Construction of Gender

1. Construction of Gender What did it mean to be a woman in the 1950’s?

2. Advertisement for Coca Cola • Diction is used to sell a relaxing atmosphere for an over worked woman. • Example: words like Housework, pause, relax, relaxation, pure, wholesome. • Explain: these words paint a picture of a woman’s place keeping the house clean for her husband but also asks her to take time for herself through the repetition of ‘relax’. The image of the woman is innocent, clean and upstanding as is ‘pure and wholesome’.

3. The Image • The image presents the woman with perfectly curled hair, make-up and attire as if she is perfectly attended after a long day of housework. She has a smile that is relaxed and pleasing as she should be for her man. The picture also shows the refrigerator linking to the kitchen and a woman’s place during the 1950’s.

4. Excerpt from an Economics Textbook – How to be a Good Wife • This text reveals that a woman’s place was to take care of the house, children and make a peaceful environment for her husband. • Example: Take 15 minutes to rest so that you'll be refreshed when he arrives. Touch up your makeup, put a ribbon in your hair and be fresh-looking. He has just been with a lot of work-weary people. Be a little gay and a little more interesting. His boring day may need a lift. • Explain: words like makeup, ribbon, fresh- looking add the image of a well kept woman looking her best for her man. It continues on to discuss mood of ‘gay’ and ‘interesting’ to show that you should be playing a part not necessarily talking to your husband about the troubles of the day.

5. A Woman's Place is in the HomeBy Beverley Charles • This opinion column uses rhetorical questioning to make the readers question their place in society. • Are you comfortable with the ways other people and the media are influencing your families while you are away from home enjoying equal rights ? Are you satisfied that you cannot spend the amount of time that you should with your children because you can measure up with the men ? • Through these questions and words like influencing, away, measure up the readers makes women feel that they should be at home where they can be there for their husband and children in a world that is leading them astray. The diction ‘enjoying’ and ‘satisfied’ are meant to create the opposite affect for if a woman is happy and satisfied she should feel guilty that she is not spending enough time with her family and that she is allowing the media’s values and morals raise her child instead of being guided by her personal beliefs and values.

6. Intended Effect • The advertisement is mean to effect the audience (housewives) in a way that makes them feel it is important and okay to take some time for themselves in order to relax. It is empowering for the time period and asks women to take some control over their lives by ‘having a coca cola’ because they deserve it. • The Opinion column ‘A Woman’s Place is in the Home’ attempts to make women feel a sense of guilt and responsibility for the downward spiral of the family dynamics in today’s society. Through making them feel this guilt they hope to inspire mothers to reprioritize their lives and think about where they make the most difference and get back to ‘the home’. • The excerpt from the Economics textbook is more informative for the time period and more of an explication of the expectations and responsibility for a woman in the home. It would give her a sense of security knowing what to do and how to make her home welcoming to her husband and to support him in the best way possible.

7. Ethos/pathos/Logos • Beverly Charles used ethos and pathos in her opinion column. • She appeals to the value of rearing children with good morals and values and asks “Are you comfortable with the ways other people and the media are influencing your families while you are away from home?” • She also uses pathos appealing to the woman’s desire to be nurturing for her family “families were more stable, and women were more docile and tender hearted” as opposed to now where families are “extremely stressful” and you don’t have enough time with both husband and children.