After we got the opportunity to watch “Missrepresentation” in our final class yesterday, I left wondering if the images of women in the media have worked to counteract all of the progress made by women in the past decades since the women’s liberation movement. In many ways the movie forces you to confront and reexamine the images of women portrayed in modern pop culture and makes you realize (whether consciously or subconsciously) that these images somehow infiltrate our minds and cause many of us to have a skewed perspective of femininity. As a result, it causes increased pressure for women to perform a caricature of femininity that is impossible to live up to. For those of you who are familiar with the concept of “Gender Performativity”- a term created by post-structuralist feminist philosopher Judith Butler.
The concept reiterates the idea that gender is socially constructed and therefore Butler characterizes gender as the effect of reiterated acting. In turn, she argues that this “acting” produces the effect of a static or normal gender while obscuring the contradiction and instability of any single person's gender act. The effect reproduces an idea of 'true gender'- an account of gender that sustained by the tacit to perform, produce, and sustain discrete and polar genders as “cultural fictions”. Given the images of femininity that are introduced and reproduced in pop-culture, it seems now more than ever we are trying to live up to playing a “role” that is unfit (even for the best actress).
I wonder if the work that has been done in the past to improve the lives of women in our society has been truly sufficient? Over the quarter we have placed women’s issues, and gender theoretical paradigms mainly within the context of the developing world (of course the class was about gender and development). However, I am a firm believer that no society has yet to reach its full potential( that is why I am not all too fond of the term “developed”), therefore I believe that many of the gender related issues that pervade our society need to be addressed on a wide scale. Whether or not this calls for a new wave of the feminist movement in our society, or heightening gender awareness through avenues such as the media, one cannot deny that being in a ‘developed’ country has resulted in a complacency to address gender related issues on a wider scale.
Nevertheless, because we live in such a pop-culture, media induced society, if we fail to adequately address the portrayals of women in the mainstream media, we will be failing to address one of the major gender related issues within our society. How do we go about changing the status quo?-that specifically I cannot answer. However, as we discussed in class, social transformation although complicated to achieve, begins by women increasing their voice. If we fail to confront the images we see in the media about women as well as other gender related issues within our society on a wider scale, we are undoing the progress that has been made and inevitably with inaction, we are doing a disservice to ourselves and future generations. 
GENDER ROLE AND IDENTITY
ReplyDeleteI happen to watch this clip from YouTube and I was surprised to see the way children of young age have strong gender role expectation.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWc1e3Nbc2g&feature=related –Gender role stereotypes are the socially determined model which contains the cultural beliefs about what the gender roles should be. It is what a society expects men and women to think, look like, and behave.
Traditionally, the female stereotypic role is to marry and have children. She is also to put her family's welfare before her own; be loving, compassionate, caring, nurturing, and sympathetic; and find time to be sexy and feel beautiful. The male stereotypic role is to be the financial provider. He is also to be assertive, competitive, independent, courageous, and career-focused; hold his emotions in check; and always initiate sex. These sorts of stereotypes can prove harmful; they can stifle individual expression and creativity, as well as hinder personal and professional growth. Gender roles and stereotypes can cause problems in relationships as it sets up inequality between males and females. Boys are not born to be violent, or have unhealthy attitudes towards girls. These attitudes and behaviors are learned through stereotypes of what society thinks it means to act and behave like a man.
Inequality between a male and female in a relationship can be problematic if gender roles and stereotypes are present. If a couple in a relationship has bought into gender roles and stereotypes, they may not have the skills to create a fair and equitable relationship. He might act controlling. She might behave passively, always putting his wishes first. This relationship has a basis for an inequality of power.
We all have a choice about how we act and behave. We can behave like the stereotypes and act out gender roles in relationships, which can lead to unhappiness and possibly violence. On the other hand we can challenge them to have healthier and meaningful relationships based on equality and respect.
I thought Missrepresentation a very well done documentary. In response to Moriah’s concern that the modern era will undo all the good that has come from American feminism to change the lives of women in America, I feel the answer is a resounding “No!” Yes it does seem that reality TV and other aspects of the media culture are a sexist wrecking team , that is all driven by capitalism. But the other side of that idea is If people don’t buy it, it doesn’t happen. Even Michelle Bachman, Republican candidate for President complains about sexist comment about her appearance.
ReplyDeleteI remember TV back in the fifties and sixties. Women were fantasy creatures then, and to a great extent still are. There were fantasy teachers, fantasy moms, even a Jeannie who dressed sexy and came out of a bottle. The change between how women were depicted then and are depicted today is huge. There were no women doctors, lawyers, professional women mothers. People still debated if a woman could hold down a career and be a good mother, never questioning if a man working outside the home was a good father or not. Fathers working outside the home was the expected gender performance. But women outside the home might be gender outlaws, ie; not married, no kids, where did the kids come from? My mother was a working mother of two and a widow. She did not remarry. People bothered her to death about that. Had she ever really been married? She was a community freak to some extent.
Then it was the direct challenge to male power that got them foaming at the mouth. Nowadays it is the direct threat/challenge to male power that gets the men foaming at the mouth. OH! Big difference you could say sarcastically! But it truly is, by the increases in numbers of women in that industry and positions of power. I am not apologizing for them. I think big media are a gang of Neanderthals in large part. ( People who engage in sexual assault can get rehired after the uproar is over! )