Gender representations

Gender Representation
(i) Developmental Importance
In the longer term television has the potential to shape children’s sex-role attitudes... more women should be presented on television (Tannis, Macbeth, Williams 1986, in Gunter, McAleer 1990:64)
It is true that for most children in our society, television offers many more opportunities to view differences in sex-role relationships, than does their immediate, everyday world of reference. As such its potential influence upon their outlook should not be overlooked or dismissed. Indeed for many, if not most, children gender identification is perhaps the most fundamental and salient of all the frames of self reference available. Above all it is understood that it will remain as a constant, despite changes in other developmental areas; from childhood to adulthood gender will remain, and as such is understandably regarded as a key element of the 'self' and utilized as a primary building block towards the development of a sense of 'place' in the world. Given that gender identification is employed from an early age, as a basic strategy in the child’s negotiation of a vast array of complex social relationships, and that "the cultures of childhood... are enmeshed in the larger divisions of the social world" (Richards 1991, in Buckingham, ed. 1993:45), it seems somewhat unrealistic to expect the child to question stereotypical representation. Indeed as an area of such stability, it may well be argued that children actually like and enjoy 'being gendered', continually seeking reinforcements which the media would perhaps be foolish to ignore. Throughout the world children actively seek reinforcements as "futures where the power of adulthood will be available" (Richards 1991, in Buckingham, ed. 1993:39). 'Boys do choose blue and girls do choose pink', actively making selections for their own uses and purposes, be they socialization, information, escapism or identification; as active interpreters, if not endorsers, of their own environment then should their judgements be questioned?

Children, Television and Gender Roles

Children, Television and Gender Roles

A critical review of the available evidence concerning what influence television may have on the development of children's understanding of gender roles and of their own gender identity

Television... can play a significant role in a child's growing beliefs and attitudes about what it means to be male or female in the world. (Van Evra, 1990, page 112).

Extensive studies of television have indicated that it is males who dominate the television medium, outnumbering women, on average, by 3:1.

The male who has the authority and the control of the world of television.

Gender role stereotyping is the belief that it is only natural and fitting for males and females to adhere to traditional gender role patterns. (Gross, 1993, page 689).

Are there gender stereotypes/assumptions at play? Do the progs encourage gender differences? (Maybe Pokemon doesn't but HM does?)

Within the programme Pokemon there are a number of stereotypes of both males and females. However, it doesn't simply stereotype the males into one catergory and females into another one, it generally gathers them together as a whole and enables them to be classed as a new sterotype of children. For example: Ash in Pokemon is represented as a stereotypical 'young' boy, who is able to do what he sets his mind to, as he is able show his strength through what he is capable to do as in the episode on the other blog, he wins the 2nd part of tha battle. however, there is a strong female lead who shows that she is capable to be just as strong as what Ash is therefore challenging the stereotypes that females have on them as she is able to show that her strength in this programmes is able to do a good thing and be strong to win something.

Primary research

Your idea has developed into looking at the differences between progs aimed at boys and progs aimed at girls. Are there gender stereotypes/assumptions at play? Do the progs encourage gender differences? (Maybe Pokemon doesn't but HM does?)

Look here about editing and camera differences between boys and girls product advertising (might be similar in progs too):
http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Documents/short/toyads.html

And this will be very important for you:
http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Students/elb9501.html

Find differences, home in on them, use the clips that illustrate them in your primary research with a real audience...

pokemon

In this episode of Pokemon where ash battles against Erika (Kanto Gym Battle 5) he represents what young boys aspire to be like as they wish that they had the qualities which ash has such as: being a 'good' pokemon trailer, being able to win and be a strong male role model for others to want to be like him.

Also, in this episode it shows that females are good a being a strong will powered character towards wanting to achieve and that they can do it as long as they try. The female doesn't back down due to the fact that she is up against a boy, she still goes ahead and believes in herself that she can do it and win. And in this episode this shows this when Erika wins one of the three battles against Ash.

Hanna Montana extra

Children escaping into a magical world within their minds - imaginations.

The way that children use fiction to make their ordinary lives seem more interesting.

For example: Hanna Montana has a link between a glamourous lifestlye and their ordianary 'boring' lives of the target audience of which the programme is targeting - it suggests that the childrens' imagination is a free environment for them to be/do what they desire.



Also, in this episode of Hanna Montana, Rico the hotdog owner represents that it doesn't matter what size you are or how old you are that nothing will stand in your way as long as you have got ambition.

