SOCIOLOGY-DIVERSITY
Whoever controls the media, controls the mind.
Jim Morrison
MEDIA - A LEVEL - PAPER 4
Gender representation in media is stereotyped and influences media
audiences. Evaluate this view.
[35]
Women are under-represented in positions of power and influence in the
management of the media industry, and among editors, journalists and TV
producers. Women also appear less than men on TV, and in a narrower range of
roles. These roles are often associated with the stereotypical views of audiences. This
means that the mass media tend to be patriarchal-both controlled mainly by men
and presenting a male view of women and femininity' in the interests of men. This
patriarchal control and the spreading of a patriarchal ideology means that woman
are often presented in a limited number of stereotyped roles. Women are mostly
portrayed as concerned with beauty, child rearing, housework, cooking, and love and
as young, pretty and sexually attractive.
Moreover, the 'cult of femininity' portrayed by Ferguson (1983) argued that teenage
girls' magazines prepared girls for minimized adult roles, and generated a 'cult of
femininity. This cult of femininity included themes like getting and keeping a partner,
being a good wife, keeping a happy family, what to wear, how to be a good cook and
so on. These socialized young girls into the stereotyped values and roles of femininity
as established society, and these themes are often reflected in adult women's
magazines with their concerns with personal and emotional relationships, family,
beauty, health and fashion. Not only this, there are several traditional media
representations of femininity which includes that women are generally represented
in a narrow range of social roles by various types of media, whilst men are shown
performing a full range of social and occupational roles. Tunstall argues that media
representations emphasise women's domestic, sexual, consumer and marital
activities to the exclusion of all else.
Other than this, the media generally ignore the fact that a majority of British women
go out to work. Whereas men, on the other hand, are seldom presented nude or
defined by their marital or family status. Working women are often portrayed as
unfulfilled, unattractive, possibly unstable and unable to sustain relationships. It is
often implied that working mothers, rather than working fathers, are guilty of the
emotional neglect of their children. This influences the negative status of women as
compared to men hence shows discrimination between the gender representations of
media.
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In addition, Tuchman et al. used the term symbolic annihilation to describe the way
in which women's achievements are often not reported, or are condemned or
trivialised by the mass media. Often their achievements are presented as less
important than their looks and sex appeal. Newbold's research (2002) into television
sport presentation shows that what little coverage of women's sport there is tends to
sexualise, trivialise and devalue women's sporting accomplishments. Considering all
these perceptions of media researches it denotes that women are underrepresented
and invisible on media content in terms of positive status and success.
Furthermore, research into women's magazines suggests that they strongly
encourage women to conform to ideological patriarchal ideals that confirm their
subordinate position compared with men. Ferguson (1983) conducted a content
analysis of women's magazines from between 1949 and 1974, and 1979 and 1980.
She notes that such magazines are organised around a cult of femininity, which
promotes a traditional ideal where excellence is achieved through caring for others,
the family, marriage and appearance. The gender representation of women are
subjected and confined to traditional roles as Wolf suggests that the images of
women used by the media present women as sex objects to be consumed by what
Mulvey calls the male gaze. According to Kilbourne, this media representation
presents women as mannequins like tall and thin, often US size zero, with very long
legs, perfect teeth and hair, and skin without a blemish in sight.
Apart from this, Wolf notes that the media encourage women to view their bodies as
a project in constant need of improvement. Content analysis of teenage magazines in
Britain indicates that almost 70% of the content and images focus on beauty and
fashion, compared with only 12% focused on education or careers. Many encourage
the idea that slimness is mainly happiness and consequently Orbach suggests that
such media imagery creates the potential for eating disorders. This is particularly
relevant in unstated assumptions that female beauty is both heterosexual and
largely for the benefit of what Mulvey (1975) calls 'the male gaze', this reflects the
idea that female lives are viewed, sometimes literally, through a masculine lens and
controlled by male needs and desires. The male media gaze defines feminine
identities in ways that are attractive to men. Where the media shapes social
perceptions of femininity, it follows that there are important consequences if women
are unable or unwilling to match these perceptions.
However, the media is empowering women roles as well as sociologists have noted
the increasing number of positive female roles emerging, especially in television
drama and films. It is argued that these reflect the social and cultural changes that
females have experienced in the last 25 years, especially the feminisation of the
economy, which has meant that women are now more likely to have aspirational
attitudes, a positive attitude towards education, careers and an independent income.
