The Role of Gender Performativity in Sports Communities

With the rise of social media, marginalized groups are often targeted online. Whether it's a direct attack on another user or an attack on a marginalized group in general, this is something that I've noticed a lot more within the past couple of years. There are many gender stereotypes out there, but one that has grabbed my attention is the role of gender in sports and online sports communities. In many cases, this can be described as "doing gender."According to Pyke and Johnson, "doing gender," has to do with gender performativity and the expectation of roles that come with a specific gender. (Pyke & Johnson, 2003). 

Sabrina Ionescu celebrating after winning the Pac-12 championship.Credit: Getty Images/Ethan Miller

After watching this Nike advertisement, it's clear to see that a major sportswear company is trying to get rid of the gender performativity stereotypes that are often exemplified within the media and on social media. This becomes increasingly apparent at the end of the ad, where the narrator says, "one day [...] this will be our everyday." 

Another example of gender performativity in sports would be how athletes carry themselves. When a male athlete gets upset at a call or acts out, they're seen as passionate, but when a woman athlete does the same thing, they're seen as moody or "unladylike." This is especially true when it comes to celebrating championships. 

Overall, the sports community is male dominated in almost every aspect: from reporters to athletes to social media managers. This relates to "doing gender" because it involves gender performativity. This means that there's a social expectation of gender within different communities. There's a perspective that women aren't allowed to dominate in their sport, no matter how good they are, or have a job that involves sports, which goes against "typical" gender norms. 

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Works Cited

Pyke, Karen D. and Denise L. Johnson. (2003). “Asian American Women and Racialized Femininities: 'Doing' Gender Across Cultural Worlds.” Race, Class, and Gender: Intersections and Inequalities. Ed. Margaret L. Andersen, Ed. Patricia Hill Collins. Boston: Cengage Learning, 2019. 132-143. Print.