Representations of

Gender

Learning Objectives
To explore femininity and how it is
represented in the media
To understand the stereotypical
representations of women in the media
To explore the representation of women
using case studies from advertising, Film,
and Games.

What is gender?
Your sex, whether you are male or
female, is biologically determined
Gender is not biological but refers to a
socially constructed set of behaviour
patterns
Therefore, femininity and masculinity
are culturally determined and matter of
choice they refer to pattern of
behaviour and qualities of behaviour that
we normally associate with being female
or being male.

Gender Identity
As we grow up we learn what is
expected in terms of our gender identity
from a range of sources: parents, school,
books, the media, peer pressure
The power to conform is so strong in us
that we tend to copy the gender models
we see. Thus, by the time we have started
school, most of us have learnt how to be
masculine or feminine as our culture
defines it.

Gender Labels
Over time, the two genders have
developed quite distinct and often
oppositional gender codes
activities, spheres of activity and
qualities that are deemed to be
exclusive to only one group

Femininity and Masculinity labels

Competitive
male or female?
Rational men?
Strong men?
Supportive
women?
Sensitive
women?
Passive women?
Emotional
women?
Weak women?

Domesticate
d women?
Independent
male or
female?
Ruthless
male or
female?..!
Aggressive
male of
female?

 What do you notice about these

different ideas associated
traditionally with each gender?

Ideologies and Gender

The result of this is that traditionally
male qualities and attributes have
generally been seen to be superior to
female attributes
For example traditionally it was the
eldest son who inherited even if he
had several older sisters.
Recent change in laws of succession
- Royal Family

Traditional Ideologies
and Gender
Traditionally men have held power in
our society this system where men
have power and control society is
called patriarchy

Femininity in Media
Women have always tended to suffer
from a rather narrow set of
representations in the media
Traditionally these relate to specific
domestic situations, such as
housewives, mothers or a sexual
objectification in which they are
represented as entertainment for males.
Can you think how these stereotypes
suited patriarchy?

 In the past this was often reflected in

the media, as most media companies
were run by men!
Women were often shown in roles
that suited men and which kept them
from challenging men for power.
In other words, the media showed
men and women how men wanted
them to be!

Sexual Objectification
A common representation
in the media of women =
Sex
The women are made to
look alluring and appealing
to attract sections of the
audience
Defining women as sex
objects has become the
leading representation in
the media

http://youtu.be/fuMIlmzTv9M
http://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=m
XrWiJcmvBI

The Male Gaze

Women are presented as sexual objects to be
enjoyed by men.
Mulvey (1991) argues that in film women are
objects to be gazed on as the camera acts as the
masculine eye from a male viewpoint looking at
women in a way that reflects masculine desires.
Usually this male viewer is implied in the
construction of the image, but sometimes hes
explicitly placed in the image. So the male gaze
presents women through the lens of male
objectification
Women come to learn to view themselves and other
women through the male gaze. This is false

We identify with the man who is staring

at this woman. The woman is nothing
but a reflection, an image being
perceived

Narrow Representation
Found in advertising and magazines,
where women are shown as young,
slim, overwhelmingly white, and
conforming to a very narrow
stereotype of beauty with perfect
hair, skin and an alluring gaze.
The Beauty Myth.

Naomi Wolf (1991)

The Beauty Myth suggests that images used
by the media present a particular beauty
ideal through which they transmit the
ideological message that women should treat
their bodies as a project in constant need of
improvement. The diet industry and cosmetic
surgery thrive on exploiting womens anxieties
and insecurities. This is a form of false
consciousness.
Susie Orbach
In her recent book Bodies accuses the media
of promoting an idea of perfection which
creates anxieties in women (and increasingly
men)
http://

The feminine ideal is

impossible to achieve
because the images and
icons of the beauty industry
are themselves fabricated

Who is the real woman?

More Theories on Media Representation

The madonna/whore dichotomy simple

stereotypes of femininity are offered to women
with limited variations: mother or vamp.
False Needs the media as commercial
organisations use stereotypes to sell us things
we dont really need.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHI01Bbt
wZs#t=02m18s
False consciousness the stereotypes we
are offered create a false sense of ourselves,
who we are and how we should live.

Ideology Exercise
Look at the following advertisements
and decode them.
Identify the stereotypes being
used.
Identify the use of false
consciousness through the
associations and messages.
Identify the use of false needs
through the meaning and messages
of the image.

Stereotype: The good

housewife obsessed
with cleaning.
False Consciousness:
Women should be
concerned with
keeping their houses
clean.
Women are
hysterical/emotional
False Needs: Women
must buy this product
to solve their problems
and thus make them
selves happy and be
good housewives and
mothers.
This product will make
it

Stereotype: The sexually

available female reduced
to a set of body parts
False Consciousness:
Women are sex objects for
the gratification of men.
You should make yourself
sexually alluring to men as
that is what is most
important for a woman to
be considered normal
or accepted in society.
False Needs:
Men: Buy this shower
gel and women will be
sexually available to
you. Only this gel can
provide that emotional
promise.

Grand Theft Auto V

is an open world,
action-adventure
video game
developed by
Rockstar North and
published by
Rockstar Games.
It was released on
17 September
2013 for the
PlayStation 3 and
Xbox 360.

