Leveling the Ice: The Discrepancy Between Male and Female Athletics at Boston College

Authors

  • Isabelle Kennedy Boston College
  • Molly McCabe Boston College
  • Katelyn Rodgers Boston College

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.6017/eurj.v13i2.10542

Abstract

This paper explores multiple published articles regarding the societal assumption that women’s sports are less competitive and less engaging than men’s sports. Some articles, such as Women’s Sports Foundation (2010) and Carpenter & Acosta (2005),
cite lack of funds and media visibility as to why women’s sports are not as highly regarded as men’s sports. Other articles, such as Messner (2000) and NWLC (2012), explain that the disproportion in coverage of men’s and women’s sports is based on
society’s expectations of women and the assumption feminine“weaknesses” This paper examines the men’s and women’s ice hockey teams at Boston College and details the issues surrounding team schedules, fan attendance, university support, and media presence in an attempt to determine whether BC Women’s Ice Hockey receives different levels of support and investment from BC compared to the BC Men’s Hockey team, and whether this differential investment leads to a unique spectator experience that may explain the lack of spectator attendance at BC women’s hockey games.

Author Biographies

Isabelle Kennedy, Boston College

Isabelle Kennedy is a senior in the Lynch School of Education with a double major in Applied Psychology & Human Development and English, as well as a minor in Faith, Peace & Justice. She discovered her passion for social justice in high school and is particularly fascinated by in the impact of intersecting identities, history, and language on injustice and struggles for equity. A current member of the BC Women’s Track and Field team, Isabelle has seen firsthand the transformative potential of sport to empower individuals and advocate for equal rights. Isabelle is a native of Boulder, Colorado, where she spends the summers working at a running camp designed to embolden and empower young women.

Molly McCabe, Boston College

Molly McCabe is a senior in the Carroll School of Management with a concentration in Marketing. She discovered a desire to learn more about social justice issues after taking Courage to Know during her freshman year, and has since picked up Sociology as a second major in the College of Arts and Sciences. She is especially interested in topics regarding of race and gender. Molly is currently a member of the BC Women’s Track and Field team focusing on middle distance events. She is from Nashua, New Hampshire and attended Bishop Guertin High School.

Katelyn Rodgers, Boston College

Katelyn Rodgers graduated from the Lynch School of Education in 2017 with a double major in Applied Psychology & Human Development and Sociology. She first became interested in concepts of social justice after learning more about BC’s mission statement and working closely with the PULSE program before picking up her sociology major. Katelyn is especially interested in sports equality because she is a competitive roller skater and was a Team USA member in 2013 and 2016. She is from Taunton, Massachusetts and is moving to Kissimmee, Florida to become a Child Protective Investigator to continue her work on social justice and equality.

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Published

2018-06-10

How to Cite

Kennedy, I., McCabe, M., & Rodgers, K. (2018). Leveling the Ice: The Discrepancy Between Male and Female Athletics at Boston College. Elements, 13(2). https://doi.org/10.6017/eurj.v13i2.10542

Issue

Vol. 13 No. 2 (2017)

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2018 Isabelle Kennedy, Molly McCabe, Katelyn Rodgers

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.