1. Representation of genderRepresentation of gender

2. Why is understanding Representation
Important?
Why is understanding Representation
Important?
IDEOLOGIES!!!
• Cultural beliefs or a way of looking at things.
• Often thought of as common sense.
• Things we believe are true but aren’t
necessarily true.
• Media creates and nurtures these ideas
creating possible false truths for us to identify
with.
IDEOLOGIES!!!
• Cultural beliefs or a way of looking at things.
• Often thought of as common sense.
• Things we believe are true but aren’t
necessarily true.
• Media creates and nurtures these ideas
creating possible false truths for us to identify
with.

3. Textual AnalysisTextual Analysis
• Literally means analysing text and in our case
the text will be a 5 minute clip from a
television drama.
• Denotation and Connotation.
• What lies beneath the text. What ideologies
are being created or reinforced?
• How are they portraying the world and
different social groups?
• Literally means analysing text and in our case
the text will be a 5 minute clip from a
television drama.
• Denotation and Connotation.
• What lies beneath the text. What ideologies
are being created or reinforced?
• How are they portraying the world and
different social groups?

4. What social groups are
we concerned with?
What social groups are
we concerned with?
• Gender
• Age
• Ethnicity
• Sexuality
• Class and Status
• Physical Ability/Disability
• Regional Identity
• Gender
• Age
• Ethnicity
• Sexuality
• Class and Status
• Physical Ability/Disability
• Regional Identity

5. GenderGender
The representation of men and women.
Gender is perhaps the basic category we use for
sorting human beings, and it is a key issue when
discussing representation. Essential elements of
our own identity, and the identities we assume
other people to have, come from concepts of
gender - what does it mean to be a boy or a
girl? Many objects, not just humans, are
represented by the media as being particularly
masculine or feminine - particularly in
advertising - and we grow up with an
awareness of what constitutes 'appropriate'
characteristics for each gender.
The representation of men and women.
Gender is perhaps the basic category we use for
sorting human beings, and it is a key issue when
discussing representation. Essential elements of
our own identity, and the identities we assume
other people to have, come from concepts of
gender - what does it mean to be a boy or a
girl? Many objects, not just humans, are
represented by the media as being particularly
masculine or feminine - particularly in
advertising - and we grow up with an
awareness of what constitutes 'appropriate'
characteristics for each gender.

6. Representation of WomenRepresentation of Women
• Feminism has been around for over 30 years yet media
representations of women are worryingly the same.
Representations of women across all media tend to
highlight the following:
• beauty (within narrow conventions)
• size/physique (again, within narrow conventions)
• sexuality (as expressed by the above)
• emotional (as opposed to intellectual) dealings
• relationships (as opposed to independence/
freedom)
• Feminism has been around for over 30 years yet media
representations of women are worryingly the same.
Representations of women across all media tend to
highlight the following:
• beauty (within narrow conventions)
• size/physique (again, within narrow conventions)
• sexuality (as expressed by the above)
• emotional (as opposed to intellectual) dealings
• relationships (as opposed to independence/
freedom)

7. Representation of WomenRepresentation of Women
• Women are often represented as being part of a
context (family, friends, colleagues) and
working/thinking as part of a team. In drama,
they tend to take the role of helper (Propp) or
object, passive rather than active.
• Often their passivity extends to victimhood. Men
are still represented as TV drama characters up
to 3 times more frequently than women, and
tend to be the predominant focus of news
stories.
• Women are often represented as being part of a
context (family, friends, colleagues) and
working/thinking as part of a team. In drama,
they tend to take the role of helper (Propp) or
object, passive rather than active.
• Often their passivity extends to victimhood. Men
are still represented as TV drama characters up
to 3 times more frequently than women, and
tend to be the predominant focus of news
stories.

8. Representation of WomenRepresentation of Women
• The representations of women that do make
it onto page and screen do tend to be
stereotypical, in terms of conforming to
societal expectations, and characters who do
not fit into the mould tend to be seen as
dangerous and deviant.
• The representations of women that do make
it onto page and screen do tend to be
stereotypical, in terms of conforming to
societal expectations, and characters who do
not fit into the mould tend to be seen as
dangerous and deviant.

9. Representation of WomenRepresentation of Women
• America seems to expect its women to behave
better than their European counterparts -
British viewers adored the antics of Patsy &
Edina in Absolutely Fabulous, but these had to
be severely toned down (less swearing, NO
drug taking) for the US remake, High Society
(which was a flop).
• America seems to expect its women to behave
better than their European counterparts -
British viewers adored the antics of Patsy &
Edina in Absolutely Fabulous, but these had to
be severely toned down (less swearing, NO
drug taking) for the US remake, High Society
(which was a flop).

