Serving the campus of the University of Alabama since 1894

The Crimson White


Serving the campus of the University of Alabama since 1894

The Crimson White

Serving the campus of the University of Alabama since 1894

The Crimson White

Sexism is still very apparent in our society

Sexism is still very apparent in our society

Intramural soccer is a great way to get outside, have some fun with friends and get in some exercise. It’s low-key, no-pressure fun. And you want to know the best part? My weak woman legs get me two whole points per goal. Without that rule, who knows if us women could participate in a fair game.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not advocating for changing the rule. If I get two points for doing the same thing as my male teammates, then that’s more fun for me. I’m not trying to be “politically correct;” I’m not dealing out my “woman card.” I’m simply pointing out the underlying sexism in our society.

There’s still an incredible amount of stereotypes in our society regarding men and women, and they extend far past physical capability. Women are seen as less effective leaders than men; people assume women don’t have the same personality traits that make men good CEOs or politicians. In an honors seminar I took last semester, we discussed why there are so few women in politics. Explanations like ‘women aren’t commanding enough’ or ‘women aren’t as strong-willed as men’ were thrown out over and over again. Maybe there aren’t very many women in politics because people believe this.

When Donald Trump interrupted Hillary Clinton at the debate, many women were offended. Sure, he also interrupted his male competitors during the primary debates, but that’s not the point. In a study done by Kieran Snyder, a tech startup CEO who also holds a PhD in linguistics from the University of Pennsylvania, she found that in company meetings, men were three times as likely to interrupt women as they were to interrupt other men. It’s subconscious. I’m guessing most men don’t even notice it, but women do. Seeing the first woman presidential nominee get interrupted over and over again by her male counterpart really struck a nerve with some women; the same thing happens to them every single day. There are implicit biases that run throughout the roots of our culture, and they’re very powerful. Interrupting women doesn’t actively make a man sexist per se, but it does play into the sexism that has become ingrained in our society.

So it’s not the two points per goal rule that bothers me, it’s the underlying sexism behind it that does. It’s become so imbedded in our culture that many people don’t even realize it. Women don’t need to be compensated more for doing the same thing as men; I really don’t need two points per goal to make it a fair game, but the notion that I do –– the idea that women are automatically less capable than men –– is a systemic problem that we have to address. We’ve come a long way, but there’s always more that can be done. Both men and women have to work to dismantle these implicit biases. We, as a society, have to be aware of our actions and start holding ourselves accountable. Sexism doesn’t have to dominate our culture anymore, and it’s up to us to make sure that it doesn’t.

Chandler Gory is a sophomore majoring in political science. Her column runs biweekly. 

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