As a woman of the twenty-first century, I get to live in the
unique era it is: women are working, men are staying home, married couples
don’t want children, and couples who aren’t married are having children. These
shifts in social norms have brought many changes to how people have to view
gender roles, but the media has yet to get the memo. This difference in
realities is what sparked the idea for this paper. The media uses subliminal techniques to
promote the world that they want, this includes ideas of how women and men
should look and act as well as their place within the family and society. This
paper will look at: Sources I found but don’t plan on using, the portrayal of
gender roles in the media, effects of the portrayal, and the types of
techniques used.
There are a number of great sources that speak on how gender
roles are portrayed by the media. Lisa M. Cuklanz wrote an article in 2011
titled "Mass Media Representation Gendered Violence." This chapter in
this book is about how the
media portrays men and women in high stress, usually violent situations.
It explains the way men are usually the violent ones, causing drama and harm
and/or they are the heroes, saving the day in the most masculine way possible.
On the other hand, this chapter explains that women are usually portrayed as
weaker and always in need of help or saving, they are almost always the victim.
The media is not only aware of this portrayal, but continues to include this
outdated stereotype. I plan on using this source as a way to demonstrate
specific examples of shows, movies, and films that have this strict gender
cast.
Williams, Aleichia. “My Culture Taught Me to be a Homemaker.
Thanks, but I Want More.” HuffingtonPost News.
Huffington Post News, 22 Sept. 2015. Web. 13 Oct. 2015.
She talks about how her cultural background created a sense that all she would amount
to was being a mom. She explains how she felt that must have been true because
the media agreed with what her parents were telling her and that it wasn’t
until high school that she realized she could do more. I want to use this to
show that the media isn’t the only force of conformity but that it does enforce
certain cultural ideals.
Mayeno, Laurin. “My Son Was a Princess for Halloween, and I
Became a Better Parent.” Huffington
PostNews. Huffington Post
News, 30 September 2015. Web. 13 Oct. 2015
This is an article that is about a mothers’ struggle with
her child not following the
social norms of what boys are supposed to like. Her boy preferred to
play with dolls and dress up verses going outside and playing in the dirt.
After asking her son what he wanted to be for Halloween and he answered a
princess without hesitation, the struggle for her became even worse. I want to
use this source because it shows, on a personal and ordinary level, that gender
roles are hard to break out of fear is social criticism and what is expected of
them. Although this doesn’t follow my media is the cause- it does show on a
social level that gender norms are all around hard to break and the messaging
from the media doesn’t help.
Negra, Diane. "Gender Bifurcation in the Recession
Economy: Extreme Couponing and Gold Rush
Alaska." Cinema Journal 53.1 (2013): 123-129. Academic
Search Premier. Web. 6 Oct. 2015.
She argues that when the US was in the recession, the media
broadcasted shows that enforced gender conformity to traditional roles. Women were portrayed as
homemakers in Extreme Couponing while men were portrayed as bread makers and
“real men” braving the rough terrain in Alaska for gold. I plan on using this
source as a way to show how the media is imposing their set of gender roles.
Wolska, Malgorzata. "Gender Stereotypes in Mass Media.
Case Study: Analysis of the Gender Stereotyping Phenomenon in TV
Commercials." .Krytyka.org. N.p., 9 Sept. 2011. Web. 13 Oct.2015.
She argues that within everyday commercials and
advertisements, women and men are cast in traditional gender roles. By placing women and men
within the traditional roles, the media is telling everyone who sees them that
this is the way the world should work. I plan on using this for the facts the
case is analyzing.
Winter, Nicholas. "Masculine Republicans And Feminine
Democrats: Gender and Americans' Explicit and Implicit Images of the Political
Parties.” Political Behavior 32.4 (2010): 587-618. Academic Search Premier.
Web. 6 Oct. 2015.
He argues that even in politics, there is the traditional gender roles in
how men and women are associated within their political parties and that then
affects how the public and their peers view them within the world of politics.
The media comes into play here based on how each representative of the parties
are broadcast and talked about. I plan on using this souce because it gives a
“real World” example of how assumptions fit into gender role ideals based on
something everyone talks about: politics.
Woodward, Kath. Questioning Identity: Gender, Class,
Ethnicity. London: 2004. Print.
She explains how teens go through a phase where they
question everything about themselves and how most of them will turn towards the media and internet for answers
which can have a very negative effect on them. She explains how the
media can use this vulnerability to conform the next generation into thinking
and feeling one way verses another. Because of her ideals on the direct
correlation of media and teens I plan on using this source.
Dill, Karen E., and Kathryn P. Thyll. "Video Game
Characters and the Socialization of Gender Roles: YoungPeople’s Perceptions Mirror
Sexist Media Depictions." Sex Roles 57.11 (Oct. 2007): 851-864 JSTOR. Web. 2 Nov.
2015.
This article is about the sexualization of women and the masculine way men
are portrayed in videogames. It is a study that drawn many connections between
video games and the media and the common goal they have. I plan on using this
source because it gives a new angle to the argument of media portrayal.
Ward, Monique L. “Understanding the role of entertainment
media in the sexual socialization of American youth: A review of empirical
research.” Developmental Review 23.3 (Sept. 2003): 347–388. Science Direct. Web. 3
Nov. 2015.
This is a review of most of the studies done on the
correlation of the media and the
sexual socialization of the youth in America. It goes over the type of
media and the different types of sexual content is within those types of media.
It then goes over the feelings and attitude differences associated with that
media when introduced to teens and College Students. I plan on using this
source to show a different type of gender role that is spoken of much less,
sexual drive.
