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No description available.

The purpose of this study was to determine 1) if there has been a change over the past five years in the percentage of females participating in intramural activities at Virginia Tech, and 2) if the reasons for non-participation have changed. Four hundred college females were surveyed. The data were analyzed by frequency distributions and, in some cases, cross-tabulations. The results revealed that there has been an increase in the percentage of women participating in intramural activities. Participation levels increased from 35% in 1984 to 45% in 1990. The main reason given for non-participation was lack of knowledge followed by academic concerns. The findings of this study may assist the Recreational Sports Office staff in determining where their program areas need to be developed and how they can better meet the needs of the total population at Virginia Tech. / Master of Science

Dissertation submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the Masters Degree of Technology: Public Relations Management, Durban University of Technology, 2010. / During the Apartheid era in South Africa, women were marginalised from sport. The ability to participate in sport in South Africa is intrinsically linked to the political history of the country. Sport played a dynamic role in the struggle against the diabolical system of apartheid in South Africa and has a powerful role to play in the transformation and nation building of South Africa. Women have made great strides in sport in recent years in South Africa and the way in which media portray these sporting achievements is critically important to dislodging negative stereotypes and overcoming discrimination of women in sport. The unfair coverage of women’s sport displays gender based attitudes which systematically disadvantage women’s position in society. Women’s participation in sport has grown dramatically but despite this growth coverage of women in sport remains inferior to that given to men in sport across all media. Media need to acknowledge, promote and celebrate the wealth of talent that there is to be enjoyed by society. Newspaper reports are seldom challenged for not being accurate or truthful. But readers have a right to truthful information and reporting, and being trustworthy to the reader is the basis of good journalism. Media need to collectively reflect a diversity of content to ensure public access to a variety of viewpoints and they should expect societal intervention if the media fail to meet professional standards. The print media has a fundamental role to play in shaping public opinion and undoubtedly have an influence in portraying women in sport in South Africa. This study critically analyses the influence of the print media in portraying women in sport.

The intercollegiate athletic program for women at the University of Arizona evolved from a rich heritage of activities of dedicated sportswomen. The first provision for physical pursuits on the University of Arizona campus was made in 1895 when President Howard Billman hired Gertrude Hughes to teach physical culture. From that foundation in 1895, a fully developed intercollegiate athletic program for women has developed. This study focuses on the people and events which have shaped that program. Chapter Two provides a survey of the development of women's athletics programs in both institutions of higher education and the society at large with some attention to the history of women in America in order to form a context and comparative format for the Arizona program. Chapters Three and Four center on the administrative leadership of physical education and athletics for women at the University of Arizona. The influences of Ina Gittings, Marguerite Chesney, Mary Pilgrim, and Donna Miller are presented. Chapter Five focuses on the transition period from women's club sports to an intercollegiate athletic program for women, the impact ot Title IX on the development of that program, the merging of women's athletics with men's, and the role that Mary Roby has played in the development of the University of Arizona's women's intercollegiate athletic program. From its fledgling beginning, due to the contribution of people and events, the program has developed into one of the nation's finest from which highly successful individuals and teams have emerged. The present program offers to current highly skilled female athletes at the University of Arizona the opportunity for a qualitative athletic experience in which they can maximize their capabilities both as students and athletes.

The purposes of the investigation were to determine if status of professional sports and professional athletes increases as male participation increases, if perceived status of 'athlete' increases with participation in sports that contain 'male' attributes, and if gender differences are related to status indicators. Sixty-eight students were administered a status-determinants questionnaire. A one-way ANOVA (gender) and a 2 x 12 ANOVA (gender x sport) were employed to determine status ratings of sports. A 3 x 2 (increase/decrease/no change x gender) Chi square was employed to determine status of sports, perceived masculinity of males/femininity of females, and status of the athlete related to gender attributes of sports.

No description available.

The purpose of this study was to determine women's perceptions of their physical activity needs and preferences, survey their evaluation of how the Intramural Sports Department accommodates those needs and preferences, and determine if and how intramural sports programming might be adjusted to serve women better. An open-ended survey was administered to female Oregon State University intramural sports participants and potential participants; the survey probed for customer needs, communication aspects, and assessment of program services. Utilizing a grounded theory analysis, five significant findings emerged from the survey results. The first category, women participate in intramural sports for the social aspects, revealed that female respondents participate in the intramural sports program to enjoy the camaraderie that takes place with friends and other participants; this finding is consistent with past research. A lack of opportunities and a desire for a team formation service emerged as the second category; this category indicated a barrier to participation in intramural sports. The third category that emerged indicated that respondents have a desire for multiple skill levels from which to choose to participate; however, a lack of female participation prohibits a multiple skill level option. Although past research has suggested that women prefer a cooperative playing environment, the fourth significant finding indicated that survey results did not confirm nor disconfirm that theory. Female participants and potential participants reported a desire for both competitiveness and cooperativeness in their playing environments. The final significant finding indicated that women are getting the message about intramural sports; however, the message does not entice them to participate. Interactive interviews with three participants and two potential participants confirmed the research findings and analysis. Suggestions to assist with team formation, increase female participation, reduce participation barriers, provide a mixture of competitiveness and cooperativeness, enhance promotion efforts, and conduct future research are presented. / Graduation date: 1996

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2006. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 165-173).

Sport is a particularly ideologically-charged terrain within contemporary gender relations because it is centered on the body. The body is our most 'natural' marker of sexual identity, and thus, in our socio-cultural imaginations, of gender identity. Accordingly, gendered boundaries in sport have traditionally constructed and promoted an ideology of 'natural' gender differences, and sport is a site--a microcosm--where traditional beliefs and assumptions about female weakness and male strength are promoted and maintained. Sport is understood to be both reflective as well as indicative of the female/male dichotomy which exists in the more general social mythology. Gendered boundaries are constructed, and work to ideologically contain the female athlete. However, these boundaries are also the ideological seams, through which one can potentially challenge the normalizing processes of sport.