FYS001 - Exploring Gender Roles: Masculinities and Femininities

This presentation examines how masculinities and femininities are portrayed in contemporary media, highlighting the social construction of gender roles. It discusses the common media representations of men as heterosexual figures primarily associated with the public sphere and work, while women are often depicted in domestic roles with less emphasis on professional achievements or leadership positions. The presentation addresses issues arising from these portrayals, noting their potential negative impact on the psychology of both males and females. It emphasizes the need for media to depict masculinity and femininity in a more appropriate and balanced manner to eradicate harmful stereotypes. The presentation references scholarly works that support the analysis of gender representation in media and its societal implications. Desklib offers a variety of resources, including past papers and solved assignments, to assist students in their studies.

Masculinities
and
Femininities

How the Media Define Masculinity
• In media, majority of male characters are considers as
herosexual.
• Male characters are more often associated with the public
sphere of work, rather than the private sphere of the home, and
issues and problems related to work are more significant than
personal issues

Cont.
• Female has been portrayed as aggressive and
weak characther in media.
• Media shows that women mostly spends their
time at home doing daily chores and less in
professionalism.
• Women are less shown in media in any
leadership position.

Masculinity and femininity is socially
constructed
• Masculinity and femininity is socially constructed.
• Differences between men and women are entirely social
conventions.
• Men and women status are different in society.
• Men is portrayed as herosexual whereas female is portrayed as
a character who mostly spend time at home

Issues
• Issues such as gender differences are often portrayed by the
media.
• This impacts negatively on the psychology of both male and
females.
• Media needs to depicts masculinity and femininity in an
appropriate manner so that issues can be eradicate.

References
• Gauntlett, D., 2008. Media, gender and identity: An
introduction. Routledge.
• Buist, C.L. and Sutherland, J.A., 2015. Warning! Social
construction zone. In Feminist Theory and Pop Culture (pp.
77-88). SensePublishers, Rotterdam.
• Nowak, K.L. and Denes, A., 2016. Androgyny. The Wiley
Blackwell Encyclopedia of Gender and Sexuality Studies.

Thank You