The "Battle of the Sexes": An Embodiment of Gender Conflicts in the 1970s and Influence on Equality in Sports

Abstract

In 1973, 48 million Americans sat in front of their televisions to watch a tennis match known as the Battle of the Sexes [1]. By pitting a male against a female, this match attracted enormous attention as people thought it possessed an answer to their burning question, which gender is superior? Especially during a time when the prominence of gender social equality advocacy increased conflicting societal sentiments, this tennis match seemed particularly important. This research paper explores the Battle of the Sexes through the lens of second-wave feminism and athleticsspecifically, how this event encapsulates the gender conflicts and catalyzes more equality in sports. By exploring previous research and primary source documentation on the Battle of the Sexes, this paper provides a detailed account of the match and its larger implications for feminism and athletics, allowing readers to better understand the formation of current societal gender norms and expectations, thus, better able to identify current events that may shift future society. Additionally, readers will see the importance of advocacy and how a single point of advocacy can expand into a powerful network that causes change.