Against the Grain

Why are Sports Gender Segregated?

Whether it’s basketball, billiards, or table tennis, sports in the U.S are segregated by sex. And most of the time those divisions are taken to be natural, not the result of social choices. Journalist Laura Pappano asserts that sports play a key role in shaping American politics and argues for breaking down the gender wall in sports.

Eileen McDonagh and Laura Pappano, Playing With The Boys: Why Separate Is Not Equal In Sports Oxford University Press, 2007

Photo credit of Manon Rhéaume: Tsunami330