Should Guttmann revise his definition of modern sport to take out the term “equality”

Using at least two specific examples (from lectures, readings, and films), we discussed and responded to the following questions:

• Should Guttmann revise his definition of modern sport to take out the term “equality”?
• Should he simply replace “equality” with “inequality”?
• Should he include some other, third term that better describes the complexity of difference (disability, gender, race) in modern sports culture?

No matter how you answer these questions, you must provide examples and explain your reasoning! HINT: gender (bicycling, media representations); race (basketball); you might even include disability here: (Murderball, “Blind to Failure,” Women, Disability, and Sports”).

Answer

Guttmann defined equality as a characteristic of sport because it did not discriminate between race, gender, social class, religious beliefs, etc. (Guttmann 5). People are allowed to participate in and compete in modern sports, although they are subjected to those categories. I cannot find a point to revise in the definition of equality in sport that Guttmann provided, as it all seems plausible. For instance, Mary Jo Kane mentions in Playing Unfair that “Title IX lets young girls and ladies not worry anymore about playing and competing as a team” (Playing Unfair). This example displays the equality that now exists in modern sport, which is why I think Guttmann’s definition of modern sport should not be revised.

Although I stated equality did exist in modern sports, it is not a perfect definition as some limitations exist in gender, funding, and other terms. For example, Mary Jo Kane mentions that “women are 40 percent of all sports participants, but they only receive 3 to 5 percent of the media coverage” (Playing Unfair). However, I do not think replacing equality with inequality is needed. It just indicates that we as a society do not care for watching women’s sports in the past. Another example indicates that “Manufacturers pursued a variety of strategies for gendering the bicycle, asserting that a women’s mode of transportation was available and that riding need not be masculinizing”(Garvey 69). This example shows the equality of gender in our current society and displays that acceptance of women’s sports has increased.