Cultural & Media Influences on Gender Roles

Question 1

Culture

Answer 1

Consensus norms, traditions, and morals valued by a society

Question 2

Culture & Gender

Answer 2

• Most cultures hold different views and have different perceptions of how each gender should act
• Women often seen as more conformist/less independent
• Berry et al (2002): This is false, largest factors in conformity were activity level and physical environment (meta-analysis)
• Alleye (2011): Women usually less socially powerful, but this is decreasing in the UK

Question 3

Sex Temperament in 3 Primitive Societies: Mead (1935)

Answer 3

• Published a very important study in our understanding of culture and psychology
• Overt participant observation in Papua New Guinea - many small tribes, all speaking same language

Question 4

Mead (1935): Arapesh (lowland)

Answer 4

• Men = gentle, cooperative, kind
• Women = gentle, cooperative, kind

Question 5

Mead (1935): Mundugmor (highland)

Answer 5

• Men = aggressive, machiavellian, narcissistic
• Women = aggressive, machiavellian, narcissistic

Question 6

Mead (1935): Tchambuli (port)

Answer 6

• Men = emotionally fragile, sensitive, anxious
• Women = assertive, hostile, domineering

Question 7

Media

Answer 7

Methods of transmitting or storing knowledge (eg. TV, books, music, adverts, film)

Question 8

Bandura & Bussey (1999)

Answer 8

• Content analysis of large range of film/print media to investigate gender roles 1866-1990
• Codes for men: confident, independent, assertive, interesting, complex, strong
• Codes for women: dependent, anxious, unambitious, two-dimensional, emotional

Question 9

Media & Gender: Hodges et al (1981)

Answer 9

• Men shown in control
• Women shown to be helpless

Question 10

Media & Gender: Conley et al (2011)

Answer 10

• On TV, most women are physically flawless & emotionally passive
• Men are clumsy but more accomplished

Question 11

Media & Gender: McGhee et al (1980)

Answer 11

• Longitudinal study on the power of embedded media stereotypes on children’s beliefs
• Kids aged 6-12 watching >25 hrs/week expressed significantly more stereotypical views than those watching < 10 hrs/week

Question 12

Vicarious Reinforcement

Answer 12

• Women are seen to succeed when feminine
• Men seen to succeed when masculine
• Sex relevant characteristics usually exaggerated in protagonists and underrepresented in antagonists - affects self-efficacy

Question 13

Counter-stereotypes: Pingree (1978)

Answer 13

• First to suggest using media to change perceptions of gender
• Men & women should deliberately be cast in unusual, non-stereotypical roles
• Study compared children watching stereotypical/counter-stereotypical adverts
• Significant difference between both groups in answers on questionnaire about gender-appropriate behaviours
• Started large gender equality movement in media