Signorielli, Nancy and Susan Kahlenberg. (2001). "Television's World of Work in the Ninties." Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 45:1, p. 4-21.
Response to "Television's World of Work in the Nineties" by Nancy Signorielli and Susan Kahlenberg
A huge issue with the television world is that is not, under any premises, the same as reality. Television promotes thoughts, feelings, and actions to the watcher, causing them to believe that is correct or the normal. Reality is always different. Even reality shows have some scripts and scene changes. Television influences us every day and every time we watch it. The gender roles of women and men are portrayed very differently on the T.V. versus in real life. The lifestyles and goals of each one causes us to believe that it is ok and the everyday norm for a women to run a huge company and for a husband to be a chef outside the home. There is nothing wrong with these situations, but in reality, we would not react so simply if we were the business partner of that women or the wife of that man. Society feels a lot differently about issues than how they portray it on television. Lots of stereotypes get formed from watching the T.V. and it promotes a huge percentage of our thoughts and beliefs in today's culture. That is a huge reason as to why we belief/see men as running a business and the mother stays at home, cooking and cleaning, and waiting for her family to return. Television has a huge impact on the world today.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Mediating 3rd Wave Feminism
Shugart, Helene, Catherine E. Waggoner, and D. Lynn O'Brien Hallstein. "Mediating Third-Wave Feminism: Appropriation as Postmodern Media Practice." Critical Studies in Media Communication 18 (2001): 194-210.
Response to "Mediating Third-Wave Feminism: Appropriation as Postmodern Media Practice" by Helene A. Shugart, Catherine Egley Waggoner, and D. Lynn O'Brien Hallstein
This article speaks about the new freedoms and patterns of feminism in the 1990s. Women were finally being seen through a new light and given a different chance to promote themselves as strong, independant people. Media was changing and influencing everyone's decisions and thoughts about the situation. Singers like Alanis Morissette and supermodel Kate Moss played huge role models to the desires of this new feminism. Morisette's lyrics promoted a strong individual who can stand up for themselves and be dominant. In Kate Moss's Calvin Klein advertisements she completely shatters the normal feminist view and gives empowerment. Women everywhere were believing in themselves and recieveing the power they always wished for and fought so hard to achieve. The new feminsim was great in the sense that it promoted a celebration of one's self and recognizing diversity. The 1990's was definitely a great time of change.
Response to "Mediating Third-Wave Feminism: Appropriation as Postmodern Media Practice" by Helene A. Shugart, Catherine Egley Waggoner, and D. Lynn O'Brien Hallstein
This article speaks about the new freedoms and patterns of feminism in the 1990s. Women were finally being seen through a new light and given a different chance to promote themselves as strong, independant people. Media was changing and influencing everyone's decisions and thoughts about the situation. Singers like Alanis Morissette and supermodel Kate Moss played huge role models to the desires of this new feminism. Morisette's lyrics promoted a strong individual who can stand up for themselves and be dominant. In Kate Moss's Calvin Klein advertisements she completely shatters the normal feminist view and gives empowerment. Women everywhere were believing in themselves and recieveing the power they always wished for and fought so hard to achieve. The new feminsim was great in the sense that it promoted a celebration of one's self and recognizing diversity. The 1990's was definitely a great time of change.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
SVU response
Televisions "New" Feminism: Prime Time Representations of Women and Victimization
Cuklanz and Moorti: Some of the storylines condemn aspects of feminine behavior and character, including empathy and intuition.
Lesley: I would agree with this statement you guys are making. This show appears to look down upon women who are loving mothers and punishes them for caring so much. The women on the SVU team are tough and masculine and it shows that they can accomplish anything and dangerous situations don't happen to them. It appears to portray the nuturing women in a dangerous light because they are so loving and feminine that they are willing to do anything for their kids or such for example. They appear to be helpless and uncapable of defending themselves.
Cuklanz and Moorti: Thus, in SVU narrarates the home, the primary arena of women's activities and the site of feminine qualities of nuturing, caregiving, and affect is presented repeatedly as the site within which a dangerous maternal instint motivates women to commit heinous crimes.
Lesley: Again, I'd say I have to agree. There are many instances in the show that take place in the home. Either by an outside person breaking in, or the people in the home themselves. It is saying that the home is the site where the motherly tendencies take place and that is why the attacks are made so often there. I don't think that should be the case. We should not blame women's nuturing and loving qualities (which God gave them) on the cause for crime and rape. Yes, there are women who are psychologically disturbed and they do commit awful acts, but we cannot stereotype every loving mother that way. All women that show feminine characteristics should not be prompted to commit a crime or be a victim of rape. And, they should show some of those women in a tougher light. For example, if they love their family so much, they should be shown as trying to stand up and fight for them and defend themselves.
