The document discusses various concepts related to representation in media texts including signs, codes, ideologies, and the representation of social groups such as gender, ethnicity, age, sexuality, class, ability, and region. It provides examples of common representations within each social group and questions to consider when analyzing representations, such as whether they reinforce stereotypes or provide diverse portrayals.
13. 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.
