THe POwer of media
The influence of media is not direct. Media works subtly and subconsciously in order to quickly influence and leave the audience vulnerable for the next deceptive message; therefore, much of children's knowledge and the experience of the world is indirect, having come to them through the media. Media are not transparent technologies; they do not offer a window on the world. In broadcasting events and issues, television, film, video games and other expressions are involved in selecting, constructing and representing reality. In so doing, the media tend to emphasize and reinforce the values and images of those who create the messages and own the means of dissemination. In addition, these values and images are often influenced by commercial considerations. As a result, the viewpoints and experiences of other people are often left out, or shown in negative ways.
It’s been made apparent that in all different types of media (namely prime time and daytime television, magazine advertisements, movies, and commercials), stereotypical gender roles are freely exhibited, primarily for the sake of enticing an audience, turning a profit, or comedic value. Our social injustice project regards how the media acts as a catalyst for our society’s preconceptions of men and women, in terms of physical strength, beauty, and authority.
How stereotypes can cause further problems..
- Stereotypes can create and generate differences in people based out of hate.
- Stereotypes generate assumptions about particular races, cultures, and types of people, resulting in a lack of unity for all people.
- Stereotypes can be used to validate the position of the dominant group of people in power.
- Stereotypes are responsible for further social prejudice and inequality in society regarding gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or age.
Historical Significance
In November, we traveled to various locations of Alabama with profound historical significance to the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s, particularly Birmingham, where we searched for evidence of this injustice. Much in the same way that gender roles are shamelessly imposed in the media today, the social differences between blacks and whites were just as blatantly expressed in posters and ads. Prior to traveling to 'Bama (as we students like to call it), we spent ample time learning of the Civil Rights Era. One method of this was watching 4 Little Girls, a documentary of Spike Lee that interviewed friends, families, and companions of those affected in the Bombing of 16th Street Baptist Church. From this documentary, I, Kathryn Swank, heard one of the most inspiring quotes of my life. Recounting a moment where Maxine McNair, mother of Denise McNair, and her husband had to deny their daughter a sandwich from a white-only deli, she explains that it was hard to deny her daughter the sandwich; but her husband really struggled with not being able to get her the sandwich. "It was easier for women, and harder for men," voiced McNair. In a conversation with my English teacher, we discovered that being a black man in the Civil Rights Era was still not the same level of oppression as being a women. Despite the insurmountable oppression black men had faced for hundreds of years, they have always had some form of jurisdiction. McNair's quote hinted at the idea of women never even having the amount of jurisdiction as an oppressed, black man. And looking into the advertising of the 1950's, the origin is pretty clear. By simply typing "women's advertisement in the 1950's" into a web browser, one could find hundreds of advertisements containing dozens of misogynistic images. Through the 1950s media the following statements/ideas were spread through television, billboards and magazines:
The list continues, but it is important to recognize that there was at least one poster that devalued men. One poster stated "A skinny man stands no chance with women!" However, not all posters were degrading. There were advertisements that supported women having a fuller body, which seems to be the polar opposite in today's media. Regardless, these were still advertisements encouraging the modification of a woman's body for a male's benefit. |
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Personal Opinion:
I'd label myself a feminist, but in no way does that make me discredit the progress I believe society has made. Back in the 50s and 60s, it was laughed upon for a women to extend her education past high school and "neglect" getting married. Times have changed, and people have improved. Today, there are so many colleges with a skewed gender ratio because there are so many females enrolled! That's excellent! But I fear that other malpractices have slipped their way into the scene. For example, the ladies I see in TV commercials, music videos, and even politics are just entirely disgusting. As seen in the Miss Representation documentary, Sarah Palin was seen as an ideal woman for young men to satisfy themselves with, but not an ideal woman see leading in politics. Although a good portion of this project is probably inappropriate to show in a school project, that's the goal, I think. People need to see how inappropriate the portrayal of women is today. If you wouldn't want your child to see it in an educational project, why would it be broadcasted nationally for all to see?
I definitely recognize that there has been change, but there needs to be more.
Kathryn Swank
I believe the media still continues to demean gender stereotypes throughout commercials and movies.
I believe the affect of media on stereotypes has to do more with gender equality which does not imply that women and men are the same, but that they have equal value and should be accorded equal treatment. Guaranteeing the rights of women and giving them opportunities to reach their full potential is critical not only for attaining gender equality, but also for meeting a wide range of international development goals. Empowered women and girls contribute to the health and productivity of their families, communities, and countries, creating a ripple effect that benefits everyone. It is another area of gender equality that still does not extend to all the women in the world.The media has a major effect on our minds; it plays an important role about how we think and act . Those mythical stereotypes make our life more harder with the incredible expectations from the other gender. This makes me think about multiple questions....
Dena mahmoud
I believe that gender stereotypes originally arose eons ago as a response to the differences between men and women, and the modern media (be it television, advertisements or any other medium) has offered a new ground for these stereotypes to flourish. Our generation has been drawn to these media, especially television and the Internet, for years, and therefore have succumbed to prolonged exposure to global cultures, ideas and standards. This makes it easy for a particular belief of a person or a group to be embedded in anyone viewing these media, and perceptions of other types of people change constantly due to what people around them say. As a result, the media embeds these beliefs into a wide consensus, and that consensus eventually affects what the media says, and the cycle repeats. Thus, people begin to believe what the media tells them (men are expected to be strong or aggressive, and women are expected to be beautiful or fragile), and the people's beliefs leak into the media, ushering in a larger group of people who believe the same thing. I think it is unfair that we are taught what to think of other human beings, and not allowed to view them as unique individuals whose behaviors or personalities are not affected by their race, gender or religion.
I definitely recognize that there has been change, but there needs to be more.
Kathryn Swank
I believe the media still continues to demean gender stereotypes throughout commercials and movies.
I believe the affect of media on stereotypes has to do more with gender equality which does not imply that women and men are the same, but that they have equal value and should be accorded equal treatment. Guaranteeing the rights of women and giving them opportunities to reach their full potential is critical not only for attaining gender equality, but also for meeting a wide range of international development goals. Empowered women and girls contribute to the health and productivity of their families, communities, and countries, creating a ripple effect that benefits everyone. It is another area of gender equality that still does not extend to all the women in the world.The media has a major effect on our minds; it plays an important role about how we think and act . Those mythical stereotypes make our life more harder with the incredible expectations from the other gender. This makes me think about multiple questions....
- How could women's equal participation in expression and decision making in and through the media be promoted?
- How could balanced and diverse portrayals of women and men in the media be promoted?
- How could the media be an active partner in the promotion of gender equality?
Dena mahmoud
I believe that gender stereotypes originally arose eons ago as a response to the differences between men and women, and the modern media (be it television, advertisements or any other medium) has offered a new ground for these stereotypes to flourish. Our generation has been drawn to these media, especially television and the Internet, for years, and therefore have succumbed to prolonged exposure to global cultures, ideas and standards. This makes it easy for a particular belief of a person or a group to be embedded in anyone viewing these media, and perceptions of other types of people change constantly due to what people around them say. As a result, the media embeds these beliefs into a wide consensus, and that consensus eventually affects what the media says, and the cycle repeats. Thus, people begin to believe what the media tells them (men are expected to be strong or aggressive, and women are expected to be beautiful or fragile), and the people's beliefs leak into the media, ushering in a larger group of people who believe the same thing. I think it is unfair that we are taught what to think of other human beings, and not allowed to view them as unique individuals whose behaviors or personalities are not affected by their race, gender or religion.