James Bond’s evolution of over fifty years had led to various types of illustrations and interpretations of gender and how it’s portrayed within its films, in particular, its known role. For example the recent release of the latest instalment of the James Bond series Skyfall (2012) featuring Daniel Craig, compared to the first James Bond character played by Sean Connery, in which sets a precedence to the stereotype known today as ‘James Bond’. Gender roles can be defined as character, which distinguishes the behaviours and outlooks that humanity reflects appropriate for males and females (expressed through masculinity for males and femininity for females.)
To understand gender representations in today’s society and within the James Bond series of films we need to first briefly discuss what is the major difference between masculinity and femininity?
Firstly the most known and common difference between males and females is ‘sex’; these natural orders essentially distinguish genders separately. Along with organs related to reproduction and biological differences. However gender as a collective is a social, not a living characteristic. The sociological implication of sex is controlled by the governing members of humanity. Gender effectively guides one’s life and life experiences, opportunities’ for possessions, supremacy and importantly prestige. It’s fair to say gender is a structural feature of society.
The article “Shaken and Stirred: A Content Analysis of Women’s Portrayals in James Bond Films” explains how males and in particular females are portrayed within ‘James Bond’ films in the twentieth and twenty-first century. From the very first fictional espionage ‘James Bond’ novel published by Ian Fleming in autumn of 1953, Fleming smoothed the way for a global film audience that has lasted and continued to grow for over