gender is independently associated with reduced mortality and decreased complications after TBI (traumatic brain injury)”. A stark contrast to the former article.After interviewing Janeice Hernandez, who plays volleyball and flag football in an independent league, she mentions that she would personally not want to play against her male competitors due to risk of injury, “..They hit harder, like, they hit stronger , they were taller…We had accidents where guys would just spike a ball into a girls face.” She also touches upon how the girls had to be much more focused and prepared because of this in order to account for the difference in strength.

Another consideration is potential gender dominance in sports that rely on individuals instead of teams. A gender mixed league falls on the premise that only the best athletes make it to championship levels. However as its been noted, men have certain significant advantages over women and vice versa and these advantages can be the whole basis of the sport. Let’s go back to weightlifting for this example, where the entire score rests on the individual. In the Olympics there are weightlifting teams but they are more or less individuals competing under a banner. In a gender mixed league what would stop teams from only recruiting male members who statistically can lift more and who earned their way into the team. In our society we might call sexism or that this is unfair, so what comes next? Does a rule get imposed so that each team has to have a certain number of women? Do they have to be a naturally born woman or do they just have to identify as one? If a rule does get imposed, it inherently defeats the purpose of mixed gender competition, if it doesn’t there is potential for a disproportionate amount of female to male athletes. The same premise can be applied to men and gymnastics where women have a significant advantage because of their body type. In a competition based purely on merit, each gender will face a situation where they will be statistically outclassed and therefore phased out in a majority of competition.

An end to gender segregation isn’t entirely bleak however because there are still some positives that can come out of it. First off the monetary discrepancies placed on both leagues would come to an end. If both men and women are participating on the same teams on the same stages they would be more likely to get paid similar amounts. As well as have access to similar equipment which was a major setback to women during the 20th century. Technology and equipment has become integral in the world of sports as we know it according to Sports journal.org.“Equipment construction also benefits from the application of composite materials which reduces weight while yielding increased strength and extended life spans” (Rosandich T. J). Women’s leagues have traditionally practiced in facilities and with equipment that was far inferior to their male counterparts. The amount of revenue women’s sports earns in comparison to men’s sports is often cited as a reason but with a gender mixed league that would no longer matter. This type of competition will also be a direct comparison to reveal the best athlete in their respective sport whether it be male or female.

A solution that benefits both sides of the debate would most likely be retaining both male and female leagues, but also introducing a third mixed league. In order to remain as fair as possible sports will be divided by not only existing distinctions such as weight classes but also by testosterone levels. The Journal of Law and the Biosciences provides further insight into the methods behind testosterone testing. Both sexes secrete the hormone and although men typically secrete more, there can be different divisions of testosterone levels in order to have some level of fairness. There are some women who have been banned from sports because they naturally have a higher amount of testosterone than their fellow female athletes. “..an Indian sprinter who was banned from competing as a female due to her high androgen levels”(Sudai, M.).There are also men that naturally produce lower amounts of testosterone than other male athletes. This type of testing also includes transgenders since they have to actively regulate their testosterone levels in order to achieve their desired transformations. Testosterone testing is the best way to ensure there is structure and regulation within a mixed gender league.

The question remains however if mixing genders would be beneficial to the world of  sports overall. If all sides accept the potential risks and any shortcomings that may occur than there is no reason to enforce gender segregation. Competitions are about find the best at whatever is being tested, gender shouldn’t matter. If man or woman becomes the champion of their respective sport while following all of the same guidelines as their competitors, then they deserve it. Athletes work hard to get to the levels that are need for these types of competitions and if all parties consent, there is no reason why they should be banned. There is potential to change the way women are treated in sports by their leagues as well as their fans. At the end of the day the decision should boil down to the choice of the athletes, would they rather be the best over everyone or a selected few?

References:

Thibault, V., Guillaume, M., Berthelot, G., El Helou, N., Schaal, K., Quinquis, L., ... & Toussaint, J. F. (2010). Women and men in sport performance: The gender gap has not evolved since 1983. Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, 9, 214-223.

Nixon, H. L. (1996). Explaining pain and injury attitudes and experiences in sport in terms of gender, race, and sports status factors. Journal of Sport and Social Issues, 20(1), 33-44.

Phillips, C. J. (2018, March 02). In era of equality, how will sports handle transgender athletes? Retrieved April 10, 2018, fromhttp://www.nydailynews.com/sports/more-sports/era-equality-sports-handle-transgender-athletes-article-1.3849591

Sudai, M. (2017). The testosterone rule—constructing fairness in professional sport. Journal of Law and the Biosciences, 4(1), 181-193.

Rosandich, T. J. (2013, November 27). Sports Equipment and Technology. Retrieved April 19, 2018, fromhttp://thesportjournal.org/article/sports-equipment-and-technology/

Duke University Sports and Society (Ed.). (n.d.). A Short History of Women's Sports, Part 2 - Gender, Sexuality, and the Rise of Women's Sports. Retrieved April 19, 2018, from https://www.coursera.org/learn/sports-society/lecture/P11jx/a-short-history-of-womens-sports-part-2

McDonagh, E. L., & Pappano, L. (2009). Playing with the boys: Why separate is not equal in sports. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Miller, A. E. J., MacDougall, J. D., Tarnopolsky, M. A., & Sale, D. G. (1993). Gender differences in strength and muscle fiber characteristics.European journal of applied physiology and occupational physiology, 66(3), 254-262.

Jackson-Gibson, A. (2017, June 01). Transgender: Do trans athletes have an unfair advantage in sports? Retrieved April 19, 2018, from http://www.excellesports.com/news/trans-athletes-unfair-advantage-sports/

Berry, C., Ley, E. J., Tillou, A., Cryer, G., Margulies, D. R., & Salim, A. (2009). The effect of gender on patients with moderate to severe head injuries. Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, 67(5), 950-953.