Equality or equity? Sex differences in attitudes toward females’ sports opportunity and Title IX

Abstract

Title IX of the 1972 Education Amendments to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was introduced to equalise educational opportunities between males and females in the United States, including access to schoolbased activities, such as sport. Despite resistance, Title IX has contributed to a tremendous increase in female athletic participation in the US. Research on the contested nature of Title IX has focused mainly on either legal or policy debates, with little attention to equally important disagreements in the court of public opinion. This study examines public perceptions of the significance of gender equality in sport and public support of Title IX as an equity policy. Specifically, we examine two mechanisms to explain feminist opinions surrounding gender and sport: interest-based and exposure-based attitudes. Results show that a majority of the American public currently favors both gender equality in sport and Title IX; however, a significant sex gap remains in public support. Interestingly, male athletes are more likely to support gender equality and Title IX than non-athlete males. These results show potential evidence of feminist attitudes in sport reflecting an interest-based explanation for women and an exposure-based explanation for men.