CMP101 - Composition 1 - Sherf

Discussion about feminism/sexism

In the article "Purse Strings" by Donna Lopiano, the author describes issues about equity in women's sports. In class, you discussed how sexism impacts the agency these athletes have over their earnings. The economic analysis you will pursue will include the impact of the three factors listed below and how they affect salary equity in sports.

Popularity / Fan Attendance 

"And few would argue against the position that the women’s pro-tennis tour is more appealing and interesting to public than the men’s tour and should command equal if not higher salaries for its players. Yet women’s professional tennis purses are 25 percent smaller than those of men."

Earnings / Merchandising 

"Few see the fairness, for example, in our 1999 U.S.A. Women’s World Cup soccer champions being promised $12,500 if they won compared to the approximately $300,000 received by male Word Cup champs."

Profit-Sharing / TV Revenue 

"The Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players had trouble negotiating minimum salary guarantees of $20,000 to $30,000 a year—a tiny fraction of what most NBA players make. Meanwhile, it took almost 30 years for the NBA to average 10,--- spectators a game and only two years for the WNBA to reach that mark."

• Unequal treatment for college women’s basketball players has deep historical roots

  Take a deeper dive, here's an article on the topic - College basketball has long favored men over women athletes, history shows. The disparities that surfaced during March Madness are the latest example.

Identifying Keywords

In order to find your secondary sources for this topic, you will need to search in the library's databases. You will find direct links into the databases as well as suggestions for search terms to use to search for more sources below. Explore the databases and try out some of the suggested keywords when searching for your secondary sources. Be persistent and flexible! If you are not finding what you need, change your keywords. If you need help, reach out and ask a Librarian.

Donna Lopiano wrote the article, 'Purse Snatching' around 20 years ago, yet the issues she raises are still happening today. 

The issues raised in this article revolve around gender equity in professional sports. Some search terms or keywords you could use to begin your search are listed below.