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gender and the media

Gender stereotypes portrayed in the media have a strong influence on how men and women behave, but they also have considerable influence on our understandings of gender expression. It's important to keep in mind that biological sex (male/female) is different from a person's gender expression, which refers to the way that individuals demonstrate the gender with which they identify. For example, assuming that they are fully clothed, how do you know whether someone is a man or a woman? Chances are you look at the clothes they're wearing, how they style their hair, whether or not they're wearing makeup, and so on. These signs usually tell you whether someone is a man or woman, but they don't necessarily tell you whether they are male or female.

This is a relatively new and very complex concept that can be difficult to wrap your head around, especially when the expectations of gender seem to be changing all the time. The reason that this changes is because gender is a cultural construct, which is defined as the characteristics and signs that societies attach to certain ideas. Stereotypes and cultural constructs are kind of like a cycle in which one continuously informs the other. In the case of the media, these two concepts work together to tell us how men and women are supposed to appear and conduct themselves.

This is best illustrated in the many current reality shows about fashion design or models. In many ways, these shows reflect a reality that is heavily informed by stereotypes about feminine and masculine beauty. Despite being unattainable for most people, they reinforce standards for beauty and establish signs and symbols that help viewers interpret gender expression, which they are then likely to apply in the real world.

  1. “Children start believing gender stereotypes as young as 6, study shows,” News ELA, February 2017 (article) Click Here 
  2. Jade Aguilar, “From Toys to Alcoholic Beverages, Gender Shapes Our Lives,” Oregon Humanities, February 2017 (article) Click Here  
  3. JeongMee Yoon, “The Pink and Blue Project,” 2005-Ongoing (visual art project + description) Click Here  
  4. “Who Loses When Brands Market To Specific Genders? Turns Out, It’s Everyone” Huffington Post, May 2014 (video + article) Click Here  
  5. “Let toys be toys: The case for gender-neutral marketing,” CNN, September 2015 (article) Click Here  
  6. "Where We Are on TV" GLAAD, 2016, (report) Click Here    
  7. “Latinos in Hollywood: Few Roles, Frequent Stereotypes, New Study Finds,” NBC News, February 2016 (article) Click Here  
  8. “Black women's progress collides with media stereotypes,” USA Today, February 2015 (article) Click Here 
  9. “Hollywood Has A Major Diversity Problem, USC Study Finds,” NPR, February 2016 (radio soundbite/article) Click Here 
  10. “Lupita's look, a short Afro, becomes a standard of beauty,” News ELA, April 2014 (article) Click Here   
  11. Ellie Irineu, “Craving Visibility as a Trans Person of Color,” Black Girl Dangerous, November 2014 (personal narrative) Click Here 
  12. “Minority Newsroom Managers Can Help Dispel Youth Stereotypes: Report,” NBC News, March 2016 (article) Click Here  
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