9.2.3
Gender
Femininity
Femininity
Women have previously been stereotyped into four main categories by the media. However this is gradually shifting.
Femininity
Femininity
- Traditional media representations of femininity:
- Housewife and mother.
- Domestic servant.
- Domestic consumer.
- Sex object.
Working women
Working women
- Feminists argue that when women are shown to be working outside of the home they experience problems.
- This suggests to audience that women can’t have it all and it pushes them back into submissive expressive roles.
The 'male gaze'
The 'male gaze'
- The 'male gaze' refers to the way in which the camera ‘eyes up’ women in a sexual way to provide erotic pleasure for men.
- Women become objects for male desire and are often placed in programmes to be glamorous and to be saved by a man.
Symbolic annihilation
Symbolic annihilation
- Women also suffer from symbolic annihilation, Tuchman et al. used this term to describe the way female achievements are not reported, trivialised or condemned by the media.
- If women do appear in the news they are either celebrities or have been saved by a man in some way.
Changes
Changes
- However, things are changing, there are many examples of more positive images of women in today’s media.
- This reflects the cultural change in women's positions in society over last 25 years.
Masculinity
Masculinity
The ‘new man’ emerged in media representations in the 1980’s. However, others suggest there has been an increase in retributive masculinity.
Masculinity
Masculinity
- Traditional media representations of masculinity:
- The joker.
- The jock.
- The strong silent type.
- The big shot.
- The action hero.
- The buffoon.
The ‘new man’
The ‘new man’
- The ‘new man’ emerged in media representations in the 1980’s.
- Magazines such as GQ, Maxim and FHM, aimed at middle class males, showed men getting in touch with their feminine side.
- Sociologists refer to this as the ‘metro sexual’ male.
The ‘metro sexual’ male
The ‘metro sexual’ male
- This man wears designer clothes, has skin care products etc. and it is argued that this reflects changes in social attitudes to masculinity.
Retributive masculinity
Retributive masculinity
- However, others suggest there has been an increase in retributive masculinity.
- Newer magazines such as Zoo and Nuts appear to reject metro sexuality and reassert traditional masculinity by promoting ‘birds, booze and balls’.
1Theory & Methods
1.1Sociological Theories
1.2Sociological Methods
2Education with Methods in Context
2.1Role & Function of the Education System
2.2Educational Achievement
2.3Relationships & Processes Within Schools
3Option 1: Culture & Identity
3.1Conceptions of Culture
3.2Identity & Socialisation
3.3Social Identity
3.4Production, Consumption & Globalisation
4Option 1: Families & Households
4.1Families & Households
4.2Changing Patterns
4.3The Symmetrical Family
4.4Children & Childhood
5Option 1: Health
5.1Social Constructions
5.2Social Distribution of Healthcare
5.3Provision & Access to Healthcare
5.4Mental Health
6Option 1: Work, Poverty & Welfare
6.1Poverty & Wealth
7Option 2: Beliefs in Society
7.1Ideology, Science & Religion
7.2Religious Movements
7.3Society & Religion
8Option 2: Global Development
8.1Development, Underdevelopment & Global Inequality
8.2Globalisation & Global Organisations
8.3Aid, Trade, Industrialisation, Urbanisation
9Option 2: The Media
9.1Contemporary Media
9.2Media Representations
10Crime & Deviance
10.1Crime & Society
10.2Social Distribution of Crime
Jump to other topics
1Theory & Methods
1.1Sociological Theories
1.2Sociological Methods
2Education with Methods in Context
2.1Role & Function of the Education System
2.2Educational Achievement
2.3Relationships & Processes Within Schools
3Option 1: Culture & Identity
3.1Conceptions of Culture
3.2Identity & Socialisation
3.3Social Identity
3.4Production, Consumption & Globalisation
4Option 1: Families & Households
4.1Families & Households
4.2Changing Patterns
4.3The Symmetrical Family
4.4Children & Childhood
5Option 1: Health
5.1Social Constructions
5.2Social Distribution of Healthcare
5.3Provision & Access to Healthcare
5.4Mental Health
6Option 1: Work, Poverty & Welfare
6.1Poverty & Wealth
7Option 2: Beliefs in Society
7.1Ideology, Science & Religion
7.2Religious Movements
7.3Society & Religion
8Option 2: Global Development
8.1Development, Underdevelopment & Global Inequality
8.2Globalisation & Global Organisations
8.3Aid, Trade, Industrialisation, Urbanisation
9Option 2: The Media
9.1Contemporary Media
9.2Media Representations
10Crime & Deviance
10.1Crime & Society
10.2Social Distribution of Crime
Unlock your full potential with GoStudent tutoring
Affordable 1:1 tutoring from the comfort of your home
Tutors are matched to your specific learning needs
30+ school subjects covered