Is it a four‐star movement? Policy transformation and the U.S. women's national soccer team's campaign for equal pay

Ashley English

Social Science Quarterly, 2021, vol. 102, issue 4, 1966-1981

Abstract: Objective In 2019, the U.S.Women's soccer team (USWNT) sold shirts claiming “It's not a moment, it is a four‐star movement,” positioning the team as leaders of a transformative movement for equal pay that would benefit all women. Were they? Method Drawing on the gender and public policy and agenda setting literatures, I use the players’ statements about the team's wage discrimination case, and members of Congress' (MCs) speeches to analyze whether the USWNT's case promoted transformative changes in the enforcement of American equal pay policies. Results The players and MCs failed to use the USWNT's case to promote a shared transformative call for changes in equal pay enforcement policies. Both the team and the MCs also prioritized the broad concerns of women and girls over the diversity of women's experiences with wage discrimination. Conclusion The players’ case and MCs' responses to it indicate that this case of policy‐focused athlete activism did not promote transformative enforcement changes.

Date: 2021
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