How the Media Influences our Views on Gender - Research Paper Example

? How the Media Influences our Views on Gender Number Introduction In the modern society, many feminists are striving to prove to the world that women have equal rights as men. There is formation of theories, such as the gender inequality and difference theories, which show that gender should not be a basis of discrimination. These theories critically view the lives of women, their contribution to the society and focus on the issue of inequality. This enables them to give a final solution to the problem of inequality that has taken root in the society. The media however is a powerful tool that influences the opinion and the public’s line of thinking. The media has a great influence on people’s behavior. It is not until it highlights a new product in the market, that people are aware that they need it. It is the basis of discrimination of women in the society. The media should enlighten the society on how to differentiate between sex and gender. 1Sex is the biological difference between males and female while gender is the difference between the male and female personality, masculinity and femininity. It should also change how it views the female species as weak and dependent on the male figures in the society. 2This is because it has greatly contributed to how society treats girls and women, and actually led to their accepting the ordeal. This paper discusses the various ways the media has influenced the society into treating the females in the wrong manner, and making women view the act as a normality. It takes a strong stand against this action and suggests ways in which the media can influence the society in changing this negative perception on women. Underestimation of Women 3There is evidence of female sidelining in the media hence evidence of gender imbalance across the media. This is because in the popular screen of the media, females are not as prevalent as the males. 4The ratio of male to female characters in the popular entertainment media is approximately 2.53 to 1. 5The gender ratio however varies from one racial group to another; for example among the blacks, the female prevalence in family film is approximately 30.2%, while for the Caucasian is 29.2%. The female sidelining aspect is evident in all programs, including the children’s shows and prime-time programs. Most of the children do not consistently see female figures in the comedies and shows they watch. This is a great influence on them since it affects their opinion of women in the society. They end up associating most of the occupations they learn through the films and comedies to men and boys hence limiting the capability of women in the society. There are unequal job opportunities in the media. 6The men have 60.8% chances of employment while the females have a probability that is lower than 50%. This reflects on the views the media has on the female species in the society as incompetent. They lead the public into believing that women are not entitled to equal rights as men since they are inadequate in delivery of service. Although 47% of women comprise the U.S labor, according to 2011 statistics, the percentage of women working in the media is approximately 30%. In economic crisis, women have a higher chance of the company laying them than the men. This shows that the media finds the views of women of lower value than those of men. 7In family films, few females take the top executive roles such as President of a company, Presidents and CEOs. There are, however, no females that take up the role of chief justice, a member of the journalism team, or in the financial sector. This demonstrates to the viewers that women are not handling duties that have a high level of responsibility. The prime time, however, is taking a different perspective on the role of women in the society. It allocates positions of power to the feminine characters hence portraying powerful women in the society. Although it has taken a step in showing that women can handle positions of power, the number of prime-time males is higher than that of females. 8The media should put into consideration the successful women in the society, such as Oprah Winfrey, who made it in a society that practiced discrimination against the blacks and the girl child. They should show the world that being a female does not limit ones capability. They should air programs of women in the working class, who actually take up responsibilities the society relates to men such as engineering. The media should also embrace the liberal feminism that states that there should be elimination of any discrimination based on gender. This is because all the sexes were born in the same manner and no one chose to be born either male or female. Both genders therefore have the same and equal rights. Women Portrayed in Stereotypical Ways 9Although the feminists are persistent in seeing to it that the society grants women equal rights as men, there are societal beliefs that limit its success. The media airs programs that associate the females to the responsibility of taking care of their family and upbringing their children. The role of males is addressing the societal issues other than the domestic role of parenting their children. Children who watch these programs gain a negative standpoint against the female species. From the standpoint theory, people are able to attract with the environment by use of the aspects and views they have. Therefore, the female children limit their capability to parental responsibility and commitment to a relationship while the male child is able to venture into any career field of their choice. 10In Saudi Arabia, the government granted women their rights of voting but the 2008 statistics show that it had the least percentage of female voters worldwide. Due to the stereotype that the women’s place in the society is their homes, where they take their husbands and children, their public opinion is not valued. In the media, the number of women is negligible when compared to that of males. They therefore have minimal influence on the political and societal issues in the country. The media also portrays to the viewers that we live in a contemporary society where the male figures takes up the instrumental role. They root the idea into their minds that husbands and fathers have a special role of sustaining the family through provision of food, shelter and clothing. The women, on the other hand, take up the expressive role. The wives and mothers support the members of the family emotionally, ensure the household activities run smoothly and cement the relationships within the family. 