Releases : Social Science

At the 89th Indianapolis 500 on May 29, Danica Patrick, driver of the No.16 car for Rahal Letterman Racing, became the first female driver to lead a lap. She finished fourth -- the highest of any of the four women who have driven in the Indianapolis 500. Her qualifying for the race, and her finish, resulted in her being on the cover of "Sports Illustrated" and being the subject of an ESPN special, and a huge spike in sales of her merchandise.

"Danicamania" is expected to continue as Patrick races in the Bombardier Learjet 500 at Texas Motor Speedway this weekend and in the 12 other races on the Indy Racing League schedule through October.

Karen Weiller, University of North Texas associate professor of kinesiology, says that although the interest in Patrick appears to point to gender barriers breaking down in a male-dominated sport, gender bias remains in media coverage.

Weiller and two colleagues studied television coverage of female athletes during the 2004, 2000, 1996 and 1992 Summer Olympic Games, and compared it with coverage of male athletes in the same sport to document gender bias. Weiller also studied media coverage of Annika Sorenstam when she became the first woman to play in a PGA tournament -- at the Bank of America Colonial in May 2003.

Weiller says that as with Sorenstam at the Colonial golf tournament, Patrick has demonstrated an ability to "compete with the man on their turf."

"She did well, and thus was lauded for this accomplishment. However, her success is also partially based on her looks as well as this demonstrated ability. This is not true for her male counterparts on the circuit; their success is only based upon their ability in the sport," Weiller says.

She adds that Patrick appears to also selling herself on her attractiveness.

"As we know, sex sells, so she appeals to the Indy audience, which is largely male," she says. "Patrick does represent, for young females interested in auto racing, a new and potentially positive focus, but unlike her male counterparts, she will bring her gender with her as she continues to race in the future." 

In addition, Weiller says Patrick's male colleagues, unlike many of Sorenstam's on the PGA circuit, appear to look forward to the attention she brings to their sport, since Indy Racing receives less attention than many other U.S. sports.

Weiller can be reached at (940) 565-2856 (office), (214) 704-2138 (cellphone) or weiller@coe.unt.edu

On Sunday, May 29, members of the Texas House and Senate approved an overhaul of the state's embattled Child Protective Services agency, providing for the addition of 2,500 CPS caseworkers, cutting caseloads and moving some of the agency's tasks to the private sector.

Anna Rae Rozell, an instructor in the University of North Texas Department of Rehabilitation, Social Work and Addictions and manager of the department's Child Welfare Program, believes the Texas Legislature was genuinely concerned with overhauling CPS and did make a good faith effort for change.

However, she says hiring additional caseworkers will result in each caseworker handling roughly 40 to 45 cases per year - far more than the 12 to 15 cases recommended per worker each year by the Child Welfare League of America, an association of more than 900 public and private nonprofit agencies that assist more than 3.5 million abused and neglected children and their families each year with a range of services. 

Rozell points out that, currently, a typical caseworker handles about 70 cases per year. Decreasing the load to 40 to 45 brings the number of cases per worker down to where it was in 2002, she says.

Rozell, who was named "Administrator of the Year" by the Texas Foster Parents Association during her tenure with Child Protective Services, can be reached at (940) 565-2488 or rozell@unt.edu.