Sport has traditionally served as a venue in which masculine traits are favored over feminine ones. In society in general, men are expected to be strong, aggressive and confident while women are seen as more fragile, weak and docile. These expectations are reflected in the expectations of men and women in the sporting realm. The purpose of this paper is to examine the social construction of gender and how it applies to women in sport. This thesis looks at the social construction of gender in sport as a way of excluding women from participating fully. It also examines two key agents of socialization, physical education and the media, which perpetuate gendered ideals and contribute to how women and girls understand their gender in respect to sport. Themes of sexualization, trivialization, gender roles and stereotypes and underrepresentation of women athletes in the media are recurring and important to recognize when looking to affect change and make sport a more welcoming place for girls and women. A content analysis was conducted of the National Post and Globe and Mail throughout a two week period to examine how these themes were carried out in the mainstream media and how they are reproduced in the two sites of socialization. It was found that in order to get more girls and women involved in physical activity and sport, increased coverage of women's sports as well as a variety of sports are important to showcase what types of activities are available to them. Attention needs to be paid to the performance of the female athlete rather than her appearance or personal life in order to avoid trivialization. Also, changing the narrative surrounding the concept of femininity and what a woman is capable of is crucial in changing the attitudes surrounding women in sport. Addressing this issue early in schools is key in achieving more acceptance for women in sport.
