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Ch3-4-Masculinity_Femininity_Norms_in_Media
Chapter 3 explores the media's role in shaping gender norms by portraying femininity and masculinity through stereotypes and norms that influence societal expectations. It critiques how media depicts women primarily in domestic and subordinate roles, while men are often portrayed as active and authoritative figures, reinforcing patriarchal values. The document advocates for more realistic and equitable representations of both genders in media, emphasizing the importance of changing narratives to reflect diverse experiences and abilities.
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Ch3-4-Masculinity_Femininity_Norms_in_Media
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- 3. Outline • Traits of Femininity and masculinity • PaOerns of portrayal of women’s roles in media • PaOerns of portrayal of men’s roles in media • PaOerns of gender rela1ons • How different is reality from media portrayal
- 4. Media Creates New ‘Normal’ • Creates a Life-Like scenario/experiences/ characters where we relate ourselves • AVer iden1fying/rela1ng with them we start to imitate them • The process creates myths and stereotypes, and the environment (circula1ng endless 1mes) to sustain them • Creates defini1on of NORMAL
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- 12. Women’s Roles in Real Life (opp reel life) • Novelists • Journalists • Writers • Directors • Producers • Financers • Painters • Sculpture ar1sts • Event managers • Poets • Singers • Dancers • Actresses • Folk Ar1sts • Presenters • Anchors • Photographers • And many more…… • Sports persons • Doctors • Nurses • Entrepreneurs • Interior decorators • Teachers • Cook • IT coders • Developers • Fashion Designers
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- 14. Media Creates Norms for Women • What women should wear? • How should women behave? • When and where women can go and how?
- 15. PaTerns of Women’s Portrayal • 3 Projected Roles:- – Biological – Domes1c – Decora1ve • Most successful female leads are in roles of wife/mother • Women are there to support the patriarchy/ family system as obedient wife/daughter (law) • Women add glamour to products/movie/ serial
- 17. • Women’s first priority is ‘Home/Family/Children’ • They are happy & fulfilled in serving men/family • Women can not survive without men • When women say ‘NO’, it is ‘Yes’ (‘PINK’) • The value girls/women care most is looking ‘thin’ & ‘beau1ful’. • Girls are dying to get boys’ aOen1on • Women are sacrificing/ submissive/ passive Think of TV Serials/ Movies which promote these messages Other Norms Set for Women
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- 22. Reel to Real • Women do not have the luxury to be decorated all the 1mes (triple roles) • Women are far more intelligent than shown on screens • Women are not safe on streets, homes, offices • Women have to put double efforts to get the approval of the work than a man • Widowed women carry on their lives with hard work and grace • Female fe1cide, child marriages s1ll exist and child pornography is on the rise
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- 26. Masculine Characteris1cs Stereotypic Characteris/cs • heterosexual • logical thinkers • think rather than feel • take charge of situa1ons • loners • protect women and children • aggressive • adventurers, take risks • worldly wise Non-Tradi/onal Characteris/cs • sensi1ve to feelings • work with others • accept help • emo1onally expressive • caring for children • having harmonious rela1onships • engaging in home-related ac1vi1es • having non-sexual friendships with women
- 27. Masculinity stereotypes • Stereotypes define what men can be and do. • Men in key "posi1ve" and “Lead” roles are portrayed chiefly with narrow masculine traits • Media stereotypes affect- – Society’s expecta0ons of men’s behaviour – Women’s expecta0ons of men in rela1onships – Men’s expecta0ons of other men in social or professional sebngs (controlling, coopera1ng) – Media tells us what a successful man is
- 28. Masculinity • Sexual stereotyping begins early in men's lives. Boys learn what it means to be a man from family and peers. • Bravery, adventurousness, being able to think ra1onally, strong and effec1ve- "manly" traits are encouraged. • Being emo1onal, understanding, soV, caring is usually mocked upon. • Narrow masculine standards discourage men to coopera0vely without controlling, to love in a nonsexual way, or to solve conflicts without violence.
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- 31. Does Media set these Norms for Men? • Men should be metro-sexual/heterosexual • Men are the authority, they set the rules • Men should control women • Man is the head of household • Men should teach women a lesson if they are not behaving (promotes domes1c violence) • A real man should be aggressive Think of TV Serials/ Movies which promote these messages
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- 33. Take each other’s role • When men do any work in house they are obliging women, bcoz house work is women’s responsibility • When women is working professionl, independent, and career oriented – she is ignoring family – she is characterless – she cannt be a good mother/wife (self-oriented)
- 34. Many masculini1es/feminini1es • Not one single representa1on of femininity/ masculinity in the media. • Depending on the genre (movie, television, news, documentary), the historical period, there may be a mul1tude and range of representa1ons. • They stretch gender roles & rela1ons, but upper limit is set Can you give examples?
