The representation of Women in the media:
Television and film are renowned to represent and reinforce the ideology in the culture of the female gender, here we witness a vast change from women in the last 40 years, In order to submit the changing roles of women in society. Television is considered the 'real' form of media, as it is the most watched. With this being the case, it becomes clear to us that we question what the real representations of women are.
Perhaps the most influential genres to television viewing is soap operas, sexism is the organised oppression over women by men.
There is a higher population of women then men, therefore if the media is a 'real' reflection, this should be evident in tv too. Yet women are typically seen less than men and infrequent in dramatic roles. When women are shown, as a passive view, mainly in soap operas as strong, independent women. This could be clear with characters of single mothers, female pub owners, or women that have experienced trauma through the series. Although with the focus of women suffering in soap operas or being villainies to adultery (in most cases) this creates a contrasting belittling affect to the female gender.
Here sums up the highlighting representations of women across all media texts;
- Beauty (mainly narrow conventions)
- Emotional approaches (thwarting the intellectual)
- Relationships (as opposed to independence and freedom)
- Physique (narrow conventions)
- Sexually (as indicated above)
The main representation of women is them in terms of part of a context and working to part of a team.
