2004 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Support strategy for female top sports leagues
| Project/Area Number |
14580068
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
体育学
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| Research Institution | Tsurumi University |
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Principal Investigator |
HIRAKAWA Sumiko Tsurumi University, the faculty of Literature, professor, 文学部, 教授 (40199047)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
NAKAZAWA Makoto University of Tsukuba, Institute of Health & Sport Sciences, associate professor, 体育科学系, 助教授 (10188930)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2002 – 2004
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| Keywords | female sports / gender / media image / female soccer |
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| Research Abstract |
This study focused mainly on the relationship between gender issues and the media, which was making a significant impact on female sports involvement. Messages disseminated by the media concerning body, physical activities and sports created or reinforced a gender bias on body. The ideal body image for the male was muscular and tough, and that for the female was slender and limber. Such different images between the genders were based on the increase of commercialized fitness clubs and tremendous media exposure of sports scenes. The chronological study of the BMI(Body Massive Index) after 1980 demonstrates a clear, continuous trend of younger females becoming slimmer and males becoming more muscular or fat.
Sports, which is based mainly on the body, are heavily affected by the images developed by the gender bias An examination of aired commercial films featuring sports revealed that 64.8% of the films were starred by male athletes while much lower 14.3% of them by female athletes.
The gender bias was found not only quantitatively but also qualitatively. It was found that the media maximally emphasized the dynamism of body and sports when describing male athletes and their performance. On the other hand, female athletes were depicted in more traditional gender roles with refreshing, friendly or smiling images recommending the product and with much less connection to athletic performance itself. In order to develop female sports, it was suggested that the body should be reconsidered free from gender biases and that appealing for reducing the media bias was indispensable.
According to a series of comparative studies between Japan and USA focusing on operations and spectators of female soccer leagues, it was suggested that there were some challenges facing the Japanese side to develop leagues, such as fostering female soccer fans, increasing media exposure of female soccer stars and developing better environments for female soccer players.
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