This document provides guidance on analyzing the representation of women on magazine covers using a constructionist view. It instructs the reader to examine how the cover is constructed to create meaning, identify any stereotypes used, and determine the predominant themes or dominant ideologies portrayed. It also prompts analyzing what myths are portrayed about women and whether magazine stories are consistent on issues like weight. Finally, it notes a representation is a mixture of how the subject is depicted, the opinions of its creators, how individuals may react differently, and the dominant ideologies of the context/society.

1. Women and Magazines
Using the website http://www.ipcmedia.com/
Find a front cover of a woman s magazine and analyse:
• How the cover has been mediated i.e. how the cover has been
constructed to create meaning.
• Use of stereotypes.
• Predominant themes (dominant ideology)
• What myths are we being told about women?
• Are the magazine stories consistent? (e.g. Issues of weight)
• How do the photos add/conflict with the magazine s ideals?

2. Women and Magazines
If you haven t already try to analyse the
representation of women in your magazine using the
constructionist view.
Any representation is a mixture of:
• The thing itself – How are women represented?
• The opinions of the people doing the representation
– Mode of address
• The reaction of the individual to the
representation – Different reactions (Stuart Hall)
• The context of the society in which the
representation is taking place – What are the
dominant ideologies of Britain in the 2010s?