11They support the idea that failure of commitment of either of the parties to their roles lead to family imbalance, which threatens the family survival. 12However, from research, married women have higher level of stress than the married men and the unmarried women. They may therefore opt for divorce since the marriage life does not usually meet their expectations. The media should therefore embrace the new society where women form a significant part of the working class. They should not confine the role of women to the expressive role only but should encourage the male figures play the expressive role. They should embrace the feminist sociology theory that states that women have ability as the men and therefore should exploit all available opportunities. They should be a part of defining their destination therefore should not rely on the stereotypes the society holds13. The society has embraced the role of women in the media as physical attractions. They are elements of marketing programs and products in advertisements. This is because they are dressed in sexy attire that exposes most of their body. The characters in the program emphasize their attraction as desirous. 14Most of the female characters in these programs and advertisements are aged 21 to 39. In the news anchoring programs, majority of the anchors are attractive females that attract the attention of the audience, hence increasing the number of viewers. The media should change this perspective by eliminating embracing the socialist feminism. This theory agrees to the fact that sexism and economic oppression work hand in hand. Women should overcome their fear of loss of economic security in the workplace and embrace duties for the right moral reasons. Normalize violence against women 15The media airs programs that portray the male stereotypes in the society. These traits, for example their dominating character, influence the way men and boys behave in the society. The men therefore stand out as powerful, competent and hold high status. They act as a standard to the culture practices. On the other hand, they portray women as the weaker parties, who should look up to the moral standards the men set. Exposure to sexual violence through the media in relationships makes the public embrace it as a normal practice. Majority of women who view programs that show sexual abuse are unlikely to defend themselves in case of violence from their partners. They may actually consider violence as a normal part of love and sex. Exposure to pornographic materials also influences the public, since it enhances acceptance of violence in a relationship. This has therefore led to a raise of the number of women sexually abused. Exposure to scenes of rape through the media influences the way men think of rape, hence may seem more appealing. Rape has been the fastest growing crime in the United States. 16The male-dominant society shows that men have authority and the role of women is to comply. They are the heads and policy makers of the family. There are programs that give credibility for wife battling, therefore increases cases of violence. They make the public perceive it as a normal occurrence hence women do not take action against this type of violence. As in the case of sexual abuse, some of the women perceive wife battery as a normal practice, and sometimes as an act of love. The violence case only becomes a serious case in case of murder. 17The media should stop exposing its audience to this kind of violence. In case it has to air such programs, it should sensitize its audience against such action. It should encourage women to report violence to the police and press charges against them. This would lead to reduction of violence levels at home. It should air the cultural practices that show that sex is a rare factor among the people who hold on to the cultural studies. This is because women are important figures in the society that men ought to respect. The media should embrace the gender linking concept of the feminist sociological theory that show there is no difference between male and female. This would influence the public’s perception on women hence influencing their symbolic interaction, which states that people interact with situations based on how they perceive them. Conclusion This paper discusses the various ways in which the media influences the perception of the public on women, and how it can use this to promote feminism in the society. It discusses how the media underestimates women in the society. It views women as people who depend on men and cannot make concise decisions. It elaborates this issue by showing that women have a lower opportunity of getting jobs in the media. There are also very few women who play roles in the programs the media airs. There are stereotypes that the media holds, which corrupts the perception of people. It holds onto the idea that a woman’s place is at home, where they take care of their husbands. It also embraces the thought that females are physical attractors in the industry. Normalization of women violence increases the rate of sexual violence and wife battery at homes. The media should however change the way the society views women through airing programs that show successful women in the society, have equal rights as men and discouraging physical violence at home. Bibliography Abbot, P et al. An Introduction to Sociology: Feminist Perspectives. New York: Routledge, 2005. Delamont, S. Feminist Sociology. London: Sage Publishers, 2003. Smith, S. et al. Gender Roles and Occupations: A Look at Character Attributes and Job- Related Aspirations in Film and Television. California: University of Southern California, 2013 Sydie, R. Natural Women, Cultured Men: A Feminist Perspective on Sociological Theory. New York: Routledge, 2007 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Household data annual averages: 11. Employed Persons by detailed occupation, sex, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity. Jan, 2011 http://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsa2010.pdf (accessed Nov 25, 2013). Read More