Women's communication often belittled ... mature, old wome

1
The Great Communicators Language and the
MediaChapter 6

• Women, Men and Society

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Intro

• Much of what is conveyed to us through the mass
  media is infused with particular values and
  norms, including many about gender.
• Focus on gender images in print media
• Audiovisual medium TV (26-33 leisure time us
  used to watch)
• Advertisements

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Sexism and Language Whats in a Word?

• Words symbols with meaning they define,
  describe, evaluate. Within a culture we share
  the meanings assigned to words.
• Words are used in the socialization of the young.
  Hence, gender is influenced by words we use in
  contemporary language.

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Box 6.1 Linguistic Sexism

• Male words connote power, authority, or a
  positively valued status
• Female words have sexual connotations.
• Sematic derogation once a word or term becomes
  associated with women, it often acquires semantic
  characteristics that are congruent with social
  stereotypes and evaluations of women as a group.
• Sexism and ageism is often combined

5
Linguistic Sexism

• Compound words Kingdom not queendom
• Womens place in society Mr, Miss and Mrs.
  Mrs. Paul Schonder?
• Ignore women he and man, is this neutral? Or,
  do people conjure up images? See box 6.1
• Discuss gender neutral terms.

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Do Women and Men Speak Different Languages?

• Deborah Tannen We speak in genderlects
• Women language of intimacy and connection
• Men language of status and independence
• -gt misunderstandings

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Genderlects?

• Other studies show few communication differences
  between women and men
• Communication was influenced by situational
  factors, sex of the person with whom they were
  speaking, context of the conversation, and the
  perceived status of both the speaker and
  listener.
• Listeners reactions to females self
  disclosures few differences between men and
  women, except women did more active listening.

8
Genderlects?

• Cross sex communication men often do more of
  the talking
• Men have more success in getting a conversation
  focused on topics they introduce
• When men speak listeners of both sexes more
  actively attend than when women speak

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Cont.

• Men control more space
• Men invade womens personal space more than women
  invade mens space
• Men touch and stare more
• Women avert eyes when stared at, smile and laugh
  more/submissive gesture
• In same sex conversations females speak more,
  women more dynamic-men more individualistic,
  women interrupt each other more-but positively
• Womens communication often belittled
• Evaluations in workplace found no difference in
  communication competency, but women gave selves a
  lower evaluation.

10
Gender and the Media

• Reflection Hypothesis media content mirrors the
  behaviors and relationships, and values and norms
  most prevalent in a society.
• Media analysts point out that the media also
  actively shapes and create culture.
• How? I.e. what is selected (important enough)
  to be presented on the news
• Many viewers are uncritical of portrayals and
  accept them as accurate-gt we derive a world view
  this way

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Written Word Gender Messages in Newspapers and
Magazines

• Symbolic annihilation when the media ignore,
  trivialize, or condemn women
• Fewer women than men read the paper due to
  younger age, unemployment, and children under 6.
  And! due to male bias
• Papers/news magazines predominantly male stories
• Female stories incl. Physical description,
  marital status and personality descriptions,
  little about qualifications

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Written Word Gender Messages in Newspapers and
Magazines

• Outspoken women portrayed as hostile
• The media presents feminists as a small, but
  vocal radical fringe group that most members of
  society dislike
• Work in journalism is dominated by men
• Mixed research if greater diversity in staff
  results in balanced coverage, as many women
  journalists follow male patterns. Keep in mind,
  they are still in a mans world.
• Some research indicates when there are more women
  in the newsroom there are more stories written by
  women about women, and more stories written by
  men about women

13
Gender and Magazines

• Womens magazines have cultivated a cult of
  femininity-a femininity as a narcissistic
  absorption with oneself
• Huge focus on sex/embolden women to be on equal
  ground as men
• Make over theme
• Getting and keeping a man aggressive sex appeal
  (not romance)
• Heterosexual focus
• Weight
• Women as consumers

