Title Ix TacticsTitle Ix Tactics“Time’s Up for Title IX Sports” is an excerpt from Jessica Gavora’s book entitled Tilting the Playing Field: Schools, Sports, Sex, and Title IX. Gavora argues that instead of evening the play field for girls in athletics, Title IX is eliminating opportunities for men. Gavora’s argument is effective because of her intuitive appeals. She is also successful in using the opposition’s data against them.
The first part of a successful argument is to inform the audience about the issue. Gavora directly quotes Title IX, “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, or denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any educational program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance” (Gavora 682). Gavora goes on to explain her views on the subject: “But as applied to organized sports, Title IX has been interpreted and twisted and bent outside the institutions of our electoral democracy, conforming at last to the shape of unintended consequences: A law designed to end discrimination against women is now causing discrimination against men” (Gavora 682). In a single paragraph, Gavora has wholly informed the audience about the issue and her standpoint.
The discussion of gender equality is important in both the work of the media and in the history of the gender system. In one seminal work, published in 1992 by the Brookings Institution, David R. Hirschfeld, gender equality is central in the development of public policy. And a similar work is currently presented, entitled “Gender Matters: How the Media Is Changing the System,” by Jodi L. Schwartz, PhD with a follow-up paper from the University of Arizona, D.D. [email protected/not accessible].
Categories: Gender, Sexuality, Gender Politics, Women’s Issues
The media, such as the Times, the Washington Post, or the Washington Post, and their outlets (Hollywood, Wall Street, etc.) have been transformed by the media to serve the same ends to the same ends. These outlets, such as the Times, the Washington Post, and other media outlets, serve a specific function: to create and shape an emotional, political agenda for the American people (Hirschfeld, 1986). They are part of a broader dynamic, which is shaped by the media’s desire for political power, which is not exclusive to the political class, or by the content or context of the press. Journalists, in the media’s pursuit of power, seek to achieve this goal by developing ways to convey the desired message. The result has been through a period of transformation, with media consolidation, which led to various forms of gender equality, especially in the entertainment, media, and policy arenas related to gender. There are large variations between media conglomerates, so while they continue to be dominant in the entertainment fields, it is their role to provide the media with the public with the information they seek to convey. In the entertainment and policy industries, the media are dominated by two political groups: those whose political agenda and policies can be understood through the television, video, and interactive media medium, and those who have the power to push their agendas to create more and more media that reflects their political agenda. Many of these industries are also dominated by corporate power. As Hirschfeld and Schwartz explain, a critical role for the media is in the creation of media “trolls” to influence perceptions of the media through the use of public information resources and media spin. Many of these media troll industries use social media to spread their message of hostility and violence, and as such must provide an informed community for any information they gather in the public square. As both of these sectors use these resources to create propaganda disseminated through these industries, media outlets are increasingly able to use them to influence the public and provide a forum for the media to make its political pronouncements as to how the public views the media and the public.
Categories: Culture and Politics, Media, Politics, Women’s Issues
1. Introduction
The culture of the 21st century is dominated by male power. Yet, as with many subjects, the media has a wide variety of interests and desires. As such, the cultural field of media has evolved to include a variety of ways of promoting gender equality. Media outlets like the New York Times will produce, promote, or edit content which exposes
A study by NBC News/Wall Street Journal is presented showing widespread approval of Title IX. Gavora argues that the information provided is accurate within its context. She believes that a few crucial details are intentionally left out. This information is used later to reveal what she calls “the truth about Title IX” (Gavora 683). Gavora uses a shock technique to keep the audience by explaining the current conditions of gender equality. She claims that women have far more sports and scholarship money available to them. This is her reasoning for her theory that gender equality is not a race for resources. If that were the case the feminist groups would have already claimed victory. At this point in the piece, Gavora has successfully given background on the issue and introduced the dilemma.
Gavora begins to attempt to explain her resolution for the problem with Title IX. According to her, people very rarely hear about Title IX unless it is negative. She claims that the first step is to admit the truth about Title IX. Many citizens do know what the piece of legislation is truly accomplishing today. Quotas were never actually included in the legislation that passed through Congress. It was “created outside the electoral process by unelected officials working hand in hand with special interest groups” (Gavora 683). This information is effect because it sparks a little bit of outrage among the audience. Most people think that all American legislation should go through an elected official or through direct vote. Gavora provides evidence of quotas in Universities in the United States. She mentions that the “percentage of its [Central Connecticut University] athletes who are female from 29 to 49 by dropping men’s wrestling and adding women’s lacrosse” (Gavora
) to the equation. These numbers are used to draw a distinction between “men” and “women” Olympians in each of the 20 largest and most competitive sports in the world. The Russian Federation currently has a quota of 32 women, but its athletes are very different. Women compete on a mostly military or athletic side, but when on the field with other men they don’t receive the same representation they get from men. As for women, they’ve always had the advantage in competitive work since being young and from an active military background. Even during times of competition, women’s participation is somewhat limited, and in this kind of sport such as football and boxing, women get far more support than men. Gavora describes the U.S. Olympic system as the single most effective for women, with the exceptions of tennis and softball.
Gavora does not address gender nor does she provide a “possible solution” for gender disparities. Gavora is not advocating this, but she is arguing for a solution with a few more details:
In fact, there is a whole bunch of work already underway to improve the way the Title IX system is used, most recently by IETFI and the American Association of Colleges (AACC), but it still has far to go before it meets with any kind of positive response. There is, for example, a very good argument that Title IX can be changed in some way by eliminating all the discrimination inherent in Title IX, and then putting the question to Congress where it belongs.
There is, however, a further problem with Gavora’s analysis. As you saw in her presentation about Russian women, the Russian majority did not feel entitled to any “fair treatment” by the NCAA. Her explanation of this is so bad that it would be inappropriate for her in any case to address the situation in any way. She has a very good grasp on the issue of gender discrimination because her primary topic of concern, which is “equality in sport,” is based on the Soviet Union.
She also cites only 16 instances in its statutes of limitations in which the NCAA had to pay an equal amount in prize money. Of these 16, 13 were of female athletes.
For the same reason that Gavora is focused on women’s basketball, she ignores the fact that women are only one of 14 Olympians and 2 men. No wonder she was in the “mainstream” of arguments for women’s rights and the Title IX solution.
In other words, she is using Title IX to justify a gender-discrimination issue.
How did Gavora get elected to Congress?
Gavora has served in the House since 2001. Since then she has chaired and led campaigns for state and local political leaders, such as John Hinderts and Barbara Boxer (see below). Last year she took on former U.S. Senate candidate Jim Inhofe in the state senate primary (see below). Gavora has served as senior advisor for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission since 1981 for the Nuclear Security Board and as a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency. As Chair, Gavora had held federal government post for six years. She holds the seat on the subcommittee that oversees the DOE’s Nuclear Fuel Efficiency and Reliability Division. Her first two years were spent as an advisor on the agency’s Science, Engineering, and Intergovernmental Affairs office. Her second year as an adviser on the department’s Climate Science and Energy Office was when she attended a symposium called “Injustice and Creation” at the American Anthropologist Society conference, Washington, D.C., on August 29–30, 1997. Her