Gender: Representations

What is meant by media representations of gender?

the ways men, women and gender identities are portrayed in the media

What is symbolic annihilation?

the underrepresentation, trivialisation or condemnation of a social group in the media (Tuchman)

How have women traditionally been represented in the media?

as passive, dependent, emotional, sexualised and focused on domestic roles

What is the beauty myth?

the idea that media create unrealistic beauty standards that women are expected to conform to (Wolf)

How can media representations affect women's self esteem?

unrealistic standards of beauty can create pressure, insecurity and dissatisfaction with appearance (Wolf)

What is meant by the cult of femininity?

media representations that encourage women to be attractive, caring, passive and family orientated

How have representations of women changed in recent years?

women are increasingly shown as independent, successful and empowered

What is meant by girl power?

media representations that promote female confidence, independence and empowerment

What is hegemonic masculinity?

the dominant ideal of masculinity that values strength, power, authority and heterosexuality (Connell)

How are men traditionally represented in the media?

as strong, competitive, independent and emotionally controlled

How has the media become more diverse in its representations of gender?

there is greater visibility of different gender identities and challenges to traditional gender stereotypes

What is a criticism of media representations of gender?

despite greater diversity, gender stereotypes and power inequalities still exist in many media representations (Wolf, Connell)