MEDIA - Representations of Gender in the Media Flashcards
What is the Definition of Symbolic Annihilation?
This is whereby women’s achievements are subject to omission (left out), trivialisation (made to be seen as insignificant), or condemnation!
This also links to Sexuality as well as Ethnicity!
What Sociologist/s identified Symbolic Annihilation?
Tuchman et al!
What is the Definition of the Cult of Femininity?
Women are encouraged to conform to the feminine ideal focused on appearance and relationships rather than careers!
This links to Sue Sharpe’s study in the 1960s, in regards to Education!
What Sociologist/s identified the Cult of Femininity?
Ferguson!
What is the Definition of the Male Gaze?
Women are presented as sex objects that are viewed from a male perspective to conform to the ‘beauty myth’!
What is the Sociologist/s that identified the Male Gaze?
Wolf and Mulvey!
What is the Definition of the Hegemonic Gender Identity?
The media encourages socialisation into gender norms, based around hierarchy, behaviour, appearance, language and social position –> Women are seen as weak!
What Sociologist/s identified the Hegemonic Gender Identity?
Connell!
What is the Definition of Retributive Masculinity?
The backlash against metro sexuality (The emergence of the ‘New Man’ - Uses male makeup, happy to be seen crying and someone who loves and cares about others) has encouraged more media content to emerge that attempts to regain hegemonic gender identities (where men are seen as strong and dominant) in the face of toxic masculinity!
What Sociologist/s identified Retributive Masculinity?
Gauntlett - He is Postmodernist; he does not say that the Hegemonic Gender Identity is good, he just identified it!
What are the 5 Key Stereotypes in regards to Gender?
- Characteristics
- Sexuality
- Physicality
- Emotions
- Role
(STEREOTYPES) Describe what is meant by Characteristics. HINT: Hegemonic!
Women = Hegemonic Femininity
Men = Hegemonic Masculinity!
(STEREOTYPES) Describe what is meant by Sexuality. HINT: Heterosexual!
Women = Submissive and Heterosexual
Men = Dominant and Heterosexual
(STEREOTYPES) Describe what is meant by Physicality. HINT: Traditional View of Men and Women!
Women = Weak, skinny, long hair, makeup (‘dolled up’)
Men = Muscular, dominant and ‘buff’
(STEREOTYPES) Describe what is meant by Characteristics. HINT: Traditional Emotions for Men and Women!
Women = Dramatic, cry a lot, they need saving, ‘damsel in distress’, motherly and gentle
Men = Emotionless and aggressive
(STEREOTYPES) Describe what is meant by Role. HINT: Links to PARSONS!
Women = Expressive Role (the Follower)
Men = Instrumental (the Leader)
Links to Parsons’ Sex Role Theory and the ‘Warm Bath Theory’!
What does Tunstall identify in regards to Limited Roles? HINT: The media is BIASED and portrays women in stereotypical roles!
He argues that the presentation of women is BIASED because it mainly represents women as busy housewives, as contented mothers, as eager consumers and as sex objects in various stages of undress. –> The media generally ignores the fact that over 1/2 of British adult women go out to work!
(TUNSTALL) How does he say that the media portrays men? HINT: ‘Breadwinners’ and traditional male roles!
Men are often portrayed as active and in positions of power (‘the breadwinner’)!
The male body is also rarely sexually objectified in the mainstream media and little reference is made to a man’s marital and domestic status!
According to Kilbourne, how are women portrayed in the media? HINT: Thin about Barbie!
The media often present women as mannequins and ‘Barbie dolls’; they are seen as tall and thin, often size zero, with very long legs, perfect teeth and hair and perfect skin, health products and anything that works to improve the appearance of the body for the benefit of the male gaze (rather than for female self-esteem)!
What does Bates argue in regards to the music industry? HINT: They sexually objectify women!
She argues that the music industry is particularly guilty of sexually objectifying women in lyrics and music videos.
She observes that, as consumers of the music industry, young girls often see women in bikinis being surrounded by fully clothed men and signs that women are being treated like sexual objects!
What did Cochrane study and investigate and what did she find? HINT: Symbolic annihilation and under-representation of women in the media!
Looked into symbolic annihilation of women in TV shows = She found that a range of TV output - including news and comedy panel shows - were dominated by men and that women (especially on the radio) were especially under-represented!
(COCHRANE) What percentage of reporters and guests on BBC Radio 4’s ‘Today’ programme were male?
Around 85% of reporters and guests were male!
What does Orbach look into and identify? HINT: Diet culture and the negative representation and outcome for women!
She looks into diet culture in the media and how this perpetuates negative body image for women!
She argues that the media perpetuate the idea that slimness equals success, health, happiness and popularity - She accuses the media, especially women’s magazines, of encouraging young girls and women to be unhappy with their bodies.
(ORBACH) What does she say that the news can perpetuate and create? HINT: Eating disorders and diet culture!
She says that that the news creates the potential for eating disorders by constantly exhorting females to be concerned with their weight, shape, size and looks, by using pictures of size-zero supermodels to illustrate articles and, through adverts, encouraging dieting and cosmetic surgery.
