This document discusses representation and gender stereotypes. It explores the difference between sex and gender, with sex referring to biological characteristics and gender referring to socially constructed roles. It then lists common stereotypes associated with masculine and feminine traits, such as colors, clothes, jobs, and character qualities. The document discusses theorists like Claude Levi-Strauss and their views on binary oppositions and how meanings are produced. It also analyzes representations of men focusing on strength, power, attractiveness, and physique, while representations of women focus on beauty, sexuality, emotions, and relationships.

1. Representation
and Gender stereotypes
To understand the meaning of
representation
To explore gender stereotypes
21 September, 2017

2. Recap
• Which two theorists did we discuss in last
lesson?
• What did they say?

3. What is the difference between
‘sex’ and ‘gender’?
"Sex" refers to the biological and physiological
characteristics that define men and women.
"Gender" refers to the socially constructed roles,
behaviours, activities, and attributes that a given
society considers appropriate for men and women.
...and transgender/pangender/trigender should be part
of this too.

4. • Colours
• Clothes
• Jobs
• Leisure Activities
• Physique
• Appearance
• Strength
MASCULINE FEMININE
Colours
Clothes
…
In groups draw up a list divided into two columns and label
one side MASCULINE and the other FEMININE and see
what gender codes you can associate with each (Use the
headings below to help)
• Drinks on a Night Out
• A Typical Night Out
• Typical Character
Qualities
• Responsibilities in the
Home
• Favourite Genre of Films

5. Claude Levi-Strauss –
Binary Opposites
• The idea that texts can best be
understood through an
examination of their underlying
structure
• The idea that meaning is
dependent upon (and produced
through) pairs of oppositions
• The idea that the way in which
these binary oppositions are
resolved can have particular
ideological significance.

6. Representation of Men
'Masculinity' is a concept that is made up of
more rigid stereotypes than femininity.
Representations of men across all media
tend to focus on the following:
• Strength - physical and intellectual
• Power
• Sexual attractiveness (which may be
based on the above)
• Physique
• Independence (of thought, action,
finances)

7. Representation of Women
Representations of women across all media tend to
highlight the following:
• beauty (within narrow conventions)
• size/physique (again, within narrow conventions)
• sexuality (as expressed by the above)
• emotional (as opposed to intellectual) dealings
• relationships (as opposed to independence/
freedom)

8. Think about the way girls are
often dressed in pink and
bought “domesticating” toys
like dolls and play ovens and
toy vacuum cleaners, whereas
boys are usually dressed in
blues and non-pastel colours
and given toys like guns and
construction sets and cars,
developing skills that are
outside the domestic sphere.

9. • It’s not just toys… it’s clothes, birthday cards, girls/boys
magazines.
• What do these say about what it means to be a
boy/girl? What do boys like and what do girls like?

11. • Do you think this changes in men’s/women’s magazines?
• Spend 5 minutes discussing the contents of ‘men’s magazines’
and ‘women’s magazines’.
• What types of articles do they feature?
• What does this suggest is important about men/women?
• What do you think about this?

14. Which of our key theorists
can we apply?
David Gauntlett’s theoretical perspective
revolves around the idea of autonomy of the
audience, and how they use and respond to
different media products. He asserts that:
 the media provide audiences and users
with the resources to allow them to
construct their own identities
 while, in the past, media products tended
to convey straightforward messages about
ideal types of male and female identities,
contemporary media products offer
audiences a more diverse range of icons
and characters, allowing them to ‘pick and
mix’ different ideas.

15. Discussion point
Be prepared top discuss the points within
this trailer for a BBC One documentary:
‘No More Boys and Girls’.

16. Judith Butler –
Gender Trouble
• The idea that identity is
performatively constructed by the
very ‘expressions’ that are said to be
its results (it is manufactured through
a set of acts)
• The idea that there is no gender
identity behind the expressions of
gender
• The idea that performativity is not a
singular act, but a repetition and a
ritual.

18. Be critical
How stereotypical are you?
Consider your own habits:
• How you dress
• Act
• Hobbies
• How you do things
• How you say things