Psychology - Gender Roles & The Media

Media's Affect on Gender Roles at A young Age

• The development of gender is developed at a very young age and it certainly puts an effect on an individual until death.

Research Questions:

How does the media affect gender role development at a young age?

What affects does it have on individuals and families in a contemporary society?

• purpose of these sources is to make profit
• if the media is not analyzed well enought it may have negative affect.

• Example- Mc Donald's Fast Food
• Although food served can be found quiet unhealthy, company spends millions annually to promote their unhealthy choices through media.
• through persuasive media companies attract more attention and costumers

• when children are the target audience what they view through media will affect their personality, and gender role development.

Why is this Important?

• around 5500 media outlets in the United States
• 90% of them are owned by 23 corporations

Social learning theory emphasizes how important the behaviour of others is to a child

Direct reinforcement could not account for all types of learning; the young can learn new information and believe by watching other people

In order to keep up a stable and growing business corperations need to generate more sales

• Investing in commercials and exposing products through media is the number one solution to increasing sales

• use media sources such as advertisement,
• television shows, movies, sport sponsorships, etc.

"Homogenous View" media in favours the 23 corperations

• In Canada and other capitalist nations, high money generating businesses and corperations make up majority of the media

• Cultural changes have affected a growing number of children

• Sue Palmer Author of novel " Toxic Child-hood" stated "While adults are benefiting enormously from living within a wealthier, healthier society where electronic technologies have enriched many lives, children are suffering because their childhood experiences are being polluted by a range of technologies and life style choices"

Capatalism : Affects on Media

Sources of Media:

Movies, Advertisement, Television Shows

• Disney produces popular children movies, a lot of the young watch them.
• fictional characters within those movies will put an effect on the actions of the individual.

• Media is a factor that contributes to structuring behaviour and gender at a young age.
• Example- if a child is watching a popular T.V show it is highly likely for that child to build his or her gender-roles based on how the characters behave, act, and perceive the opposite gender

Nature vs. Nurture: Genetics or Culture?

• If a cartoon boy within the movie is wearing a blue hat and constantly speaking of sports and playing games while the girl cartoon character is always playing with flowers it is highly likely this will affect the children’s perception of what a boy or a girl should be.
• change of perception affects structuring gender roles.

• Goods are only produced so they will be purchased by people
• having cartoons (Disney movies, television shows, etc), that buy the general interest of the people, gives industries the opertunity to use that to sell their products.

• There are a lot of differences between women in different cultures even within different cultures in the same society, such as Canada.
• Example- many women from minority cultures in Australia say they have more in common in with their men than with other women, in terms of the inequality they experience in society whereas women in more powerful ethnic groups tend to emphasises the gender differences they experience.
• The genetic differences between men and women do have an effect.
• However, in terms of most of the social roles we play, for example intellectual or nurturing roles, men and women have much more in common genetically in our abilities to perform those roles.

• Based on conflict theory genders roles can either be nurtured through experience or naturally inherited.
• Gender roles, like why men are seen as “fighters” and women as “nurturing” may or may not be genetic.
• They are cultural, but are they cultural because they are genetic?

“We shape our tools and thereafter our tools shape us”.

-Marshall McLuhan

Negative Affects: Conflict theory, Family Issues

Industry: Toy

• According to the feminist theory the conflict between men and women today is a cause of change in a womens life style due to equality rights that gave both genders equal rights.

• recent studies show an increase in divorce rates all over North America

• Families deal with many issues.
• Within relationships men and women argue over many things.
• Disputes that can’t be are usually dragged on to separation or divorce.

• Toys are found in almost every child’s home.

Both boys and girls have their own set of toys that differ from

each other.

This separation is based on gender.

• Within the toy industry gender is divided between toys for boys and toys for girls.
• Products are colour coded segregated in such way that no self respected boy or girl would choose a toy targeting the opposite sex.

• The toys presented to the masculine gender are more of the adventurous type, with lots of violence and physical fighting involving a battle between evil and good.
• Having the world of boy toys surrounded by these toys we form what a typical male would be.
• Recent studies show that men have more interest in cars and motored vehicles than women. This is not extinct or genetics, a male who is exposed to toy cars and the things a boy should play with, his highly likely to fall into that interest.

• Within the girl aisle the colours are made up of more soft focus colours such as violet, pink, and red.
• The toys within were fairies, stuffed animals, dress up dolls, miniature cooking sets, and make up kits.
• These toys presented to the feminine gender create a fantasy fairy tale like environment.
• The girl world is filled with self-focus fantasy
• When girls generally play with dolls, they perceive life as simple as a happily ever after fairy tale their interests and behaviour will change, creating a bigger gap between the gender roles of boys and girls.
• According to Albert Bundara’s Social Learning Theory, people learn by observing others, and their actions.

• Gender roles of both male and female may lead to family issues
• Example- in a relationship if the husband expects his wife to clean the house while the wife has no personal interest in cleaning, this will eventually cause a problem.
• The issue is that the media has created a general stereo type of what a typical wife and husband should do.

• Within larger stores, such as Wal-Mart, ToysR’Us, Zellers, the children toys are separate based on gender.
• The boy aisles are often identifiable by the bold colours such as; black, navy blue, and lime green. The toys within the aisle consist if high-tech weaponry, action figures, war games, sport related toys, and cars.