Media and gender
Uploaded by CaseyP on Mar 10, 2019
Watch Jean Kilbourne: The Dangerous Ways Ads See Women. (Jean Kilbourne, 2014), which examines the portrayal of women in advertising and the resulting effects on feminine identity, and Tough Guise: Violence, Media & the Crisis in Masculinity. (ChallengingMedia, 2006), which examines the portrayal of men in the media and the resulting effects on masculine identity.
Locate a scholarly article examining a relevant phenomenon in relation to media and gender (e.g., when considering women in advertising, self-esteem, objectification, body shame, or perceptions of attractiveness might be particularly relevant; when considering men in the media, aggression might be particularly relevant; for both, attitudes and gender roles are relevant themes). See the recommended articles for this week for some options.
-Focus on women or men for your discussion, depending on the relevant phenomenon you considered in your research above. (You will address the opposite in your replies.).
Sexual violence and intimate partner violence are ways through which women bodies have been harmed through sexual objectification (Davidson, & Gervais, 2015). Bissell and Rask (2010) investigated the effect of media on women’s beliefs regarding beauty. The researchers identified media portrayal of thinness as being influential in the desire to be thin for most women. The findings corroborate those of American Psychological Association (2007), which suggested that women and girls have been objectified sexually. In contrast, Morrison and Halton (2009) pointed out that media portrays masculinity with higher levels of aggression and more positive outcomes.
-Examine the implications of media portrayals of women or men, given the videos you watched and the article you read. In your discussion, include the following:
Violent media have a negative effect on children’s aggressiveness (Bushman, Gollwitzer, & Cruz, 2015). Therefore, media portrayal of gender, sexuality, and masculinity has great implications for the wellbeing of human beings.
-Explain how stereotypes, prejudice, and/or discrimination are impacted by media portrayals of women or men.
ChallengingMedia (2006) identifies some of the stereotypes among women and men based on masculinity and femininity. Some of these stereotypes lead to prejudice and body shaming, which are negative aspects of sociology. The media are at the forefront of driving these stereotypes through inappropriate advertising and manipulated messages regarding body odor, weight, hair beauty, and others (Kilbourne, 2014). Therefore, media portrayals of men and women contribute to stereotypes and prejudices arising from masculinity, sexuality, and body beauty.
Interpret the implications:
-How might the portrayal of gender impact behavior and/or mental processes? For example,...