The social institution selected for analysis is the WNBA. The artifacts of analysis in relation to the said social institution include marketing and salaries. These can be analyzed using gender theories/concepts in comparison to the NBA. The gender concepts that shall provide the analytical frame include gender equality, gender stereotypes and gender mainstreaming.
Gender equality in the WNBA can be analyzed in light of salaries and the size of the leagues. There is a huge pay gap between players in the NBA and the WNBA. The gap is so staggering that it cannot be explained a simple case of economics. To illustrate, an NBA star like Stephen Curry earns 37.4 million dollars yearly while salaries in the WNBA as a whole can only gross $71,635 in a year. The huge discrepancy in salaries between the NBA and the WNBA points to the absence of gender equality. In the prevailing sense, gender equality represents the provision of equal opportunities, outcomes or conditions for men and women. This is not only evident in the salaries but also in terms of the size of the leagues. At the moment, the NBA has 32 teams with 15 players each while the WNBA has 12 teams with 12 players each. This discrepancy is inexplicable outside the lens of gender inequality. Thus, salaries and the size of the league in the WNBA point to the lack of gender equality in the institutions.
Gender mainstreaming and stereotypes are manifested in relation to the marketing of the WNBA. To begin with, little is known of WNBA and its stars, with far less publicity accorded to stars in the organization in comparison to the NBA. This can be explained in terms of gender mainstreaming, which has failed to be undertaken in marketing policies in the NBA and WNBA. Gender mainstreaming demands that considerations like gender equality, representation and fairness are factored into policymaking and related processes. Without gender mainstreaming, all the publicity in Basketball has been reserved for the NBA, ignoring the WNBA. The absence of marketing and publicity for the WNBA can also be explained in terms of gender stereotypes whereas Basketball is considered a male sport. This has led to the lack of interest in promoting the WNBA and consequently, the lower levels of publicity.
Hello Tiffiny,
One thing really caught my eyes, and it seems really no issue but I don’t know if you could notice this or not while naming the team. NBA- National Basketball Association that represents MALE players and WNAB- Women National Basketball Accosication. Why it could not be other way around? NBA representing women player and for men player could name with MNBA? Our society has this tradition of giving first and foremost priority to boys and it’s sad that women in our society have always had to make an extra effort to earn what these men can earn without any extra effort.
Great point, Srijana!
Hello Tiffany,
Thank you for sharing your post. Honestly, I’m not very familiar with Basketball, but your point makes a lot of sense regarding the big salary gap between the NBA and the WNBA. I also think that this salary gap can be extended to other professions where women need to work a lot harder to earn a raise or an equal salary doing the same exact job that men do.
like you mentioned Marketing and advertisement play a huge role in increasing the players’ salary, but also the fact of their sex influences it as well. For example, most people will buy Micheal Jordan skeaners no matter how much the cost can be.
Your post is only 372. Please note the required length for this project is 750-1000 words. So you have written about half of what you need to write. This means there is plenty of room for you to add more information to your revision.
Feel free to use “I” in this paper. This is your analysis and you can be present. Rewrite your introduction to be more like the discussion post where you talked about WHY you were interested in this in the first place. You can also tell us a little bit about what the WNBA is before you get into the specific salaries/marketing artifacts.
I appreciate that you clearly highlight three concepts. In addition to mentioning them, take some time to explain them by referring to the class readings and/or citing them. Your application and discussion of the concepts is fine but define the concepts first. Then you can refer back to them in the analysis.
Also, you have good data, including numbers. Can you cite where you got them? Even if it is just the W/NBA website.
Lastly, it would be great if you wrapped it all up with a tidy conclusion, maybe reflecting back on your own personal interest.
Hello Tiffany, growing up i didn’t even know there is a WNBA, i never heard anything about this association but only NBA, this is truly sad that one player like Lebron James, NBA star like Stephen Curry earn millions of dollars and the only gross $71,635 in a year. Society fails Women in everything and everyday.
Hey Tiffany, I really appreciated the fact your brought up this topic, the WNBA has always been put to the backburner and definitely not as promoted into the mainstream media as the NBA.
Women are continually fighting for equity, no matter the workforce. Thanks for sharing.
Hello Tiffany,
Thank you for sharing your feedback with us. Like Srijana mentioned, why is “WNBA” associated with a women’s and NBA isn’t noted as MBNA? Not only do the women have lesser pay, but mainly any social media attention compared to men. As you mentioned Gender mainstreaming, plays a major role to advocate the NBA sport as an opportunity for both men and women but isn’t receiving the same attention as the other. Thank you, well done 🙂
Hello Tiffany,
Thank you for sharing your post. I’m not that familiar with Basketball, but your point of view makes a lot of sense when you explain the big difference on salary between the NBA and the WNBA. I think that this salary gap is because what you said that they do not promote the WNBA games as the do with the NBA. Women for sure has to work harder in order to get what they want and deserve than a man does.