Gender Communication in Social Institutions

Chapter 11:

MediaBy: Alex Smith

Table of Contents

• 1. Introduction• 2. Media as a Social Institution • 3. Media Economics• 4. Media Economics cont.• 5. Media Economics cont.• 6. Media and Power• 7. Media and Power cont.• 8. Media, Power, and Hegemony• 9. Interlocking Institutions• 10. Media Content and Breaking Barriers• 11. Media Content and Breaking Barriers cont.• 12. Media Content and Breaking Barriers cont.• 13. Conclusion

Introduction

• Media is the mass form of communication and understanding

• Types of media: television, movies, newspapers, radio, magazines, etc.

• Talking about media not the media; media is too complex to be portrayed as a singular term

• “We mention all forms of media because all media communicated understandings of gender, and gender influences all forms of mediated communication.”(235)

Media as a Social Institution

• Mass media as an institution is a recent conception

• Because of media’s youth it is not always easy to see it as an institution

• Media are concerned with the construction of both content and the audience viewing the content

Media Economics

• The economics when dealing with media are constantly portrayed throughout the media programs

• A perfect example of a way to think about the portrayal and explanation for economics in media are when you think of and watch television

• With the viewing of television comes the inescapable viewing of commercials and ads

Media Economics continued…

• Commercials are strategically placed in between the breaks of programs that will appeal to the general audience viewing the program

• Another role of economics is that it is crafted within the show to appeal to the audience

• Example: Pretty Little Liars

Media Economics continued…

• Pretty Little Liars: show on ABC Family

• Appealing primarily to the teen and young adult audience

• Plot: Four friends battle together against an anonymous foe who threatens to reveal their darkest secrets while uncovering the mystery of the murder of their best friend

• The show has economic value based upon its success as it enters its 4th season but also in dealing with advertisements, commercials, and in show content

• Economic possibilities: DVD sales, advertisements of other ABC Family shows and movies, fashion, etc.

Pretty Little Liars

Media and Power

• We live in a consumer culture

• Power as an element of media is one that describes media as an institution really well

• “Media exert power over how people do gender.” (238)

• Media forms such as magazines influence social norms concerning gender, beauty, race, etc.

Media and Power continued…

• Media has the power to give people certain views on their own identities

• Female example: magazines such as Cosmopolitan or Glamour have the power to influence women to dress the way they dress, style their hair accordingly, try celebrity diets, etc. to be more feminine

• Male example: commercials such as Axe body spray or Old Spice have the power to influence men to use their products so they can be viewed and perceived as a masculine man

Female Example

Male Example

Media, Power, and Hegemony

• Media has the power to be extremely persuasive

• When dealing with media hegemony several types of media try and break the barrier for the social norm

• For example: the show, Lost Girl, depicts the life and adventures of a crime fighting, supernatural woman named Bo

• Bo is a tough, strong-willed, and ambitious character who although appears to be masculine in her lifestyle, meets the feminine standards of attractiveness

• “Media, as a central institution of civil society, maintain hegemonic understandings of gender even as they create gaps and fissures in representations of gender.” (239)

Interlocking Institutions

• Media is possibly the most interconnected institution

• Other institutions are portrayed and represented through media institution

• The book discusses the institution of family being depicted in media, other institutions such as work and education are also portrayed in media

Media Content and Breaking Barriers

• Media has come a long way as an institution

• The content within media is no longer the old fashioned views of life

• Nowadays media is figuring out new ways of breaking down the barriers of the social norm

• In various television shows, movies, magazines, music videos, etc. the content has changed and includes the new social norms of the 21st century

Media Content and Breaking Barriers continued…

• In the various platforms of media different situations, problems, romances, etc. are created to reflect the real world

• The way in which media is doing so can be a great influence to the audience

• An great example of how things have changed is shown in the film Pleasantville

• Many of the differences that media tries to portray happen in this film; it’s not just about rescuing a cat from a tree anymore, there are bigger problems, as in the tree is on fire

Pleasantville

Media Content and Breaking Barriers continued…

• A major update in media has been the role of sexual preference

• So many television shows, movies, books, etc. have reached out to make a change and have had characters who prefer the same sex rather than the social norm of a male-female relationship

• I think that because media is willing to portray these types of characters, it is influencing people in similar situations that it is okay to like who you like

• The message is positive

Conclusion

• Media is everywhere

• Media as an institution has its good sides and bad sides of influencing its viewers

• As long as media is making the effort and the strides to be a positive and worthwhile institution than the more it will benefit its audiences

Works Cited

• www.google.com/images "Google Images." Google Images. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2013.

• Communicating Gender Diversity: A Critical Approach by Victoria Pruin DeFrancisco and Catherine Helen Palczewski, Sage Publishers, 2007.

• www.imdb.com "Pretty Little Liars." IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2013.