Grabe, Shelly and et al. “The role of the media in body
image concerns among women: A meta- analysis of experimental
and correlational studies.” Psychological Bulletin 134.3 (May 2008): 460-476.PsycARTICLES. Web. 3 Nov.
2015.
This study is going over how many different types of effects the media can cause
when portraying the ideal woman. It lists 141 different mental effect out of 77
different subjects. I plan on using this to show again how much the media
impact the viewer in ways that are not all positive.
Schneider, David. The Psychology of Stereotyping. New York:
2005. Print.
He shows the
effects of what stereotyping can do. He traces the origin of
stereotyping and how it the media can reinforce these stereotypes causing an
overall negative effect of those being stereotyped. It can instill fear or
unreasonable praise. Both of which are out of place and can be detrimental. I
plan on using this source because it shows a technique the media uses to
enforce ideals without stating them directly. The media uses a system already
in place which makes reinforcement easier.
Smith, Stacy L., Dr., and Amy D. Granados. "Gender and
the Media." National PTA. AXA Foundation,2006.
Web. 13 Oct. 2015.
They talk about a study that was done about the effects of the media’s
presentation of men and women within children’s shows-most of which are
negative. They then go into what can be done to help stop and reverse the
effects. I plan on using this source to show direct effects of exposing children
to enforced gender roles.
Stice, Eric and et al. “Relation of media exposure to eating
disorder symptomatology: An examination
ofmediating mechanisms.” Journal of Abnormal Psychology 103:4 (Nov 1994) 836-840.PsycARTICLES. Web. 3
Nov. 2015.
This article explains the correlation between media exposure and eating disorders in men
and women. It goes in depth of not only the eating disorders themselves but the
pathology of them and their causes my media. I plan on using this source to
show the effects of what the media is doing as well as to show why this
matters.
United States. Cong. HR. Energy and Commerce. Healthy Media
for Youth Act. 111th Cong.,2ns
Sess. Serial No. 4925. Washington:
HR, 2010. Web. 2 Nov. 2015.
This is a
bill to create programs to empower girls and boys: to help give them
positive reinforcement against the media. I want to use this bill because it shows
that something has to be done against this ideal the media is spreading about
what the world should look like.
United States. Cong.
Senate - Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Healthy Media for Youth
Act.
111Th. Cong., 2nd sess. Serial No. 3852. Washington: Senate,
2010. Web. 2 Nov. 2015. This is a bill to fund research on women’s portrayal in
the media. It is to see if the effects
from said portrayal are positive or negative and then to form a solution
if needed. I plan on using this source because it shows that there is concern
for this problem on a federal level.
Jones, Amy H. "Visual and Verbal Gender Cues In the
Televised Coverage of the 2010 Winter Olympics."The
Social Science Collection 6.2 (2010): 199-216. Academic Search Premier. Web. 6 Oct. 2015
This is a study that analyzes the visual and social cues
within sports and the media. It explains how the sex of commentator, angle of
the camera, wardrobe of the athletes, words and phrases used in speaking, etc.,
are all used to subliminally create a biased for or against a specific sex
within the sport. I want to use this source to show the techniques that the media may use to create
and enforce gender roles.
Knight, Jennifer L. and Traci A. Giuliano. “He's a Laker;
She's a “Looker”: The Consequences of Gender-Stereotypical
Portrayals of Male and Female Athlete.” Sex Roles 45:3 (Aug. 2001) 217-229.JSTOR. Web. 2 Nov.
2015.
This article goes over the gender roles in sports based on
the audience’s preference. It explains that people’s preferences on athletes
were based on the coverage given. Women’s sports articles were based on the
attractiveness of the athlete verses men’s coverage was based on abilities and
game history. It goes on about the correlation of the media verse the audience.
I plan on using this source to once again show techniques the media uses to change perceptions
on women and men.
Brown, Jane D. and
Kelly L. L'Engle. “Sexual Attitudes and Behaviors Associated With U.S. Early
Adolescents' Exposure to Sexually Explicit Media.” Communication Research 36.1
(Feb. 2009):129-151.
JSTOR. Web. 3 Nov. 2015.
This article is about the exposure of sexual based media to
adolescence and their reaction to it. It explains the types of media used
within the study: Pornography, X Rated Movies, etc. and the outcomes on teenage
men and women of various social and economic backgrounds. I don’t plan on using this
source because it goes off on a tangent I am not directing my paper.
Chant, S. "Researching Gender, Families and Households
in Latin America: From the 20Th into The21st Century."
Bulletin of Latin American Research 21.4 (2002): 545-575. Academic Search Premier.Web. 6
Oct. 2015.
This paper goes over the main issues surrounding the
familial unit. It reviews how gender roles have changed and the effects that
has had on the family and society as well such as women heading households, men
staying home with family, and women being more involved within the world. It
also reviews how stereotypes play a part on gender roles within the 21st
century. It shows how the changes are different than a century ago and what
could be behind these changes such as society, the media, and culture. I don’t think I plan on
using this source anymore due to the study only covering Latin America.
Lavrin, Ascunción. "Women, The Family, And Social
Change In Latin America." World Affairs 150.2(1987): 109.
Academic Search Premier. Web. 6 Oct. 2015.
This article is about the causes and effects of change
within the parameters of social life in Latin America. She explains how social
pressures and influences such as family, friends, and the media one is exposed
to can influence changes in one’s behavior. I don’t plan on using this source because it is
focus on only Latin America where as I was hoping to include a more broad
spectrum in my paper.
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