There are 3 key questions to consider

when we think about representation.
They are:
WHO is being represented?
HOW are they being represented?
HOW is the representation
constructed?
WHY they are being represented in
this way?

Under representation
There are three lead characters
that players can control in the
game: all male.
Houser also briefly tackled the
reason why one of the protagonists
(Trevor, wasn't a woman, something
that has yet to happen in the entire
GTA franchise.
"The concept of being masculine was
so key to this story" Houser said

 The women characters are often

leered at or cast as nags. One of the
player characters daughters has
skank tattooed across her back,
one mission has you chaperoning a
paparazzo as he tries to photograph
an aging actresss low-hanging
muff.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=cmMjnxilDDw

Rep of Women

Killing prostitutes
killing a prostitute inGTA 5is the
same as killing any other character,
but it's really not. Unlike gangsters or
cops or business dudes or hot dog
vendors, prostitutes, as a class, are
despised, marginalized and abused
in real life, all the time. This means
thatGTA 5takes its pleasure in
humiliating and abusing victims of
humiliation and abuse.

Magazine Analysis
Look at the following magazine
covers:
Questions
How are the women being
represented?
Who is the target audience for these
magazines?
Who is an alternative audience?

Women as Sex
Objects

Cosmopolitan
Appeals to both men and women. The
image is constructed through visual codes,
clothing and mode of address.
Body language and posture are sexualised.
She is defined by body image and size.
The other cover lines suggest the discourse
of the magazine and represent women in
terms of beauty, sex and consumerism
The image is obviously airbrushed
perfection is unobtainable but desirable!

FHM
Mode of address sexualised direct,
hips suggestive. Chest pushed out.
Females are being projected as the
male fantasy through the male gaze
rather than showing a realistic
portrayal of women - Voyeurism
Both magazines assume
Heteronormativity narrative is based
around heterosexual relationships

 Cosmopolitan
November 2015

Feminism
From the 1960s onwards, feminism
challenged patriarchy, seeking to
gain equality for women. They
gained increased respect,
opportunities and legislation for
women, giving them the chance to
step into what had once been mens
shoes.

Modern Representations:
Moving Forward
More recently, femininity has also
become associated with a stronger
more independent and confident
women.

Representations have developed and adapted.

Women have key roles and are less passive.
It now isnt unheard of for women to have:

A serious career
Wear trousers
Smoke, drink and swear
Downplay the domestic goddess roles
Have roles/jobs traditionally associated with men

Subversion of the
stereotype
This is where the media presents an
alternative and different
representation that plays with or
challenges audiences expectations

 Rapunzel Advert

Has much really changed?

Typical Action Film Roles

Just for a minute think about the
typical roles assigned to men and
women in action films? How do these
link to patriarchal ideas about
gender?

SpiderMan

Action hero(ine)
One area where representations of
women have changed considerably is
in the genre of action in films and on
TV.

Convergence
Hilary Radner (2000) refers to these
women as psychofemme.
Feminine Masculinity. Is the
convergence of femininity e.g.
retaining sex appeal and masculinity
e.g. handling weapons/indifference
to violence.
Kill Bill

Case Study: The H

unger Games

Post feminism?
Some feel we have entered an era of
post-feminism a stage where
equality has been achieved and
women are free to be what they
likeConsider this

Stereotypes and
subversions

Beyonce Run the world

Stereotypes/ subversion? Both?
Depends on how the person
Decodes (Stuart Hall)

Challenges to the
stereotype

Female empowerment or a
return to patriarchy?
Case study 3

Feminism, sex-positive feminism

and post-feminism
The feminist movement has spoken out against
pornography, the stereotypical representations of
women and male dominance of social structure
(hegemony doo doo di doo doo).
Sex-positive feminism argues that the
representations of women in a sexual context
symbolises their liberty to explore their sexuality (go
Beyonce!).
Wendy McElry (1995) argues that many feminists
are represented as lesbians. Sex positive feminism
embraces all sexual orientations.
Post-feminism = ironic/fun feminism

WHO is being represented?

Women, obviously. You get that answer for free!
HOW are they being represented?
Describe the woman. Think of 10 adjectives to describe her.
HOW is the representation constructed?
THIS is the big one. Think of the whole representation as a house or a
building. We need to identify the 'bricks'- the individual aspects or
SIGNIFIERS - which create the representation. To do this, you need to
revisit your TEXTUAL ANALYSIS SKILLS.
Here, we might consider these questions:
What is the dominant colour in the palette? What are the connotations
of this colour?
What is at the top of the visual hierarchy? The woman or the perfume?
Is this what you would expect?
Which of the woman's physical features have been emphasised? Why?
How?
What shot has been used? Why? What effect does it have?
Why has this model been chosen for the job? Is she a 'typical' looking

And Why?

A word of caution!
This doesnt mean its all out with the
old and in with the new! If you watch
TV or film, you will still find many
older, more traditional
representations of gender alongside
some of the new.
How the Media Failed Women in 2013

Homework: Representation Case

Studies

GTA 5
Cosmopolitan - JLO
Run the World - Beyonce
The Hunger Games

Analyse these in detail