List of Pros and Cons of Title IX
Female athletics have come a long way in America and Title IX is just one of many developments that paved the way. Gender equality has become a greater point of emphasis as we attempt to erase the mistakes that have been made in the past. Title IX was passed in 1972, ensuring that women could participate in any sporting activity they wished to pursue, regardless of their gender.
While this ruling has blown the door wide open for women’s athletics, there are still many detractors. Valid points have been made by each side of the Title IX debate and the time has come for a more thorough evaluation of the pros and cons.
List Of Pros of Title IX
1. More Female Students Receive Scholarships
By opening the door for more female athletes to compete on the college level, universities are able to offer additional scholarships to female students. Male students have been able to use their athletic abilities to receive scholarships and now females are afforded the same luxury. This also gives schools the chance to diversify their student bodies.
When more females are given the opportunity to receive a college education, this increases the strength of the American work force. No longer do women have to pay their own way through college. If a woman is a gifted athlete, she now receives the same chance to get a secondary education as her male counterparts.
2. More Olympic Gold Medals
The influx of top notch female athletes serves to strengthen America’s Olympic teams and gives the nation a huge advantage when competing with countries that still do not grant equal rights to their female athletes. Competing in the world of Division I college athletics gives women the training that they need to realize their true passion and compete professionally.
The 2012 Olympic games are the best example of this principle. Many observers dubbed these games the “Title IX Olympics” due to the sheer abundance of female winners. The United States sent more female athletes to the 2012 Olympics than male and these females brought home more gold medals than American males. This is a trend that should continue to take place as women continue to bridge the gap between female athletics and male athletics.
3. The Law Is Not Just For Females
Title IX is an equal opportunity law, intended to break down gender barriers on both sides. Before Title IX, there were a variety of sports that men were not allowed to compete in. Thanks to the passing of this law, men who wish to participate in cheer leading, volleyball or even figure skating are now able to follow their dreams, much like women who fantasized about playing basketball or softball.
Title IX was passed with both genders in mind. Contrary to popular perception, the law was enacted to eradicate old gender roles. If a woman wishes to play a so called “man’s” sport, Title IX allows her to do. Some men are interested in activities that are typically attributed to women and Title IX protects their right to compete in the same manner.
List of Cons of Title IX
1. Universities Must Increase Budgets
Having an increased talent pool to select athletes from is a boon for universities. However, before Title IX, many schools did not even have programs or facilities for these sports to be played in. Once the law was enacted, many universities were forced to tighten their belts and take money from other vital part of their budget in order to make ends meet.
Some schools were forced to cut certain programs and courses in order to make room for female athletics. Male athletics have also been known to suffer, as universities opt to cut funding for certain men’s sports, as opposed to slashing the budget for pivotal educational programs.
2. Budgets Are Allocated Unfairly
As a byproduct of universities being forced to shuffle their budgets around to make room for women’s athletics, this often leads to unfair discrepancies between the amount of money spent on men’s athletics in conjunction with women’s athletics. This budget allocations are often not in line with the percentage of female students who attend the school.
The average college only allocates 40 percent of their budget to female athletes, which is considered to be unfair. This is due to the fact that the student body at the average college is 53 percent female. Since women are not able to receive the same level of funding as males, their facilities and ability to compete at the highest possible level often suffer.
3. More Premarital Sex + Parties
An unfortunate side effect of allowing young men and women to spend more time around each other participating in physical activities is the dramatic spike in premarital sex on college campuses. The old ways of doing things were not conducive to gender equality, but they were conducive to the separation of genders. The more “hanging out” that takes place, the higher the chance that sexuality will be explored and possibly be exploited.
Title IX places young men and women in the same places more often, which also leads to an increase in coed parties on campus. This leads to the consumption of alcohol and drugs, which can cause disciplinary actions to take place, up to and including the withdrawal of a student’s scholarship on a permanent basis. College students cannot always be trusted to make the right choices for their future.