Gender Stereotypes In The Media Research Paper

In exploring the topic of gender portrayal in the media, I interviewed five people of varying ages, sexes, and races. The first two questions I asked were based on how they generally saw each gender portrayed in mass media, including books, movies, television, advertisements, and video games. Then, I asked what traits they felt the media associated with both femininity and masculinity, respectively. Finally, I asked them to think about how media portrayal of gender might affect children and why. All of the people I interviewed said that they saw women portrayed negatively in the media. Based on my results, the media portrays women as objects. One of the interviewees, a young black female, cited Hardee’s commercials as an example- “They sell
sex, not food.” Women are not taken seriously because of their gender, and they are judged by appearance rather than intellect. One of the boys I interviewed, a young Asian male, believed that women faired better in books than in other media, and in video games they did the worst. Female characters are intended to be eye candy for male audiences. When asked what traits the media attributes to being female, they replied with words such as “emotional,” “submissive,” and “dumb.” Mass media overwhelmingly displays women as inferior human beings, and contributes to the idea that a female must be attractive in order to climb the ladder of success. When questioned on how the media portrays males, most of the interviewees replied that males are usually strong, less emotional, intelligent, and rough.
Some added that like females, males are heavily idealized. While this is true, it is not as problematic or widespread as it is for women. On the subject of masculinity in the media, several interviewees associated alcohol (specifically beer), violence, sports, and muscles with male characters in the media. An older white female said that to be a man you had to rescue the “damsel in distress.” Three out of five brought up the fact that men who are smart or non-athletic are looked upon negatively by the media and are viewed as less of a man. Nerds are weak, something to be avoided at all costs; jocks are the ideal. Male characters dominate mass media, and with this domination comes more varied types of men, yet the perfect male stereotype still
abounds. All of the interviewees agreed on the fact that the media’s portrayal of gender will affect children. One, a young white female, believes that this will cause little girls to feel inferior to little boys, while boys will feel superior. Others agree, feeling that these messages will corrupt their minds, giving them the wrong perception of what is important when interacting with people. Because there are so many different types of media that children are exposed to, different types of male and female characters emerge. A middle-aged white man I interviewed supposed that this will send children conflicting messages concerning what is appropriate behavior for each gender. Either way, young children are definitely influenced by gender messages sent to them through television shows, picture books, movies, and commercials. Children view these harmful and narrow portrayals of each sex, and trust the messages they see or hear as “right”, thus creating a cyclic effect. I chose this topic because I believe that gender portrayals in the media can be harmful to our society, especially when they reenforce stereotypes. Through my study in sociology, I learned that mass media is one of the agents of socialization, because messages about not just gender, but also about race, age, and social class, can be sent to a large audience. These messages impact us our entire lives, from the time we are tiny toddlers until we die, telling us how we are supposed to act, and how were are supposed to think in order to be a functioning part of society. Books such as Dick and Jane, which are a large part of an American childhood even today, teach gender roles and expectations. Little girls see Jane sewing and cleaning with her mother; they are participating in dainty, neat activities that are typical of females in Western society. On the other hand, little boys see Dick and his father doing grubbier, rougher activities that are typical of males in Western society, such as outside chores and playing sports. My findings of the interview confirmed the fact that media is an agent of socialization, and also confirmed that it can influence all ages- children, teenagers, and adults- about what is wrong and what is right for both men and women, specifically. Also, my study of sociology in this class has taught me that gender is a significant means in which some people may experience inequalities in life, whether that is financial inequality, political inequality, or social inequality.
This is also known as gender stratification. Most sociologists believe that social factors are the primary reasons for gender-specific behaviors, not biology. However, some sociologists are starting to believe that biology might have some effect, after all. Even so, James M. Henslin, a sociologist, claims that “the sociological significance of gender is that it is a device by which society controls its members.” My findings confirmed this- gender portrayal in mass media controls the way members of each sex behave, think, and
look. Mass media continues to share gender stereotypes that are harmful to both men and women. This influence can cause people to change themselves or stop doing what makes them happy in order to conform, which can cause inner turmoil. Emma Watson recognized this in her speech to the United Nations: "When at 15, my girlfriends started dropping out of their beloved sports teams, because they didn’t want to appear muscle-y, when at 18, my male friends were unable to express their feelings, I decided that I was a feminist.” Mass media should be an agent for change, instead of an instrument for inequality. However, this can only happen if we are provided with more complex portrayals of both sexes in all types of media. As former New York Mayor Ed Koch wrote, “Stereotypes lose their power when the world is found to be more complex than the stereotype would suggest. When we learn that individuals do not fit the group stereotype, then it begins to fall apart.”