Thursday, September 29, 2011
What Influences Gender Identity?
I believe gender comes the media and society. For example like when you watch T.V. men look big and tough and the women are usually cooking or cleaning. I believe thats how it is in real life because people tend to follow what they see on T.V. Also alot of women like to have jobs and do other things to make thoose sterotypes false. Also in movies and on television men who are weak are the ones who are usually bullied and made fun of because they dont look or act like the men in the movies. I believe it doesnt matter if your strong or not. Also i think in relationships men try to be more like the sterotype so they can show that they are strong and good at working and things the sterotype says.
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The media is to blame for the strong influence of gender identity on our culture. Music for example, sometimes contains explicit lyrics that may degrade women (sometimes rap music). Hearing these things every time you turn on the radio can influence a person, especially a male into thinking "Oh, this is how I'm suppose to act. I'm suppose to degrade women. They are inferior than me". Only a select few actually develop this mindset into adulthood though. Television is probably the most to blame. Everyone watches tv, all ages. In some sitcoms, the wife is a stay at home mom, and the husband is the one that works and controls the household. A lot of Americans feel as if this is how life is suppose to be. Then, there are those tv shows and movies that shows women out of their element, being "tough", such as Catwomen. This counters the typical sterotype that women are weak & belong in the kitchen, and these kind of shows make me proud :)
ReplyDeleteBut also, women and men DO have some differences in gender identity that I believe are just natural. It's a fact that men have more muscle than women, and don't have to work very hard to develop it. Men are physically stronger (only in rare cases women are). Men can endure more physical obstacles such as moving furniture. But pretty much other than that, the media (and even family & friends) influence men to not show emotion or act "weak". Boys learn this at a very young age, and continue on with this for the rest of their lives. It's "normal".
I think the gender stereotypes in popular culture derive from gender differences. Men want to be tough and not show emotion, while women are more emotional and dramatic. If guys see other guys on TV being tough and then they will want to be tough also. Men and women are easily influenced by what they see on TV, so they will act however they see people acting on TV. I think stereotypes are deserving of playful mocking like Barry and Dowd say. They aren’t as big of a deal as Katz tries to make it out to be. Tina Fey points out in Mean Girls how boys and girls usually sit apart at lunch during the scene when they are eating. She also makes fun of how girls make a bigger deal about relationships than guys.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Brittany that media does have a really strong influence on gender identity in our culture. Very rarely are women depicted ads powerful or more successful than men on T.V, and in these rare cases these women are portrayed as bitter, mean or as having to love/family life. It seems that in the media there really is no happy medium, women are either stay at home moms, with a low income part time job, or a workaholic who will never get married. I think this sends a message to young gilds loud and clear that if they want to be successful it comes at the price of not having a family life, so many young girls feel that they should achieve less and lower standards to fit societal norms. Men in the media are more then often shown to be the provider, and head of a corporation, while also have a satisfying home life.
ReplyDeleteAside from the stereotypes that the media impresses on society, the media also does and great job at using gender roles to create humor. Many funny TV shows often over stereotype men and women in a way that makes it comical. But while these humorous TI agree with Brittany that media does have a really strong influence on gender identity in our culture. Very rarely are women depicted ads powerful or more successful than men on T.V, and in these rare cases these women are portrayed as bitter, mean or as having to love/family life. It seems that in the media there really is no happy medium, women are either stay at home moms, with a low income part time job, or a workaholic who will never get married. I think this sends a message to young gilds loud and clear that if they want to be successful it comes at the price of not having a family life, so many young girls feel that they should achieve less and lower standards to fit societal norms. Men in the media are more then often shown to be the provider, and head of a corporation, while also have a satisfying home life.
Aside from the stereotypes that the media impresses on society, the media also does and great job at using gender roles to create humor. Many funny TV shows often over stereotype men and women in a way that makes it comical. But while these humorous tv shows may seem harmless I believe that they to influence societies image of men and women very heavily, even if it is subconsciously.
shows may seem harmless I believe that they to influence societies image of men and women very heavily, even if it is subconsciously, because honestly who doesn't want to be like those on TV.