- 35. Shall we ask these ques0ons? • How come mother-in-law and daughter-in-law always fight? Why not Father –Son, Father-in- law-Son-in-law? • Why women can’t be friends to each other? Think about the friends you or your mother has in real life. • How come one daughter/daughter-in-law is always scheming? how many such people u see in real life? • Why children are always mother’s responsibility? Aren’t they joint responsibility?
- 36. Result of portrayal of gender stereotypes on women? • A crude defini1on of ‘Normal’ is set • Marginalisa1on of women’s work • Provides public sanc1on to men for abuse • Ignorance and a blind eye towards and women’s real issues
- 37. Result of portrayal of gender stereotypes on men? • A crude defini1on of ‘Normal’ is set • They do not have liberty to being human • It limits their personal growth • Limits the professional growth too • Being ‘Less manly’ hurts • Unable to live up to expecta1ons of society, peers, women of their life
- 38. How should the Portrayal be? • Women and men as ‘normal’ human being (not in super human roles) • Women having her own life aspira1ons and needs • Women as equal member of civiliza1on • Women respected for ‘what she is’ rather than ‘what she should be’ • Society having men and women as equal partners • Changing not only the media but also the ‘minds’
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- 40. Patriarchy • Patriarchal male figure • Patriarchal values • Women as bearer of patriarchy
- 41. Hero-centric • Male audience’s point of view. • Heroine is secondary to the hero, devoid of any independent existence. • Controlling figure is hero, villain, father, boss. • Essence of movie is hero’s experiences, dreams, stories, revenge, angst, ambi0ons etc.
- 42. Adultery • Adultery & extra- marital affairs are Okay for men but not for women • Women are blamed for men’s adultery • Men’s adultery are taken in lighter way but not women’s.
- 43. Damsel in distress • The Man is the savior and the woman is the vic1m and needs to be rescued, are popular theme of Hindi cinema discourse. • Woman of substance is missing from such portrayals, the women who can lead her life independently and take decisions without relying on any male. • In such a scenario, women are seen to be not just physically inferior to men but also intellectually inferior.
- 44. Objec1fying women • Women are seen as objects to be won over by the hero. In that process it is acceptable to stalk her, pass lewd comments, and make lecherous gestures • No wonder India tops in eve-teasing • Item numbers that present women in demeaning context are now a norm for 90% of Bollywood movies.
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- 46. References-1 • Masculinity and Popular Hindi Cinema: An Interpreta1ve Explora1on. Source: hOp://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/16425/8/08_chapter%203.pdf • Perumpally, Leela (2010). “Mediated Images of Women and their Gender Status in Contemporary Society”, in Kiran Prasad (Ed) Women and Media: Challenging Feminist Discourse • Kaptan, S. “Women and Media” in “Women in Adver1sing” • Representa1on of Women’s Iden1ty in Bollywood” , Source: hOp://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/22634/10/10_chapter_4.pdf • Bagchi, Amitabha (1996), Women in Indian Cinema. Online at: hOp://www.cs.jhu.edu/~bagchi/women.html • Sarkar, Srijita (2012), "An analysis of Hindi women-centric films in India” Electronic eses and Disserta/ons. • Tere S. Nidhi (2012), “Gender reflec1ons in mainstream hindi cinema”, Global Media Journal – Indian Edi1on Vol. 3/No.1 • Ahmed, S. Akbar (1992). ‘Bombay Films: The Cinema as Metaphor for Indian Society and Poli1cs’. Modern Asian Studies 26, 2 (I992) • Laura Mulvey (1988), ‘Visual Pleasure and Narra1ve Cinema’. In Constance Penley (ed), Feminism and Film Theory, New York: Routledge
- 47. References-2 • Canada’s Centre for Digital and Media Literacy, Training Manual on Gender Stereotypes and Body Image, online at: hOp:// mediasmarts.ca/lessonplan/gender-stereotypes-and-body-image- lesson • Sob1 Sukri1 (2013), “From Macho to Metrosexual: Change in Image of the Hindi Film Hero”, online at: hOp://literophile.org/?p=272 • Femiano S and Nickerson Mark, “How do Media Images of Men Affect Our Lives?”, Center for Media Literacy, online at: hOp://www.medialit.org/reading-room/how-do-media-images- men-affect-our-lives • The Cri1cal Media Project, online at: www.cri1calmediaproject.org/ cml/topicbackground/gender/femininity
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- 50. Watch movie with a gender lens and discuss 1. Patriarchal Indian family 2. Different gender condi1oning messages to son & daughter 3. Holding Na1onal Iden1ty & values when overseas 4. Value to sanc1ty/chas1ty of girls 5. Male as the agents of change