The Negative Effects of Media Stereotyping and Gender Socialization

The Negative Effects of Media Stereotyping and Gender Socialization
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The Negative Effects of Media Stereotyping and Gender Socialization
Socialization into gender roles has been, since the foundation of human societies, the means through which boys and girls are trained on how to behave as well as prepared for adult roles in society. For instance, the assigning of domestic chores to girls was a way of preparing them to become good housekeepers and wives. For boys, outdoor tasks like fencing and clearing land for cultivation prepared them for the roles of protecting and providing for their families. At the same time, gender socialization shaped the way boys and girls related to each other, and later in life as adults, how women and men interacted. For example, women were taught to respect and be submissive to their husbands. Physical features such as femininity and masculinity played a big role in the way that women and men were viewed and expected to relate to one another. For instance, men’s physical strength helped in promoting patriarchal ideologies that elevated men to positions of power and authority over men. Consequently, men became the figureheads of families while women became their subordinates. Today, the media continues to promote this ideology about gender relations. For instance, movies portray male characters as the heroes who save the day- usually by helping a helpless female from trouble. On their part, female characters are portrayed as feminine and sexy creatures that inspire and satisfy men’s sexual desires. This portrayal shapes women’s self-image by suggesting that the ideal female body is feminine, slim, sexy, and smooth-skinned. In this regard, gender roles, women’s position in society and the ideal female image are not realistic ideals, but constructions of media-stereotyping and male chauvinism in a male dominated world.
The six documentaries for module 2 portray the way the media determines gender roles and women’s position in society though gender stereotyping. The first Upworthy video portrays the ideal female image as slim, young, and attractive. However, this stereotyping of the female body glorifies appearances at the expense of character and identity. For instance, the use of anti-aging products to mask wrinkles and other marks of aging creates a false image about the person. It brainwashes women that they are not beautiful or perfect without a smooth face, slim figure, and a glossy, toned skin. In addition, this portrayal of the female body can cause an identity crisis especially in young women because the ideal body image does not exist. Women who get obsessed with what they see on TV can lose self-esteem and live in self-denial since they do not understand or appreciate who they are.
The portrayal of masculinity and femininity is often used to determine gender power relations and gender-appropriate behaviors. The film trilogy Star Wars, for instance, portrays males as physically powerful and aggres...