Femininity and Marketability of Female Athletes: An Economic Extension of "The Female Apologetic"
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Author
Walker, Rosemary
McGinnis, Lee
Ball, Jennifer
Publisher
Washburn University. School of Business
Sponsor
Kaw Valley Bank
Issue Date
November 2006
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Alternative Title
Abstract
Scholarship in sociology and gender studies suggests a female apologetic may exist in the sports world, whereby female athletes feel the need to apologize for participating in the masculine realm of sports by emphasizing their femininity. We are interested in how perceived femininity affects female athletes' marketability. A survey of sports professionals was used to gather data on the perceived femininity and marketability of top professional female athletes. Ordinary least squares regression analysis of these data and other determinants of marketability suggests female athletes' marketability varies positively with their perceived femininity.