Representation and gender

REPRESENTATION AND GENDER

INTRODUCE SOME OF THE ISSUES SURROUNDING REPRESENTATION AND GENDERINTRODUCE GENDER THEORY AS A WAY TO ANALYSE AND CRITIQUE GENDER REPRESENTATIONSEXPLORE SOME ASPECTS OF GENDER REPRESENTATION IN CONTEMPORARY TEXTS

SEX, GENDER AND SEXUALITY

• Sex - a person’s biological sex, whether they are male or female

• Gender - roles or behaviours a person is socialised into according to their sex, whether they are masculine or feminine

• Sexuality - a persons sexual preference, whether they are heterosexual (straight, homosexual (gay) or bisexual

HOW ARE MALES AND FEMALES TYPICALLY REPRESENTED OR PORTRAYED IN MUSIC VIDEOS?

LIST A RANGE OF MEDIA TEXTS THAT SHOW HOW BOYS/GIRLS OR MEN/WOMEN ARE SOCIALISED IN TO THEIR GENDER ROLES

BOYS/MEN LIKE GIRLS/WOMEN LIKE

BINARY OPPOSITES - LEVI STRAUSS THEORY

• Clear distinctions between male and female - one on the left connotes men and the one on the right connotes women.

• Women = triangular shape skirt

• Men = rectangular shape trousers

CULTURAL NORMS

• From the moment of birth we are expected to look, behave and adopt attitudes that conform to cultural norms based on our biological sex

IDENTIFY THE BINARY OPPOSITE TRAITS OF THE MASCULINE AND FEMALE

BOYS/MEN ARE/SHOULD BE

GIRLS/WOMEN ARE/SHOULD BE

STRONG WEAK

FIND TWO GENDER BASED ADVERTISEMENTS FOR TOYS. ONE AIMED AT GIRLS AND ONE AIMED AT BOYS

• What differences are there in the way toys are marketed towards gender?

• What type of toys are seen to be appropriate for males and females?

• What types of gendered behaviour do you think is learnt from these divisions in the genders?