Gender Performance

Gender Performance

The media industry plays an essential role in providing critical information to the public, owing to the significant influence it possesses on society. Three types of news media exist; print media, broadcast media, and the internet media, which is growing at an alarming rate. Due to the significant impact the media has on the audience; it influences various social perceptions of gender (masculinity and femininity). First and foremost, the press over represents men in online/news forums and presents fewer women hence creating bias. Secondly, women are more stereotyped compared to their male counterparts, thus limiting their possibilities to venture into the media profession. Lastly, the media promotes content that supports traditionally gendered (dominant-subordinate) relationships between men and women. Issues of gender-based violence are rarely addressed or covered by the media.

One particular example of how the media creates gendered content is in the film industry. Hollywood, which is the largest film industry in America, offers lead roles to male actors and few supporting roles to female actors. Another example the media portrays in their content includes men being more sexually aggressive, and women being mere objects of pleasure. The media also characterizes women as traditional homemakers and caregivers in most television shows; the dominant-subordinate relationships of men and women is evident in these shows.

Some common stereotypes the media portrays for men and women, especially in regards to physical strength, personal autonomy, and independence, intelligence, occupational roles, personality, among others, are being challenged by feminists groups and activists. First and foremost, feminist societies advocate for girl-child empowerment to challenge the stereotypes portrayed by the media against women. Furthermore, feminists are calling for the creation of safe spaces for young children by parents and guardians, areas that allow children to behave and generally act without feeling different; for example, young boys can play with dolls or dress in pink.

As a woman, I am active, independent, autonomous, empowered both intellectually and technologically, traits considered masculine. As an active member of various school clubs and societies, the idea of women’s passiveness in certain activities remains an exaggerated conception. Furthermore, as an adult capable of making rational decisions, the whole purpose of seeking permission from the male counterpart is unrealistic as I am empowered to stand firm in my choices.

To challenge the exaggerated historical list, Michelle Obama runs the Let Girls Learn initiative, which advocates for conservative cultures, especially in Africa and India, where prevents girls from attending schools. She also worked with the United Nations and established a Young Women’s Leadership Network that allows young women from marginalized and minority groups to have better lives. The media challenges the historic lists by creating films and contents that advocate for gender equality and inclusion. The famous superhero movie, ‘Avengers,’ has more women as lead actors, further promoting gender inclusivity.

I’m afraid I have to disagree that gender is a social construct. In as much as the society creates gender roles that individuals identify with, some men work in female-dominated professions such as caregiving and beauty, which are feminine. Additionally, some individuals perceive themselves as transgender, binary, or gender non-conforming. Furthermore, for intersexes with both female and male sexual organs, conforming to socially constructed roles can be rather challenging. Therefore, gender is not a social construct; somewhat, it results from complex environmental, biological, and social factors.

References

Bamman, D., Eisenstein, J., & Schnoebelen, T. (2014). Gender identity and lexical variation in social media. Journal of Sociolinguistics, 18(2), 135-160.

Chapke, R. P. (2020). Gender Inequity: A Social Media Metrics. Our Heritage, 68(57), 175-179.

Ross, K. (2010). Gendered media: Women, men, and identity politics. Rowman & Littlefield.