In this 2019 issue of Sports Illustrated, gold medalists, the USA Women’s Soccer Team, is presented on the cover. In this image, both Goffman’s Gender Displays and the Sex Role Perspective play a role in the way women are perceived by the audience.
Goffman’s Gender Displays
- Licensed Withdrawal
- In this image, all of the women are not engaging with the audience. They are playing a passive role which gives the audience the opportunity to look at them rather than being invited by their eye contact.
- The Family
- In addition, the women soccer players are hand in hand with young girls. Although these children are not their own, posing next to them and engaging with a smile and embracing them with open arms represents the motherly stereotype of women.
A Sex Role Perspective
- Role Models
- In this image, the symbolism of the young girls looking up to the winning women is inspiring. It represents how these women are paving the way for young girls. Showing them that they can do anything they set their minds to. In this way, these athletes defy the stereotype that women are not individuals who accomplish great feats or are successful and powerful people. It represents that women can do everything a man can do; therefore, they have the capability to be anyone’s role model and someone to look up to.
Shared by: Sydney Zima
Image Credit: https://sicovers.com/featured/1-dominate-today-inspire-tomorrow-2019-womens-world-cup-june-03-2019-sports-illustrated-cover.html