10. Representation of WomenRepresentation of Women
• Discussions of women's representation in the
media tend to revolve around the focus on
physical beauty to the near-exclusion of other
values, the lack of powerful female role
models, and the extremely artificial nature of
such portrayals, which bear little or no
relation to the reality experience by women
across the planet.
• Discussions of women's representation in the
media tend to revolve around the focus on
physical beauty to the near-exclusion of other
values, the lack of powerful female role
models, and the extremely artificial nature of
such portrayals, which bear little or no
relation to the reality experience by women
across the planet.

11. Representation of WomenRepresentation of Women
• Laura Mulvey’s “Male Gaze” theory. Remind
yourself of her theory here. Summarise in
your own words the extent to which her
theory is still relevant in the media today.
• Laura Mulvey’s “Male Gaze” theory. Remind
yourself of her theory here. Summarise in
your own words the extent to which her
theory is still relevant in the media today.

12. Representation of MenRepresentation of Men
• 'Masculinity' is a concept that is made up of more
rigid stereotypes than femininity.
Representations of men across all media tend to
focus on the following:
• Strength - physical and intellectual
• Power
• Sexual attractiveness (which may be based on
the above)
• Physique
• Independence (of thought, action)
• 'Masculinity' is a concept that is made up of more
rigid stereotypes than femininity.
Representations of men across all media tend to
focus on the following:
• Strength - physical and intellectual
• Power
• Sexual attractiveness (which may be based on
the above)
• Physique
• Independence (of thought, action)

13. Representation of MenRepresentation of Men
• Male characters are often represented as isolated, as
not needing to rely on others (the lone hero). If they
submit to being part of a family, it is often part of the
resolution of a narrative, rather than an integral factor
in the initial balance.
• It is interesting to note that the male physique is
becoming more important a part of representations of
masculinity. 'Serious' Hollywood actors in their forties
(eg Willem Dafoe, Kevin Spacey) are expected to have
a level of 'buffness' that was not aspired to even by
young heart-throbs 40 years ago (check out Connery in
Thunderball 1965).
• Male characters are often represented as isolated, as
not needing to rely on others (the lone hero). If they
submit to being part of a family, it is often part of the
resolution of a narrative, rather than an integral factor
in the initial balance.
• It is interesting to note that the male physique is
becoming more important a part of representations of
masculinity. 'Serious' Hollywood actors in their forties
(eg Willem Dafoe, Kevin Spacey) are expected to have
a level of 'buffness' that was not aspired to even by
young heart-throbs 40 years ago (check out Connery in
Thunderball 1965).

14. Sean Connery Thunderball (1965)Sean Connery Thunderball (1965)

15. Representation of MenRepresentation of Men
• Increasingly, men are finding it as difficult to live up to
their media representations as women are to theirs.
This is partly because of the increased media focus on
masculinity - think of the growing market in men's
magazines, both lifestyle and health - and the
increasing emphasis on even ordinary white collar
male workers (who used to sport their beer-gut with
pride) having the muscle definition of a professional
swimmer. Anorexia in teenage males has increased
alarmingly in recent years, and recent high school
shootings have been the result of extreme body
consciousness among the same demographic group.
• Increasingly, men are finding it as difficult to live up to
their media representations as women are to theirs.
This is partly because of the increased media focus on
masculinity - think of the growing market in men's
magazines, both lifestyle and health - and the
increasing emphasis on even ordinary white collar
male workers (who used to sport their beer-gut with
pride) having the muscle definition of a professional
swimmer. Anorexia in teenage males has increased
alarmingly in recent years, and recent high school
shootings have been the result of extreme body
consciousness among the same demographic group.

16. Representation of MenRepresentation of Men
• As media representations of masculinity become
more specifically targeted at audiences with
product promotion in mind (think of the huge
profits now made from male fashion, male skin &
hair care products, fitness products such as
weights, clothing etc), men are encouraged (just
as women have been for many years) to aspire to
be like (to look/behave in the same way) the role
models they see in magazines. This is often an
unrealistic target to set, and awareness of this is
growing.
• As media representations of masculinity become
more specifically targeted at audiences with
product promotion in mind (think of the huge
profits now made from male fashion, male skin &
hair care products, fitness products such as
weights, clothing etc), men are encouraged (just
as women have been for many years) to aspire to
be like (to look/behave in the same way) the role
models they see in magazines. This is often an
unrealistic target to set, and awareness of this is
growing.

17. June 2009 Question