An Analysis of Gender Roles and Affiliations in Media

This essay examines the societal construction of gender roles and their portrayal in media, focusing on how these representations affect youth. It critiques traditional stereotypes that limit both men and women, advocating for gender equality and the dismantling of outdated expectations. The essay analyzes examples from television and social media, highlighting how media often reinforces gender disparities through character portrayals and communication styles. It emphasizes the need for media platforms to promote women's empowerment, offer equal opportunities, and challenge biases. The author suggests concrete steps such as increasing women in newsrooms, promoting diverse role models, and fostering idealistic discussions on social media to create a more balanced and equitable representation of gender. The essay concludes by stressing the importance of moving beyond stereotypes and recognizing the full potential of all individuals.

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GENDER ROLES AND AFFILIATIONS 2
Introduction
Gender roles are general perceptions or rather social constructs that have been developed
overtime to describe the behaviors of men and women in the society. These social constructs
unfortunately are not based on the natural human behavior but rather based on the traditional
gender roles that tend to specifically describe roles, activities and behaviors boys and girls
should demonstrate in society (Khader, 2018). This paper is going to discuss the role of gender
roles and affiliation process in the media. My main audience are youths, and therefore I am going
to emphasized on the need to avoid and scrap off traditional gender roles since both men and
women are capable of handling many of the same tasks.
People in the modern society especially the youths should embrace the fact that both
women and men can perform various tasks the same way (Päßler & Hell, 2012). Television and
other media platforms should portray gender equality and reinforce women’s empowerment in
the society. Unlike traditional gender roles that specifically characterize women as caregivers;
prepare food, clean clothes and act as maids and men on the other hands act as the professionals
who should assume important and good paying jobs. Media need to enlighten the current
generation especially the youths that men and women should not be seen as different people with
different specific gender behaviors. There should be equality and respect to both gender,
everyone should be given an opportunity to exploit his or her full potential.
In social media platforms for instance Facebook, twitter or Instagram, an aspect of gender
disparity is demonstrated. Men and women are portrayed to have different potentials and

GENDER ROLES AND AFFILIATIONS 3
capabilities and this affect the way of communications. Men tend to follow and make friends
with beautiful and sexy women while women tend to follow men who seem to have well-built
bodies and handsome on their profile pictures because they view them as potential sex partners
rather than friends they would want to share ideas with. In the early season of Big Bang Theory,
a female lead by the name Penny consistently portrayed as stereotypical character, attractive
whose sole purpose is to create sexual tension for men (De Rújula, 2018). In American television
show The Office however, women characters are portrayed as powerful and rule over men. From
the show we can learn that men should not outnumber women all the time in the society.
Gender differences are not treated the same in society especially in the media ("Gender
Similarities and Differences," 2018). Inequalities exist concerning the age of televised men and
women, women are presented as young compared to male counterparts. Men are presented as
older and wiser hence less respect to the women. Media uses young, beautiful and sexy ladies’
images for advertisements of products of events. Men are more assertive and direct in their
language while women are portrayed as polite and use warm language in their communications
and therefore are assigned different roles without reconsideration.
Media portray women as responsible caregivers, they are concerned about family
romance, love and happiness while men as assertive, aggressive and can only act as providers.
However, between partners and in family setup this might not be case. Either a woman or man in
a family sometimes does not live up to these expectations ("Gender and Gender Role
Expectations," 2017). In some families, women are the breadwinners, they are working hard to
provide for their families as their husbands may be engaging in some unfortunate activities as
drug abuse. Some Men on the other hand may the best caregivers in their families, promoting
peace and love.

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Body image and behavioral activities such as eating habits are highlighted various media
platforms and sources such as art pieces, magazines and advertisement materials. In most cases
they sexualize women, post their images half necked and therefore portraying them as
subordinate to men (Hogue & Mills, 2019). Women’s self-esteem, body image, psychological
and emotional well-being are negatively affected in the process. Men on the other hand are
portrayed as rough and are not well-mannered in their behaviors. For instance, men are
represented as to have poor eating habits, they eat a lot and faster dropping pieces of food on the
table.
Due to these gender inequalities and stereotypes, media to come up with a balance to
create 50% gender parity. Women should occupy roles in the newsroom including senior
positions. Media should establish and initiate programs that boost women careers by promoting
and recognizing new skills that are not yet been fully realized. Women leaders just like men
counterparts should be given equal opportunity to sensitize women in society. In social media
platform, people need to be idealistic in their discussions. People should stop stereotypes and
relate based on the ideas rather than gender and the looks.

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References
De Rújula, A. (2018). Problems with the “Old” Big Bang Theory⋆⋆. Enjoy Our Universe,
152-154. doi:10.1093/oso/9780198817802.003.0028
Gender and Gender Role Expectations. (2017). Oxford Scholarship Online.
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Gender Similarities and Differences in Entrepreneurship Motivations among Youths Gender
Similarities and Differences in Entrepreneurship Motivations among Youths. (2018).
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Hogue, J. V., & Mills, J. S. (2019). The effects of active social media engagement with peers
on body image in young women. Body Image, 28, 1-5.
doi:10.1016/j.bodyim.2018.11.002
Khader, S. J. (2018). Gender-Role Eliminativism. Oxford Scholarship Online.
doi:10.1093/oso/9780190664190.003.0005
Päßler, K., & Hell, B. (2012). Do Interests and Cognitive Abilities Help Explain College
Major Choice Equally Well for Women and Men? Journal of Career Assessment,
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