Cuklanz and Moorti: Some of the storylines condemn aspects of feminine behavior and character, including empathy and intuition.
Lesley: I would agree with this statement you guys are making. This show appears to look down upon women who are loving mothers and punishes them for caring so much. The women on the SVU team are tough and masculine and it shows that they can accomplish anything and dangerous situations don't happen to them. It appears to portray the nuturing women in a dangerous light because they are so loving and feminine that they are willing to do anything for their kids or such for example. They appear to be helpless and uncapable of defending themselves.
Cuklanz and Moorti: Thus, in SVU narrarates the home, the primary arena of women's activities and the site of feminine qualities of nuturing, caregiving, and affect is presented repeatedly as the site within which a dangerous maternal instint motivates women to commit heinous crimes.
Lesley: Again, I'd say I have to agree. There are many instances in the show that take place in the home. Either by an outside person breaking in, or the people in the home themselves. It is saying that the home is the site where the motherly tendencies take place and that is why the attacks are made so often there. I don't think that should be the case. We should not blame women's nuturing and loving qualities (which God gave them) on the cause for crime and rape. Yes, there are women who are psychologically disturbed and they do commit awful acts, but we cannot stereotype every loving mother that way. All women that show feminine characteristics should not be prompted to commit a crime or be a victim of rape. And, they should show some of those women in a tougher light. For example, if they love their family so much, they should be shown as trying to stand up and fight for them and defend themselves.
HRC
“Such an analysis reveals the ways in which the mediation practices of television news naturalize HRC’s image, resulting in a more dominant and evolving collective memory of someone who has been called one of the “most loved and hated presidential wives in American history” (Gould, 1996, p. 641).”
This statement is very true. Especially when referring to the fact that Hilary Clinton is indeed one of history’s most loved and hated women. She is more famous than a celebrity and more powerful than many political figures, yet many feel she lacks some important qualities. I for one am not a fan of Mrs. Clinton, but nevertheless, I will agree that she is a very smart, successful, and strong woman. She is fearless and should be feared herself. Even though Hilary Clinton had the vote of many Americans, she still was criticized for her appearance and everyone knows about the reference to her pant suits. Media has such a huge influence on society today and it truly affects the views and opinions of us Americans as a whole. Why do we bash and look down upon strong women? Are they not any better than a man? Is it truly because of their clothing and makeup? I would agree that our country has much bigger things going on and more important things to worry about then whether Hilary is wearing another pant suit. No one thought twice about her former husband’s appearance. Women deserve to be treated as equal and given the same chance to prove themselves to America as the great women they are, whether it be Hilary Clinton, or Sarah Palin.
This statement is very true. Especially when referring to the fact that Hilary Clinton is indeed one of history’s most loved and hated women. She is more famous than a celebrity and more powerful than many political figures, yet many feel she lacks some important qualities. I for one am not a fan of Mrs. Clinton, but nevertheless, I will agree that she is a very smart, successful, and strong woman. She is fearless and should be feared herself. Even though Hilary Clinton had the vote of many Americans, she still was criticized for her appearance and everyone knows about the reference to her pant suits. Media has such a huge influence on society today and it truly affects the views and opinions of us Americans as a whole. Why do we bash and look down upon strong women? Are they not any better than a man? Is it truly because of their clothing and makeup? I would agree that our country has much bigger things going on and more important things to worry about then whether Hilary is wearing another pant suit. No one thought twice about her former husband’s appearance. Women deserve to be treated as equal and given the same chance to prove themselves to America as the great women they are, whether it be Hilary Clinton, or Sarah Palin.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Commercialization issues
In the article "Two Ways a Woman Can Get Hurt" by Kilbourne, it says "It is also more about power than passion, violence than violins." In this statement Kilbourne is mainly referring to sex in advertisements as an act rather than the gender but this statement does pertain to my ad that I used for my analysis. The ad is about power and control and how women have the right to be that way. The statement could definitely refer to the fact that women want more power than passion, more violence than violins. Perhaps the violence is an understatement, but in today's society women definitely see the effects of our economy our the challenges in our world and wish for not only world peace, but to fight for whats right and to stand up. They dont long for the mellow romancing of violins, but rather the independance and power over one's self and life. My ad portrays these qualities in a sense because it reveals the "Rosie the Rivetor" housewife and that eludes to the fact of a new era and change in dominance for women. The article also states, "There is a world of difference between the objection of men and that of women. The most important difference is that there is no danger for most men, whereas objectified women are always at risk." Again this thought is made in reference to the ideas of violence, rape, and murder, but it can also be seen through my ad. It is safe to say that in commercials and ads, men can do or act however they wish and be seen in whatever light the advertising company wishes to portray them. Women on the other hand get judged and criticized for the way they appear and the ideas they portray through the advertisements. Women are certainly up for more risk in the society in which my ad was set in which was the 1950s time era. But even though society and our culture has evolved much, women are still at a higher risk than men are. This becomes even more of an issue when women challenge the roll and power of men and appear to have more dominiance and capability.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Unpacking the Gender System
· Unpacking the Gender System: A Theoretical Perspective on Gender Beliefs and Social Relations
Cecilia L. Ridgeway and Shelley J. Correll
Gender and Society, Vol. 18, No. 4 (Aug., 2004), pp. 510-531
Published by: Sage Publications, Inc.
