WS colloquium March 20, 2009

Battle of the Sexes in the New Millennium

Examining Sport and Gender

Trina Kudlacek

(UHM, Office of Student Athlete Academic Services)

March 20 (Friday)

12:30pm-1:30pm, Saunders 541

Abstract

The 1970’s were a pivotal decade for the empowerment of women and women’s involvement in sport reflected the spirit of the times. In 1972, Title IX was passed and in 1973 Billy Jean King played Bobby Riggs in the “Battle of the Sexes”. Now, 36 years later, both women and men, are becoming more aware of how traditional gender roles shape and restrict their participation in sport as in larger society. This talk will examine the importance of sport, as a socially constructed and gendered institution, through which hegemonic masculinity is reproduced and reinforced.

Trina Kudlacek received her Doctorate of Education in Sport Psychology and Counseling from Temple University in Philadelphia Pennsylvania. Her academic focus has been on diversity issues in athletics with particular emphasis on race, ethnicity, and gender. She has worked in academic support services with college student-athletes for 17 years and currently has a position as an academic adviser for the Office of Student Athlete Academic Services at UH Manoa. In addition to academic advising, Trina currently teaches two courses on line at Oregon State University, one in the Exercise and Sport Sciences entitled "Power and Privilege in Sport" and the other "Women in Sport" through the Women's Studies Department. She also teaches a course in the sociology of sport in the Kinesiology and Rehabilitation Science Dept. at UH Manoa. She is the author of a textbook chapter on sychosocial issues of college student-athletes and has also presented at national and international conferences on coach/athlete relationships, diversity issues for student-athletes of color, and academic support strategies for student-athletes.