Westwood claims that we are now seeing more transgressive like going beyond
gendered expectations female roles on British television as a result.
Not only this, Gill argues that the depiction of women in advertising has changed
from women as passive objects of the male gaze, to active, independent and sexually
powerful agents. In support of this view Gauntlett argues that magazines aimed at
young women emphasise that women must do their own thing and be themselves,
whilst female pop stars, Iike Lady Gaga, sing about financial and emotional
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independence. This set of media messages from a range of sources suggest that
women can be tough and independent whilst being 'sexy. This shows that women
status is improving and they can be independent with having freedom as they can
have job opportunities and career facilities, this denotes that gradually the status
and role of women is represented positively and audience can be seen as positively
influencing women role models and their improved roles.
Furthermore, representations of men and patriarchy in the media in contrast to
women, as men appear in a much wider range of roles, most often outside of the
home, and are generally portrayed both in a wider range of occupations and in those
carrying higher status, for example as the 'boss' rather than the secretary. The
stereotype of the tough, assertive, dominant and rational male often appears, but not
as exclusively as the stereotypes of women. Male voices are more likely to be used in
'voice-overs' in advertising (voice-oven are the commentaries you get during TV
adverts). This reinforces the idea of men as authority figures, giving advice to
consumers. Men are also often portrayed as strong rational and unemotional. In
addition, growing old is less of a problem for men in the world of television, but
women are often expected to be young and attractive, whether as actresses,
presenters or even media personnel. However, Ferguson's ideas were challenged by
Winston, who argued that women's magazines generally play a supportive and
positive role in the lives of women. Winston argues that such magazines present
women with a broader range of options than ever before and that they tackle
problems that have been largely ignored by the male-dominated media, such as
domestic violence and child abuse.
Other than this, news values are often influenced by patriarchal ideology, with
women's interests being ignored or given trivial treatment. The women's pages of
newspapers are often filled with articles that speak to' the male media stereotype of
what women are thought to be interested. While some or many women may reject
these stereotypes in keeping with the uses and gratifications approach, these
representations of women and men in the media may have a long term influence as
the cultural effects model suggests that the media effect is indirect and audience play
an active role in deciding which content is right or wrong as on the way both men
and women come to see their respective positions in society as inevitable and
unchangeable. At present, these stereotypes are clearly to the benefit of men, with
women presented as no threat to male dominance patriarchal ideology.
Since the gender representation of media is stereotyped and limited there are
harmful consequences of media stereotyping as these gender stereotypes may well
have long-term harmful effects and consequences. For example, the reinforcement of
gender roles, through socialization via the media, may encourage discrimination
against women or limit the self-confidence, outlooks and ambitions of young women.
There may be particularly harmful effects in those cases where the reality of
women's lives does not conform to the media stereotypes. Stereotyping may succeed
in inducing feelings of guilt, inadequacy and lack of self-confidence among the
majority of women who do not match the 'sex object' or the 'happy housewife
images.
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Moreover, a 1995 report on the mental health of teenagers found girls were very
sensitive about their appearance. They continually sought reassurance about their
hair, weight and skin, and felt put down when this was not forthcoming. Media
stereotyping may contribute to explaining why so many women are concerned with
losing weight and dieting, why anorexia is an illness affecting mainly teenage girls,
and why many housewives in this country are on tranquillizers. These issues do
matter as it was demonstrated by a 2000 report published by the British Medical
Association, which concluded that the gap between the ideal body shape and the
reality is wider than ever. There is a need for more realistic body shapes to be shown
on television and in fashion magazines.
Despite these traditional stereotypes, women's position in society is changing quite
rapidly, and women are now becoming more successful than men in education and
increasingly in the job market. As the pluralist model predicts, there are new
magazines catering for working women, and it may well be in time gender
stereotyping will diminish, as women demand more from the media than
increasingly out dated and patriarchal stereotypes. In a world where advertising
revenue and profits are driving forces of the media, such demands by half the
population cannot be ignored forever. This denotes the pluralists approach over
gender representation and claims the advertiser’s role and audiences interests.
In conclusion, the gender representation of media is quite confined to traditional and
cultural roles as far as women status is concerned as researchers claim that the
positions and roles of women lacks freedom and career opportunities due to being
surrounded with patriarchal ideology and dominance. However, male representation
in media is improved as compared to females and the status of women is also
increasing by the acceptance rate of audience and interests towards providing
opportunities to women as well.
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