Ridgeway and Correll: In addition to this horizontal dimension of difference, gender beliefs have a hierarchical dimension of status inequality. Men are viewed as more status worthy and competent overall and more competent at the things that “count most”. Women are seen as less competent in general but “nicer” and better at communal tasks even though these tasks themselves are less valued.
Lesley: I agree with what you two are saying. In today’s society men and women are struggling to find equality and to find a balance between who they are, and the roles they play. When you said the beliefs have a hierarchical dimension of status inequality, I thought that that is definitely true because for centuries both sex have suffered the situations of prejudice. For example, women were not allowed to vote for quite some time which caused inequality turmoil. Men were forced to serve their country in the multiple wars over the last hundreds of years even when they didn’t want to. But because they were men, it was required of them. In reply to what you were saying about competence though, I would have to agree but only to some extent. Yes, for quite a long time men were seen as the status worthy ones. They were assumed to be able to accomplish all things and if they failed in bravery, wisdom, strength, or anything else, they were looked down upon. Women have always been known as the soft spoken, submissive ones who are “nicer” like you said and better at communicating. This was true and still is today, but I feel that is has widely evolved with time and many women now are seen as more competent and men are known as warm and friendly, understanding emotions more than before. This has evolved from the media, politics, and just our nation changing with time.
Ridgeway and Correll: Given the cultural resources and power available to members of dominant groups, the descriptions of men and women that become inscribed in these simple, abstract, cultural categories are ones that most closely describe white, middle-class, heterosexual men and women, if anyone. These gender beliefs are hegemonic in that the descriptions of women and men they contain are institutionalized in the media, government policy, normative images of the family, and so on.
Lesley: I completely understand what you are saying about the dominant stereotypes. In America today, there are success factors it would seem. For people going to college and getting jobs and or trying to make it big in the music or film industry, you have to be talented, smart, and experienced. These qualifications do often go to people who are known as the “normal ones” and as you were saying, those are people who are white, middle-class, heterosexual women and men. Of course this is not exclusive but it would seem that all the men who have been our presidents or ran for the election would fall into these places. Even when Barack Obama introduced himself as a presidential candidate, some were stunned by the idea of having an African-American in the White House. I for one and not racist and think that color should never matter. When making way up the political or business ladder to become a governor or CEO of a multimillion dollar company, you rarely see gay or lesbian men and women who make less than $40,000 a year or such. Why do we have such stereotypes today? Well I also agree with how you were saying that those have greatly been influenced and institutionalized by the media and what society views as a “normal” family. You can see many television shows today portraying the perfect or not so perfect family life. It started out with old sitcoms such as “Leave it to Beaver” and slowly progressed into different family situations you may see on “7th Heaven” or “Family Matters” where mix-matched people share a house and their may not always be another parent around. On MTV today and other channels you can view all kinds of family lives that don’t follow the typical “normal” family pattern. Even though it seems rare to find that perfect family nowadays, it is still in our mindset to have that working father and loving, cooking mother who sends the children off to school and has dinner all ready when everyone returns home. Even though this image has pretty much faded in today’s world many still try to strive for this traditional lifestyle.
Cecilia L. Ridgeway and Shelley J. Correll
Gender and Society, Vol. 18, No. 4 (Aug., 2004), pp. 510-531
Published by: Sage Publications, Inc.
Ridgeway and Correll: In addition to this horizontal dimension of difference, gender beliefs have a hierarchical dimension of status inequality. Men are viewed as more status worthy and competent overall and more competent at the things that “count most”. Women are seen as less competent in general but “nicer” and better at communal tasks even though these tasks themselves are less valued.
