Inequalities as Portrayed in the Media: a Gender Analysis
Inequalities as Portrayed in the Media: A Gender Analysis
Media plays a big role in conventional Canadian society. It is becoming more and more influential and a bigger part of everyone’s daily lives. Since the invention and spread of the use of the printing press in the mid fifteen-hundreds, societies have been able to produce mass quantities of information available to the general public. Books were printed and made available to a large audience, replacing word of mouth communication about a society’s existence. Since then, various other forms of mass media have been created; including, radio networks, television programs, mass produced magazines, music and advertising. These are all examples of media that Canadians are exposed to in their day-to- day lives. Recently, through the invention of the internet, communication via the media has changed and no longer produced by a select few individuals and companies. Through personal web pages, pod casts and blogs, individuals are now able to produce mass media and information available to the general public (Gerber 2007).
Today, it can be argued, that exposure to various forms of media have shaped and defined the average Canadian’s understanding of what it means to be a certain person, as through media we learn about our own society. Communication is transferred from an individual or organization, which is then internalized by the perspective audience. The media then is not “simply a form of expression, it is rather a representation of a society’s beliefs, values and traditions – of its whole way of life. They, the representations, provide us with a framework for understanding” (Guantlett 2002). Since our society’s beliefs and values are communicated and shown through various forms of media, it is important then to analyse the messages sent to the public. Looking at certain medium provides valuable insight to the larger structures and components of Canadian society. Inequalities and enforced norms and
Media plays a big role in conventional Canadian society. It is becoming more and more influential and a bigger part of everyone’s daily lives. Since the invention and spread of the use of the printing press in the mid fifteen-hundreds, societies have been able to produce mass quantities of information available to the general public. Books were printed and made available to a large audience, replacing word of mouth communication about a society’s existence. Since then, various other forms of mass media have been created; including, radio networks, television programs, mass produced magazines, music and advertising. These are all examples of media that Canadians are exposed to in their day-to- day lives. Recently, through the invention of the internet, communication via the media has changed and no longer produced by a select few individuals and companies. Through personal web pages, pod casts and blogs, individuals are now able to produce mass media and information available to the general public (Gerber 2007).
Today, it can be argued, that exposure to various forms of media have shaped and defined the average Canadian’s understanding of what it means to be a certain person, as through media we learn about our own society. Communication is transferred from an individual or organization, which is then internalized by the perspective audience. The media then is not “simply a form of expression, it is rather a representation of a society’s beliefs, values and traditions – of its whole way of life. They, the representations, provide us with a framework for understanding” (Guantlett 2002). Since our society’s beliefs and values are communicated and shown through various forms of media, it is important then to analyse the messages sent to the public. Looking at certain medium provides valuable insight to the larger structures and components of Canadian society. Inequalities and enforced norms and
References: Gerber, LM. October 2007. SOC*2010 Class Notes. University of Guelph. Guantlett, Dave. 2002. Media, gender and identity: an introduction. Routledge: New York. Hearst Magazines. July, September, November 2007. Cosmopolitan. Media Watch. 1992. Gender and sexism in the media. [Online]. Accessed 3 November 2007 from: http://www.mediawatch.com/wordpress. No author needed. [Various Issues] October 2007. The Globe and Mail. Rolling Stone. 2007. The 100 best songs of the year: Just a little bit 50 Cent. [Online]. Retrieved 3 November 2007 from: http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/12769472/the_100_best_songs_of_2006. Statistics Canada [online]. Retrieved 1 November 2007 from: http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/011217/d011217m.htm. The Daily. 17 December 2001. The male-female wage gap: what do the various estimates mean?