Keywords

Racism; Sexism; Capitalism; WNBA; Language; Intersectionality

Abstract

This thesis explores the manifestation of racism, sexism, and capitalism in the language and rhetoric of sports media through a case study of WNBA players Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark. This study theorizes that sports media has referred to Reese and Clark with damaging language tied to the intersections of their respective identities. This thesis also identifies and analyzes the presence of repeated themes throughout select sports media that mirror relevant theories surrounding stereotypes, biases, and marginalization in sports. Examining and analyzing the subtle nuances at play allows one to understand how language implicitly reinforces harmful narratives and, thus, how to minimize their impact on daily life.

Thesis Completion Year

2025

Thesis Completion Semester

Spring

Thesis Chair

Bowdon, Melody

College

College of Arts and Humanities

Department

Writing & Rhetoric

Thesis Discipline

Writing & Rhetoric

Language

English

Access Status

Open Access

Length of Campus Access

None

Campus Location

Orlando (Main) Campus

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Rights Statement

In Copyright