Lesley: I agree with what you two are saying. In today’s society men and women are struggling to find equality and to find a balance between who they are, and the roles they play. When you said the beliefs have a hierarchical dimension of status inequality, I thought that that is definitely true because for centuries both sex have suffered the situations of prejudice. For example, women were not allowed to vote for quite some time which caused inequality turmoil. Men were forced to serve their country in the multiple wars over the last hundreds of years even when they didn’t want to. But because they were men, it was required of them. In reply to what you were saying about competence though, I would have to agree but only to some extent. Yes, for quite a long time men were seen as the status worthy ones. They were assumed to be able to accomplish all things and if they failed in bravery, wisdom, strength, or anything else, they were looked down upon. Women have always been known as the soft spoken, submissive ones who are “nicer” like you said and better at communicating. This was true and still is today, but I feel that is has widely evolved with time and many women now are seen as more competent and men are known as warm and friendly, understanding emotions more than before. This has evolved from the media, politics, and just our nation changing with time.
Ridgeway and Correll: Given the cultural resources and power available to members of dominant groups, the descriptions of men and women that become inscribed in these simple, abstract, cultural categories are ones that most closely describe white, middle-class, heterosexual men and women, if anyone. These gender beliefs are hegemonic in that the descriptions of women and men they contain are institutionalized in the media, government policy, normative images of the family, and so on.
Lesley: I completely understand what you are saying about the dominant stereotypes. In America today, there are success factors it would seem. For people going to college and getting jobs and or trying to make it big in the music or film industry, you have to be talented, smart, and experienced. These qualifications do often go to people who are known as the “normal ones” and as you were saying, those are people who are white, middle-class, heterosexual women and men. Of course this is not exclusive but it would seem that all the men who have been our presidents or ran for the election would fall into these places. Even when Barack Obama introduced himself as a presidential candidate, some were stunned by the idea of having an African-American in the White House. I for one and not racist and think that color should never matter. When making way up the political or business ladder to become a governor or CEO of a multimillion dollar company, you rarely see gay or lesbian men and women who make less than $40,000 a year or such. Why do we have such stereotypes today? Well I also agree with how you were saying that those have greatly been influenced and institutionalized by the media and what society views as a “normal” family. You can see many television shows today portraying the perfect or not so perfect family life. It started out with old sitcoms such as “Leave it to Beaver” and slowly progressed into different family situations you may see on “7th Heaven” or “Family Matters” where mix-matched people share a house and their may not always be another parent around. On MTV today and other channels you can view all kinds of family lives that don’t follow the typical “normal” family pattern. Even though it seems rare to find that perfect family nowadays, it is still in our mindset to have that working father and loving, cooking mother who sends the children off to school and has dinner all ready when everyone returns home. Even though this image has pretty much faded in today’s world many still try to strive for this traditional lifestyle.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Convo w Aaron
Aaron- People are believed to be unable to change genders without sex change surgery, and those who do change sex are considered to be both disturbed and exceedingly rare.
Lesley- I 100% agree with what you are saying Aaron! The weird thing is though, is that even when someone undergoes a sex change surgery, they still have the mentality and emotional sides of that same sex and person they were/are. Just because you remove your male genitalia doesn’t mean your mind and brain is going to start thinking like a girl. How can you do a complete personality transplant? You can’t! I would agree that people who wish to no longer be their sex are disturbed and must have some sort of psychological problem. When looking at women who completely resemble men and men who wear women’s clothes and have implants and are “cross-dressers”, I can only wonder what in the world is going on in their head!!
Aaron- These two clusters of attributes are most commonly seen as mirror images of one another with masculinity usually characterized by dominance and aggression, and femininity by passivity and submission.
Lesley- I would agree with you as well in this statement but it is becoming very common to see these attributes reversed in the each gender. Yes, men are known to be the strong, tough, insensitive, non emotional, hardworking, competitive, and success oriented ones out of the two genders. They are stereotyped as the aggressive leaders (not followers) who will get their way. This is not true in many circumstances. Of course men are created to have those natural qualities and mentalities about them; even from when boys are little they learn to play with trucks and legos, and play games where they fight each other or pretend to blow each other up. But many men do have the kind, quiet spirit while remaining to be in the lead. Women on the other hand are stereotyped just as you said Aaron. They were originally considered to be passive, submissive, and loving. That view seems to be very distant from our world today. That seems to be the view which should fit in with the “Leave it to Beaver” lifestyle. Today women are very much like men. They are strong and opinionated living their lives in independence and wishing to do all without a man by their side. Many feel they don’t need a man and adopt children and start a family as a single parent. Women are taking a more masculine approach to life. I forgot to mention though that men are shifting as well. Like I said before Aaron, some people are disturbed and are taking the cross-dressing lifestyle. Many men and women have now come out as homosexual and have no problem trying to switch roles. Men are feminine and passive while women are harsh and powerful. Things can definitely get confusing!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
