The Influence Of Culture And Media On Gender Roles

Question 1

Role of media in stereotypes

Answer 1

Media plays a role in reinforcing rigid stereotypes concerning male and female behaviour eg men depicted as independent, ambitious advice givers whereas women depicted as dependent, unambitious advice seekers

Question 2

Role of media in role models

Answer 2

Media provides role models with whom children may identify and want to imitate

Question 3

Outline Furnham and Farraghers study

Answer 3

Investigated the use of sex role stereotypes in adverts
-found men tended to be presented in positions of power and women in familial roles within domestic settings
-voiceovers tended to be male suggesting males deemed to speak with more authority
-suggests media may play a role in reinforcing stereotypes concerning female and male behaviour

Question 4

What is the information giving role of the media

Answer 4

Does more than confirm gender typical behaviour, may also give info to males and females in terms of the likely success of adopting these behaviours, seeing other people perform gender appropriate behaviours increases the child’s belief they are capable of carrying out such behaviours in the future (self-efficacy)

Question 5

What did McGhee and Freuh find

Answer 5

Found children who have more exposure to popular forms of media tend to display more gender stereotypical views in their behaviour and attitudes

Question 6

Expand on limitation that difficult to establish cause and effect between media and stereotypes

Answer 6

-may be that media output reflects prevailing social norms about males and females/ or may be the case that media is the cause of such norms by depicting men and women in particular ways
-also difficult to establish media’s effect without control groups as the vast majority of children are exposed to the media on a regular basis, this would make the direction of the media’s effect easier to establish
-may be other factors causing gender related behaviours

Question 7

Expand on strength that research found media can promote counter-stereotypes and however point

Answer 7

-in recent years there have been many examples of counter stereotypes in the media eg disney movie brave, challenge traditional notions of masculinity and femininity
-research has found gender stereotyping was reduced when children were shown adverts of women in non stereotypical roles however also found pre-adolescent boys stereotypes became stronger following exposure to the non traditional models, backlash may be explained by the boys desire to maintain a view that ran counter to the adult view

Question 8

Expand on limitation that media just reflects societal norms

Answer 8

-review of 64 studies from Elsend (2010) found strong gender stereotyping in adverts but this has reduced over time
-further analysis has demonstrated reduction in gender stereotyping was consequence of changes in wider society
-adverts may mirror society but does not mould society via SLT