2008 Woodie Awards
The media and gender norms
guest columnist Moira Foley
Issue date: 4/29/05 Section: Forum
- Page 1 of 1
What do you want to bet that more people on campus know the plot of There's Something About Mary than know that April is Sexual Assault Awareness month?
Despite the horrific estimate that one in four college-aged women has experienced an attempted or completed sexual assault, even at Guilford, there's not enough widespread knowledge or concern about the issue of sexual assault.
This is partly because from the time we're very young, the mass media exposes Americans to a particular construction of the male gender norm based on an extreme notion of masculinity.
The media's version of manliness is very specific. "Being a man" includes violence, power, dominance, eagerness to fight, and sexual promiscuity. Without these characteristics, the one's "manhood" is brought into question.
The media has created this perception of what it means to be a man, and because most of the public doesn't realize that these notions of gender are constructed, they see aggressive traits as innate to males.
What people need to realize is that these characteristics are learned; they are not natural at all.
Mass media is one of the most influential forces of socialization and is a major contributor to how people learn to use and tolerate violence. Violence floods TV entertainment and news, movies, song lyrics and video games.
Although some individuals are more susceptible to the effects of viewing violence than others, everyone is affected in some way by the viewing of violence in the media. The research on both long and short term effect of viewing violence reveals undeniable evidence that media violence increases the likelihood of aggressive and violent behavior of viewers, including desensitization to violence.
Also, because the media is a consumer-driven entity, all perceptions of violence are for entertainment purposes.
For example, most people think of There's Something About Mary as a romantic comedy. The movie is actually about three men stalking a woman, but this is lost on the viewer due to the nature in which it is presented.
I'm not suggesting that everyone boycott those movies and TV shows that perpetuate this notion of masculinity, because that's an unrealistic request, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't laugh during There's Something About Mary.
What I ask is that you be more aware of what you're watching; that you understand the process of socialization that takes place.
While some members of the Guilford community are aware of the stereotypes of masculinity that support an atmosphere tolerant of sexual assault, and attempt to spread knowledge through productions such as The Vagina Monologues and The Clothesline Project, there is still not enough knowledge about or attention paid to these issues.
Every individual needs to be aware of how he or she is affected by the portrayals of gender in the mass media, and most importantly understand how their behavior is a reflection of these constructed gender norms.
Editor's Note
If you would like to learn more about sexual assault, please go online to www.rainn.org, which is the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network, www.vday.org, which provides information on the global movement to stop violence against women, or www.ojp.usdoj.gov/vawo/ which is the US Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women.
For more information on the influence of media on the creation and perpetration of violence in American culture, begin with Transforming a Rape Culture, edited by Emilie Buchwald, Pamela Fletcher, and Martha Roth, or contact Moira Foley.
Despite the horrific estimate that one in four college-aged women has experienced an attempted or completed sexual assault, even at Guilford, there's not enough widespread knowledge or concern about the issue of sexual assault.
This is partly because from the time we're very young, the mass media exposes Americans to a particular construction of the male gender norm based on an extreme notion of masculinity.
The media's version of manliness is very specific. "Being a man" includes violence, power, dominance, eagerness to fight, and sexual promiscuity. Without these characteristics, the one's "manhood" is brought into question.
The media has created this perception of what it means to be a man, and because most of the public doesn't realize that these notions of gender are constructed, they see aggressive traits as innate to males.
What people need to realize is that these characteristics are learned; they are not natural at all.
Mass media is one of the most influential forces of socialization and is a major contributor to how people learn to use and tolerate violence. Violence floods TV entertainment and news, movies, song lyrics and video games.
Although some individuals are more susceptible to the effects of viewing violence than others, everyone is affected in some way by the viewing of violence in the media. The research on both long and short term effect of viewing violence reveals undeniable evidence that media violence increases the likelihood of aggressive and violent behavior of viewers, including desensitization to violence.
Also, because the media is a consumer-driven entity, all perceptions of violence are for entertainment purposes.
For example, most people think of There's Something About Mary as a romantic comedy. The movie is actually about three men stalking a woman, but this is lost on the viewer due to the nature in which it is presented.
I'm not suggesting that everyone boycott those movies and TV shows that perpetuate this notion of masculinity, because that's an unrealistic request, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't laugh during There's Something About Mary.
What I ask is that you be more aware of what you're watching; that you understand the process of socialization that takes place.
While some members of the Guilford community are aware of the stereotypes of masculinity that support an atmosphere tolerant of sexual assault, and attempt to spread knowledge through productions such as The Vagina Monologues and The Clothesline Project, there is still not enough knowledge about or attention paid to these issues.
Every individual needs to be aware of how he or she is affected by the portrayals of gender in the mass media, and most importantly understand how their behavior is a reflection of these constructed gender norms.
Editor's Note
If you would like to learn more about sexual assault, please go online to www.rainn.org, which is the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network, www.vday.org, which provides information on the global movement to stop violence against women, or www.ojp.usdoj.gov/vawo/ which is the US Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women.
For more information on the influence of media on the creation and perpetration of violence in American culture, begin with Transforming a Rape Culture, edited by Emilie Buchwald, Pamela Fletcher, and Martha Roth, or contact Moira Foley.
Be the first to comment on this story