The historical sexual objectification of women in our society produces the notion that women are for men, their very purpose is to please men, and men can, and should, own them. This belief translates into everyday experiences in which men infiltrate women’s personal space and feel entitled to their female gaze. As a result, this enables a gendered dynamic of surveillance, especially in the athletic community. This research proposal looks to explore the question “Do Adult Women (Age 18-24) Feel Discomfort When They Are Stared At In Public Gyms?†My research is guided by the objectification theory, feminist phenomenology, and scholarly research. Utilizing those resources, I will perform and gather data from in-depth qualitative interviews and naturalistic observations at public gyms.
