Leveling the Playing Field

Abstract

At the turn of the millennium, gender relations are in a state of flux. Increasingly, separate gendered spheres and roles are being challenged and negotiated in many areas of social life. At the same time, many gendered ideologies are also reproduced, continuing longstanding inequities. Recreational sporting subworlds provide a context to explore how gendered rule structures contribute to and redress such inequities. Coed softball provides an example of a sport in which equal participation by gender is a legislated goal. However, such rules must be critically evaluated. Given the history of gender inequity in sports, one must ask how, through the rules and their enforcement, is gender equality conceptualized by participants, umpires, and rule makers? Through participant observation and analysis of the text of the rules, this article explores the providing of equality by defining and legislating difference that simultaneously challenges and reifies gender difference and ultimately gender inequity.

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