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Mens Magazines

• Finance, business, technology, sports/hobbies and
  sex
• Leisurely lifestyle due to financial success
• Politics, music, art, film, sports, travel famous
  men
• Some fashion
• Absence of male/female relationships, sex a side
  issue
• Ads cars, cigarettes, alcohol, cameras

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TV The Ubiquitous Media Socializer

• Most people have access to a TV
• We spend significant time watching TV
• We need no special skills
• Practically for free
• Have the same shows nationwide
• Women less important than men fewer women on
  prime time, character young and less mature, old
  women negative roles, young actresses
  attractive/thin, sexy, scantily dressed,

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TV

• Positive changes female primetime character
  hold jobs, are strong and independent, and
  self-reliant, and honest
• Some supernatural women
• Men shown as supportive of wife willing to do
  childcare and housework (although you dont see
  them cleaning)
• Only a minority of women are shown on the job
• Women interested in romantic relationships, males
  talk about work
• Women use sex and charm and whine
• Men use force.

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TV

• Since 1970 inclusion of feminist topics i.e.
  rape, DM, incest
• Feminists per say are devalued
• Racial diversity is not reflected
• Exclusion of people with disabilities
• More inclusive of homosexuals
• Local news programs show women/men team-she must
  be beautiful, friendly, look young
• National network news women still in minority,
  minorities underrepresented, people with
  disabilities underrepresented, homosexuals?
• TV news directors (off screen) white males

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Gender Messages in Advertisements Does sexism
sell?

• Men buy a product and get the sweet young thing
  with it
• Women buy a product and be the sweet young
  thing
• Women shown as subordinate, partial, or
  diminished
• Men shown in professional roles
• Women shown in traditional roles
• Women sell cleaners, personal care items, food
• Men sell domestic products

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Gender Messages in Advertisements Does sexism
sell?

• Voices in ads mainly male as advertisers believe
  they have authority and are believable/research
  disputes this as females are just as believable
  and trusted.
• Since 1970 women sexually exploited-scantily
  clad/naked regardless of product
• Men depicted as Rambo or himbo/power babe genre
  of advertising
• Lolita syndrome sexed up kids
• Old women/health care products old
  men/authorities

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Gender Messages in Advertisements Does sexism
sell?

• Minorities underrepresented/gays practically
  absent
• Research finds qualified support that sexism
  sells
• Sex effective with male products/appeal to teens
  of both sexes/
• Ineffective with large segment of adult female
  consumer
• Nudity, semi nudity, sexual innuendo reduces
  memory of product

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Images of Gender in the Media What are their
effects?

• Impact on violence
• Kids 10-17 keen awareness of physical
  attractiveness for females
• Understood that female characters worry about
  appearance, weight, and whine and cry and flirt
  vs. boys leaders, sports, want to be kissed or
  have sex.
• More girls than boys want to look like the
  character on TV
• Views can be internalized
• Developmental issue can kid distinguish fact
  from fiction
• The heavier the viewing the greater the
  acceptance of info as true.

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Images of Gender in the Media What are their
effects?

• Young women more critical of TV than young men
• Does TV cause gender stereotypes? Those who tend
  to stereotype might watch more TV.
• The media tend to reinforce gender stereotypes
  that have already been learned
• A study showed that women who had been exposed to
  gender reversal ads showed similar aspirations as
  typical males.
• Males who were exposed to sex objects in ads
  increased their tendency to gender stereotype and
  also scored higher than other participants on a
  scale measuring attitudes supportive of rape and
  sexual aggression.

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Language and Media as Shapers of Gender

• Women are portrayed as an afterthought.
• Women experience symbolic annihilation
• Negatively impact mens and womens behaviors and
  self-concepts
• Change in the depiction of women will break
  gender stereotypes
• Positions of power in the industry should be
  balanced between women and men.
• Lets all use gender neutral language.