The document discusses representations of gender and race in mainstream media. It notes that femininity is often associated with beauty, sexuality, emotion and body image while masculinity is associated with power, strength, lack of emotion and independence. It also discusses how feminism has aimed to reduce stereotypical portrayals of women in media which predominantly show slender women and shame those who don't fit that ideal. Representations of masculinity similarly promote independent stereotypes that can oppress men by preventing the expression of emotion. Race representations also impose restrictive values through stereotypical portrayals.

1. Representation

2. Representation
• The medias influence is evident when studying the
representations and generalisation presented though
mainstream media on TV and the internet and how it can aid
in helping us to gain an understanding of our society
• The information we are presented with is selective, resulting
in a restricted perception

3. Gender
Femininity often associated with:
• Beauty
• Sexuality
• Emotion
• Body Image
Masculinity often associated with:
• Power
• Strength (body)
• Emotion (lack of)
• Independence

4. Gender
Social Philosophy of Feminism
• Has been a recognized movement for more than forty years,
and whilst there has been much change, men are represented
up to three times more than women in TV
• When women are represented, they take on the conventional
image and exist through stereotypes
• Feminism attempts to downplay the idea of discipline for
women through advertisements. The media encourages a
slender figure and shames the larger body type – Only five
percent of women achieve the size that is considered ‘ideal.’

5. Gender
Masculinity
• The independent stereotypical image of the man exists
throughout the media in TV dramas and magazines
• Where this might been seen as a more positive image that
exists to praise the male gender, it does in fact work in
oppressing the men that consume these ideals
• The common misconception of this being a liberating
representation of the gender actually prevents men from
showing any emotion that they actually do possess, thus,
making it difficult for men to identify and live up to these
representations.

6. Race
• Linking closely with the representation of gender in the
respect that race representation holds the same restrictions
and repressive values,