Sample answer taken from the recent mock exam question; I've written it within the recommended time-frame (20 mins), using only material from the class Powerpoint and following the essay writing guide issued. Outline and evaluate the view that gender representations in the media have become more diverse [20] Traditionally, men and women were represented in the media as distinct and different. Women tended to be represented as either housewives, mothers or sex objects whereas men were stronger and more dominant characters. Sociologists have different views on the extent to which these representations have changed or become more diverse. Gauntlett provides evidence that gender representations have become more diverse. His content analysis of prime-time television shows such as ‘Friends’ showed male and female characters being represented increasingly as ‘equal’ and behaving in ways that were not stereotypical or traditional. For example, male characters are shown as sensitive and emotional; female characters are strong, confident and career-focused. Gauntlett found similar patterns in another content analysis of Hollywood movies, where female characters were more assertive and traditional (‘hegemonic’) masculine behaviour was shown to be flawed. For example, one film in his study was Spiderman 3. In this film, the normally sensitive and thoughtful Peter Parker/Spiderman adopts a more aggressive, sexist, egotistical persona when he comes in contact with the alien ‘Venom’. This causes his life to go downhill, as he loses his girlfriend and becomes isolated from his friends and family. Gauntlett did identify that despite the positive changes, there were still problems. Men were still more likely to get leading roles in television dramas and movies, particularly as they got older. Rutherford, like Gauntlett, identified more diverse portrayals of males in cinema. He identified the rise of the ‘New Man’ – more emotional and in touch with his feminine side - in cinema towards the end of the 20th Century. However, Rutherford also described the re-emergence of more traditional, aggressive masculinities in cinema, which he described as the Retributive Male (examples could be violent, male-driven movies like Taken and Batman Begins). Opinions on changes to female representation are also divided among different feminist perspectives. For example, Liberal Feminists are optimistic about changing representations and believe that more women being involved in media production has led to a wider variety of roles played by women. Radical Feminists on the other hand believe that little has changed; traditional stereotypes are still present throughout the media, which remains dominated and controlled by powerful males (e.g. Rupert Murdoch, who owns a huge amount of print and visual media outlets, including tabloid newspapers which routinely objectify women). Marxist Feminists also take a more negative view, arguing that gender stereotypes reinforce the capitalist system, reducing the opportunities of women whilst also promoting the beauty myth, which ensures women spend lots of money on cosmetic and dietary products by making them feel insecure about their appearance. In conclusion, there is evidence that gender representations have become more diverse and many areas of the media do present a wider range of masculinities and femininities, while criticising some a traditional stereotypes. However, for many, these changes are only superficial, as those traditional stereotypes do still appear and may still be actively promoted by some areas of the media and there is still a way to go before true equality and diversity of gender in the media is achieved. |
Media (AS)The role of the media in contemporary society Archives
May 2017
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