WJEC, Media Studies, Representation, Gender, Stereotypes

1. Representation
and Gender stereotypes
To understand the meaning of
representation
To explore gender stereotypes
12 September,
2016

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. • 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?

6. • 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?

9. Masculinity and femininity
Gender and representation of gender is tied up
with ideas of masculinity and femininity...
Are the following ideas about the representation
of men and women reinforced by what you
found in the magazines?

10. 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)

11. 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)

12. • Over time, the two genders have developed
quite distinct and often oppositional gender
codes – activities, spheres of activity and
qualities that are deemed to be exclusive to
only one group.

13. • 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

14. Feedback
• What do you notice about these different
ideas associated traditionally with each
gender? What image do they conjure up of
each group?