Assignment 1-3, Journal Article Analysis

Journal Article Analysis
Running Like a Girl: Women’s Running Books and the Paradox of Tradition

The journal article “Running Like a Girl: Women’s Running Books and the Paradox of Tradition is an article that discusses women in sports and what kinds of things are discussed in Women’s Running Books. Iris Young wrote a book titled “Throwing Like A Girl” in 1977. In that book she explained how girls took great care with physical activity and protected the body as if it were a fragile object. She stated that because women restrict their movements, confine them to a limited space, and regard their bodies as objects that must be protected and looked after, they limit their engagement with, and potential in, the world. Twenty years later she wrote a critique of her original book. She commented on how things had changed in twenty years. Girls today carry themselves with more openness, more reach, and more active confidence than girls twenty years ago (Young 286). It is true that there are many girls and women in today’s society that are very confident with their athletic abilities. Women have come a long way in twenty years.

The female athlete’s emergence is a new cultural icon. Many female athletes today market products and services. Professional female sports figures are becoming more popular. Many corporations use female athletes to advertise their products in order to increase sales and image. Serena Williams is an example of a professional female athlete. She is a tennis champion that has advertised for Nike, Tampax, Gatorade, and Hewlett Packard. Another female athlete that you see a lot in the media is Jillian Michaels from the reality television show Biggest Loser. She is the tough trainer on the show that helps the overweight contestants to lose weight. She is one of the leading health and wellness experts in the country. She also does a little advertising while training on the show. She has advertised Extra Sugar Free Gum as a way to help with hunger.

The journal article discusses Women’s Running Books. More women run today than ever before. The writer’s of Women’s Running Books coax their readers into believing in their ability to take the first run. They do this by establishing the credibility of the author as a woman who has managed to become a runner. The author points out that her life is no different from that of other women. She has children, a job, a husband, and at one time a tummy. She is a normal, ordinary gal. She explains how running has brought her to terms of self-discovery, self-esteem, physical well-being, etc. (Jutel 1008). Many women are scared to take those first strides, but once they do they are very satisfied with the results. Women run for all different reasons. Some women run with their boyfriend or husband to become closer to them. Running together may be the only alone time that they have. Some women run only for the physical well-being. They want to lose weight or get fit. Many women run to relieve stress and clear their minds. Women that were once addicted to smoking or drinking heavily are now addicted to running. Women of all ages are discovering the benefits they would never have imagined (Jutel 1009).



References

Young, Iris. “Throwing Like a Girl: Twenty Years Later.” Body and Flesh: A Philosophical Reader. Ed. D Welton. Malden, MA Blackwell Publishers Ltd, 1998. 286.

Jutel, Annemarie. “Thou Dost Run as in Flotation: Femininity and the Emergence of the Women’s Marathon. “International Journal of the History of Sport 20.3 (Spring 2003): 1008-1009.