Additional information
by Marilyn Cohen (Author)
Even though teenaged girl Jackie Mitchell once struck out Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, women are still striking out on the hardball diamond. This book builds on recently published histories of women as amateur and professional players, umpires, sports commentators and fans to analyze the cultural and historical contexts for excluding females from America's pastime. Drawing on anthropological and feminist perspectives, the book examines the ways that constructions of women's bodies and normative social roles have pushed them toward softball instead of baseball. Sportswriter accounts, Title IX sex-discrimination suits, and interviews with players explore the obstacles and the social isolation of females who join all-male baseball teams, while also discussing policies that inhibit the practice.
Author Biography
Marilyn Cohen is a professor of sociology and urban studies at Saint Peter's College, where she is also the director of women's studies. The author or editor of several books about Irish history and gender, she lives in Upper Montclair, New Jersey.
