Mass media and representations.

1. Mass media and representations. LI: to recap our knowledge on how the mass media is used to represent different social groups

2. Short mark question Identify and briefly explain three ways in which media representations of sexuality and/or disability could be said to be stereotypical.

3. Peer mark One mark for each of three ways identified such as: • media providing mainly negative information • rarely showing disability as a normal part of everyday life • stereotyping by omission/symbolic annihilation • people defined by their physical attractiveness/appearance • characters defined by their sexual orientation. NB: no marks for media representations of gender rather than sexuality. Two further marks for each of three satisfactory explanations such as: • media providing mainly negative information: male and female homosexuality (gays and lesbians) have traditionally been treated by the media as deviant or perverse. Gay men have been shown as effeminate and gay women as butch lesbians. • rarely showing disability as a normal part of everyday life: many representations of disability portray impairment as central to the character’s role, rather than someone whose main role is doing something else. • stereotyping by omission/symbolic annihilation: the achievements of people with disabilities are often trivialised or not reported by the media.

4. How can we classify the way the media represents different groups? 2 minutes to come up with as many ways as you can think of.

5. Key definitions Stereotypes: a preconceived, standardised and versimplifiedimpression of the characteristics which typify a person or group of people. Symbolic annihilation: simple media image based on such simplifications Male gaze: Objectification of women in the media, often reinforcing patriarchy.

6. What is this?

8. Why are representations in the media important? • Media representations reinforce culturally dominant ideas about all social groups. • Almy et al. (1984) argue that media representations of gender are important because they enter the collective social conscience and reinforce culturally dominant (hegemonic) ideas about gender which represent males as dominant and females as subordinate. • Sociologists argue that media representations not only stereotype masculinity and femininity into fairly limited forms of behaviour, but also provide gender role models that males and females are encouraged to aspire to.

9. Gender and media representations Write a definition of ‘hegemonic masculinity’ and ‘hegemonic femininity’. How does the mass media reinforce these ideas?

10. What do the theories say? • Liberal Feminist • Marxist • Radical Feminist • Post-modernist • Pluralist

11. Marxists • Marxists believe that the roots of the stereotypical images of men and women in the media are economic. They are a by-product of the need of media conglomerates in capitalist societies to make a profit. The male dominated media aim to attract the largest audience possible and this leads to an emphasis on the traditional roles of men and women in sitcoms, game shows and soap operas. The alternative images of women encouraged by feminism, e.g. as assertive career women, do not fit easily into this type of media content and consequently such women are ignored, devalued or treated critically. • The media emphasis on women’s bodies as projects is the result of the growth of the cosmetic and diet product industries. It is estimated that the diet industry alone is worth $100 billion a year in the USA. Marxists note that the marketing strategies of these industries deliberately manipulate women’s anxieties so that they can be exploited as consumers of body-related products.

12. Liberal Feminists • Liberal feminists believe that media representations lag behind the reality of social and economic conditions. However, they acknowledge that representations of women have changed significantly for the better in the last thirty years. However, some liberal feminists have noted that women’s progress as media professionals has slowed down in recent years. The majority of media owners are male and influential positions within the media such as media executives, newspaper editors, senior journalists, producers, television and film directors, and heads of television programming are also dominated by males.

13. Radical Feminists • Radical feminists argue that traditional hegemonic images of femininity are deliberately transmitted by a male-dominated media to keep women oppressed into a narrow range of roles. This creates a form of false consciousness in women and deters them from making the most of the opportunities available to them and consequently men’s patriarchal power is rarely challenged. • Radical feminists believe that it is no coincidence that, at the same time as women are achieving greater social, political and professional equality, media products symbolically annihilate them to subordinate positions as sex objects or mothers or housewives.

14. Pluralist • Pluralists would argue that we have many different and competing representations of gender in the modern mass media. • If one representation is negative or stereotyped, then there are many more alternatives out their for the consumer. • The diversity of media platforms and content means that audiences don’t have to put up with these lazy stereotypes anymore.

15. Post-modernists • Gauntlett (2008) focuses on the relationship between the mass media and identity and argues that the mass media today challenge traditional definitions of gender and are actually a force for social change. There has also been a new emphasis in men’s media on men’s emotions and problems, which has challenged masculine ideals such as toughness and emotional reticence. As a result, the media are now providing alternative gendered images and ideas, which are producing a greater diversity of choices for people in constructing their gender identities.

16. Studies - The media and negative femininity • Tuchman et al. (1978) used the term symbolic annihilation to describe the way in which women’s achievements are often not reported, or are condemned or trivialised by the mass media. Often their achievements are presented as less important than their looks and sex appeal. • Ferguson (1983) conducted a content analysis of women’s magazines from between 1949 and 1974, and 1979 and 1980. She notes that such magazines are organised around a cult of femininity, which promotes a traditional ideal where excellence is achieved through caring for others, the family, marriage and appearance.

17. Studies – media empowering women • Sociologists have noted the increasing number of positive female roles emerging, especially in television drama and films. Why? • Gill (2008) argues that the depiction of women in advertising has changed from women as passive objects of the male gaze, to active, independent and sexually powerful agents. • Gauntlett (2008) argues that magazines aimed at young women emphasise that women must do their own thing and be themselves, whilst female pop stars, like Lady Gaga, sing about financial and emotional independence. This set of media messages from a range of sources suggest that women can be tough and independent whilst being ‘sexy’.

18. Studies on idea of masculinity • http://revisionworld.co.uk/a2-level-level-revision/sociology/mass-media-0/media-representations-age-social-class-ethnicity-gender-sexuality-and-disability

19. Give revision notes and ask students to revise ethnicity, age, disability. • Each person to write a blog post.