On Representation of Gender in The Media

Representation of genders in the 20th century, and to some extent until today, in media reflected and caused the dominance of patriarchal culture. The media acts as an agency of social control that reinforces social and cultural expectations on both men and women, with an emphasis on the latter, to ensure conformity to patriarchal norms and values. These expectations are different for males and females. While males are portrayed as the breadwinner, strong, independent, logical, and aggressive beings, women are represented as submissive, fragile, dependent, and emotional subordinate to men. Women are also more likely to be judged based on her physique, rather than the contents of her character.

 

Although the end of a major suffragette women in the US in 1920 was regarded as a major victory by liberals and feminists alike as american women finally had the right to vote, women were rarely viewed as strong, independent, and capable enough to stand on their own. It was not until 1941, in the middle of the Second World War, that the representation of gender shifted heavily in the media, particularly that of women.

While american men and boys were drafted in droves to fight in the war, women at home were encouraged to work in factories and manufacturing plants to fuel the gigantic american war economy. Tons of shipments of munitions, equipments, and weaponry that made it to the frontline helped the war effort overall. Across the ocean, in Europe, women often joined with the Red Army or the various resistance groups that disrupt the Axis war effort. The significant role women had in WW2 changed their representation in the media forever, albeit not completely. In western countries, women are never seen anymore as the complete subordinate of men; the war had changed that.

 

The way in which women are represented in the media have largely changed since the post-war era. This in turn weaken one of the foundation of the structure of the patriarchal society: The portrayal of women as a weak, delicate, homemaker who answer to men. This shift lead to many changes in western societies where women now have more life chances and opportunities to improve their social and economical standing in society. Though unfortunately in modern media, representation of women as 'eye candies' and their objectivisation still holds a great deal of presence in the media. It is notably common in video games, where some game character designers intentionally design female characters so as to make them more presentable and pleasant to a straight male eyes. Though lately, it has been changing not only in video games, but also other media such as TV shows and movies, where strong and independent women characters who are not necessarily dressed provocatively are starting to appear.