Hanna Montana - phone clip

Hanna Montana

Hanna Montana

The episode when you see the real 'Hanna Montana' the 'popstar' from when she is at school when she is referred to as Miley. When she is Hanna she is able to do what she likes to, which is sing and when she is Miley she able to be 'normal' like the rest of the kids her age. This is shown in the episode where she wants a new phone. (I will upload a video to bakc this up).

Children who watch this programme, primarily girls who are the target audience for programme and watch the programme of around the same age as the characters in hte programme susch as: Miley, Lilly et al. will watch and see Hanna as thier idol and will therefore aspire to be like her. Not necessarily a singer but, along the lines as either being: wealthy or famous.

I was going to use the age group 10-14 which is my brothers age group so,I will put together a questionnaire for my brother and his friends to do both males and females roughly 5-6 males and 5-6 females.
Danielle

Interesting ideas...

Interesting ideas below, Danielle.  You need to do some careful textual analysis of these characters to understand exactly how they are representing the agegroup.  Also, it might be worth checking with your intended research subjects that they do actually watch these programmes and know these characters.  Who are you going to use for your primary research?

Sean

The way in which children are unintentionally, by their chosen television programmes influenced into aspiring to become the chosen characters in the chosen television programmes.

Primary school children - Exposed to more adult-oriented material, Start to identify with TV characters and can follow a plot.

This is where I may be able to identify my audience (aged between 10-14 years old) as many children, boys and girls in this age range tend to see the televison characters (for the boys: Ash in Pokemon or Drake or Josh in Drake and Josh. For the girls: Amanda in The Amanda Show or Zoey in Zoey 101, Hanna in Hanna Montana) as their idols and aspire to want to be like them in a particular way.

For example: Drake in 'Drake and Josh' may be the type of boy that the boys aged between 10-14 years old may feel that they want to be like, hence them wanting to aspire to be like them due to the fact that the boys may feel that he is: 'cool', good-looking and 'hip' therefore wanting to be just like him as they feel that they are not all those things and would like to be them. So, by watching the programmes, it is helping the boys to do what they feel they can as the programme has helped them with their: confidence, attitude, self-esteem and behaviour. I will explore this more when I look into watching them and recording them.

Also, an example is: Hanna in 'Hanna Montana' as she may be the sort of girl which girls of the 10-14 age range may look up to and want to aspire to be. As in the programme 'Hanna Montana', Hanna has a split life as in one she is a celebrity and the other she is a normal young school girl who has an ordinary life. This may be the primary reason why young girls aged between 10-14 owuld want to be like her. I will explore this further when I watch the programme in more detail.

Adolescents - Become more independent viewer, Boys spend more time than girls watching television and playing video games, Parents supervise viewing far less.

Girls: cartoons such as: Nickelodeon - Zoey 101, iCarly, Dance on Sunset, H2O, The Amanda Show.


Charactors such as: Zoey in Zoey 101- why young girls around the same age as her want to be like her and the way she is represented to them in the programmes.




Also, Amanda in The Amanda Show - how young girls look up to them and aspire to be like them? - The way they dress, the way they look, walk, talk.

Boys: Drake and Josh - they want to be like them open day? They wish they had the relationship which they have together with one of their own family members or friends. They have aspirations to be like them or think of them as their idols therefore modelling themselves on them or trying to.

is this any good?
Danielle

Media texts which target 10-14 year olds?

Boys: cartoon network Pokemon, Ben 10, Dexter's Lab. What sort of a boy is Ash in Pokemon?? What values does this representation carry about this age group? What qualities deos it suggest boys should have?

Collect characters/images from media texts aimed at the target audience. Also, read about representations of childhood, for example in Buckingham's "After the death of childhood".

Sean

Your first ideas

Children and the Media

Your choice of age range (11-15) is OK though there are few mags targeting boys in this age range, and those targeting girls won’t be targeting the whole age range. So I prefer the idea of looking at advertising. But not just about new technologies. Why not look at advertising targeting that age range more generally, looking at all the products they are advertising. But before we go ahead with this project I need you to bring me EXAMPLES of the advertising you will use.

A better project might be to look at the range of media targeting that age range, including adverts but also other media, and to see what sort or representation of early teenagers is being constructed. What are children of that age LIKE, according to the media. Then you could do some interviews with children of that age to see if they felt their representation was accurate, or if they felt the advertising and other representations were trying to push them in certain directions. It’s not clear what we can do until you bring me some examples. Do this as a matter of urgency

Also, what media texts do you think target this age range (what programmes, magazines etc)?