GNED 1427: Introduction to Women’s Studies

GNED 1427: Introduction to Women’s Studies
Module 2: Killing Us Softly 4 and Dreamworlds 3 Assignment
In this unit we have begun to develop an understanding of societal impacts on women and how women see themselves and, therefore, feel about themselves. As well, we have explored how society’s expectations impact on gender roles.
From the two videos, Dreamworlds 3 and Killing Us Softly 4 (links below), answer the following questions. You may complete this individually or as a pair (you choose your partner) but only one completed assignment is handed in for each pair. Ensure both names are on the assignment if you do it as a pair; the one not handing in the assignment should send a message to me through the Dropbox indicating their partner so I may look for the shared assignment and, therefore, provide a mark for both.
Also, please make sure the answers are numbered to correspond to the questions, and that your submission is double-spaced and error-free. I cannot mark what I can’t understand!
Links:
Dreamwords 3:
http://dproxy(dot)library(dot)dc-uoit(dot)ca/login?url=https://durhamcollege(dot)kanopystreaming(dot)com/node/227985
Killing Us Softly:
https://durhamcollege-kanopystreaming-com(dot)dproxy(dot)library(dot)dc-uoit(dot)ca/video/killing-us-softly-4-advertisings-image-wom-0
Questions:
1. From the movies, Killing Us Softly 4 and Dreamworlds 3, what are the consistent messages about femininity and women (thus the ‘controlling images’) told by music videos and advertisements? What about masculinity? Provide three examples from each movie with explanation. (8 marks)
2. How are women and men in our society affected by the messages? Do the messages they receive impact their behaviour or expectations? What are the consequences of these messages (and there are many)? (4 marks)
3. From Dreamworlds 3, what is your reaction to videos like “Tip Drill,” Diary of a Pimp, or Backstage Sluts? Which images do you take offense to? How do the images in these videos make you feel? Why are such images used? Consider some of the sexual images you see in advertising as well when you answer this question, and relate your answer to the concept discussed in the module of ‘hypersexualization’. (4 marks)
4. Do you think that aspects of your own identity have been shaped by media images (such as those in ads and music videos) and stories? In what ways? Are your friends and peers influenced by media? How? If you believe that you are not very strongly influenced by media (which you should discuss first) but your friends are, why do you think so many people seem to believe that they aren’t influenced? What does it say to you that so many people seem to believe that others are influenced more than they, themselves, are? (4 marks)