Women, prisoners of the past

The image of Mary as a paragon of virtue and chastity constituted an ideal feminine type- (Fiero vol 2, 129). The Virgin Mary's portrayal as a woman of virtue and chastity carried over as expectations for women in society. As stated in Dr. Ho's lecture on Medieval women, "Social reality reflects theological truth." .
             In sports, there are different standards for men and women for what kind of behavior is acceptable on the courts and playing fields. On many occasions, fights break out in baseball games and the crowd often cheers the male players on. Aggression appears to be expected in male athletes, but if a female athlete shows aggression, she is viewed as "too intense," or "masculine." Another issue within athletics is attire, or lack thereof. At the last Women's Soccer World Cup, U.S.A. player Brandi Chastain scored the winning goal for the United States in a penalty shootout against China. She dropped to her knees and tore off her shirt, a classic celebration in men's soccer. The picture of her in a black sports bra on the Rose Bowl field was perhaps the tournament's signature moment. Following the World Cup in June of 2003, Soccer's governing body banned male and female players from removing shirts during celebrations after goals. It said the object of the ban was "maintaining discipline and order on the field of play." On courts and fields across the nation, men are constantly taking of their shirts. Some could reason that they might be hot; others might feel that they want to show off their bodies. Whatever the reason, it is considered acceptable behavior for men in most places. However, if a woman takes of her shirt and plays in a sports bra, it is unacceptable and many places have rules against it. For instance, at UNC-A, one of the rules enforced by the athletic department is that the women's volleyball team cannot take off their shirts in the gym. I cannot count the number of times I have seen the male basketball players play with their shirts off; there is not a rule against it except in a game during their season.