LE3 .A278 2016

2016

Whitehall, Geoffrey

Acadia University

Bachelor of Arts

Honours

Politics

Politics

My thesis discusses whether or not sexed and gendered bodies are essential to defining “fairness” in Sport. The concept of “fairness” in Sport has different interpretations that change depending on the participant’s age, gender,and sex. Each of these interpretations fail to give a full definition of fairness, seeing as they rely on the individual fitting into the dominant social categories which can be enforced throughout the world of Sport. Therefore, a new definition of fairness, which focuses on the abilities of the athlete’s body is required. In the current Sport realm there are two tests that are used to help maintain the current definition of "fair." These two tests only subject the female body and women's gender to sex-testing and gender-testing. This form of testing needs–gender-testing and sex-testing-need to be acknowledged and deemed unfair. These tests are unfair because they only subject the body to testing, which simply confirms that the athlete's body abides by the social binaries of male and female, man and woman. Fairness in Sport should not be based on an athlete’s gender or sex, but rather their ability to play a Sport, whether it is wheelchair rugby, 100-meter dash, or football. A person’s sex or gender identity should not be taken into consideration when deciding whether or not they should be allowed to participate in Sport.

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https://scholar.acadiau.ca/islandora/object/theses:1453