Representation of gender

Our next focus area will be the representation of gender. This is an interesting and demanding area and, to fully engage with representations of gender, you need to be aware of gender stereotypes.

Gender stereotypes are simplistic generalizations about the gender attributes, differences, and roles of individuals and/or groups. 

Stereotypes can be positive or negative, but they rarely communicate accurate information about others. When people automatically apply gender assumptions to others regardless of evidence to the contrary, they are perpetuating gender stereotyping. Many people recognize the dangers of gender stereotyping, yet continue to make these types of generalisations. We see gender stereotypes regularly being reinforced in television drama.

Traditionally, the female stereotypic role is to marry and have children. She is also to put her family's welfare before her own; be loving, compassionate, caring, nurturing, and sympathetic; and find time to be sexy and feel beautiful. 

The male stereotypic role is to be the financial provider. He is also to be assertive, competitive, independent, courageous, and career‐focused; hold his emotions in check; and always initiate sex. 

These sorts of stereotypes can prove harmful; they can stifle individual expression and creativity, as well as hinder personal and professional growth. 

The weight of scientific evidence demonstrates that children learn gender stereotypes from adults. As with gender roles, socializing agents—parents, teachers, peers, religious leaders, and the media—pass along gender stereotypes from one generation to the next.

An example of gender stereotypes is shown in this extract below:
The women wear make-up which includes bright red lipstick. Another stereotype is the pilot being male.

Self-Assessment

I found the task relatively to explain as there was a lot to talk about and the task was explained to me. I found it difficult to talk about the editing, as I thought that editing was part of camera shots. I thought my response was basic, as I didn't plan my answer enough and accurately.

Research: Mediation and Representation

Mediation and representation from kbamediastudies

Drama Extracts



 

 

 

This is an extract of a series called Father Brown. It began airing on BBC Three on the fourteenth of January 2013. It is a period drama, which means that costumes, sets and properties are featured in order to capture the ambience of a particular era. Downton Abbey is also a period drama. Downton Abbey is set in the fictional Yorkshire country estate of Downton Abbey and depicts the lives of the aristocratic Crawley family and their servants in the post-Edwardian era (1901-1910).
 

The drama genre is often combined with other genres. For instance The Vampire Diaries, a series developed by by Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec, is a supernatural drama. This genre deals with ghosts and other supernatural topics, but without the tone and scares associated with the horror genre. Supernatural dramas may use creatures of folklore that are displayed as neutral or evil rather than creatures of fantasy which are perceived as good natured (such as fairies, leprechauns, or elves). The beings usually seen in supernatural dramas, or rather just the genre of supernatural itself, are apparitions, spirits, witches, warlocks, superhumans, demons, gods, angels and, miracles.
 

Waterloo Road - Maths Teacher Analysis

• Sensitive
• Easily-influenced/Naive
• Trying to please everyone
• Lack of power and authority as a teacher
• Simpleton
• Insecure 
• Awkward
• Ridiculous
• Has several complexes 
• Sceptical

How The Exam Works

The exam is 2 hour-long. It is divided in 2 sections and will be roundabout the fifteenth of May 2014.
It is out of 100 marks and the two sections have 50 marks each. My target grade is a B so I am looking for getting 70 marks on this paper. To exceed my target grade, I need to get at least 80 points.

Section A is an hour long and is about television drama.
There is only one question, it is compulsory and worth 50 marks.
Here is an example of what the question might be like:
"Discuss the ways in which the extract constructs the representation of age using the following:

• Mise-en-scene
• Editing
• Sound (speech and music)
• Camera shots, angles, movements and composition.

 As well as age, we also might be asked to discuss the representation of gender, sexuality, ethnicity, physical ability, class and status or even regional identity (accents).

Before writing my piece:

1. I will be allowed two minutes to read the question for Section A before the extract is screened.
2. The extract will be screened four times
3. First screening: I will watch the extract but not make notes
4. Second screening: I will watch the extract and make a few notes
5. There will be a brief brief for note-taking
6. Third and fourth screening: I will watch the extract again and take notes. (There will be a brief break for note-makingafter the third and fourth screenings.

This whole process should last thirty minutes.

My TV Viewing Preferences

I would not call myself a heavy television consumer, but I do enjoy watching TV from time to time.

I like to watch major shows such as the X Factor and the Voice, and reality shows such as Big Brother or I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here when they're on as they are series. I also like to watch game shows such as The Cube and Deal Or No Deal when I have free time. If i don't, I usually just record it. I also like to watch animal documentaries in my spare time, but that happens occasionally.

Whenever I feel nostalgic, I would watch cartoons such as SpongeBob SquarePants, but that doesn't happen frequently.
I try to avoid soap operas as I don't find them very interesting.

Genres in Television Programming

The word "genre" comes from the french word "genre" which means "type/class".
Our mind contains a set of exciting ideas we have picked up over the years from experience. We became rather conditioned to expect certain things to happen within a particular genre. For instance, in a science fiction program, I would expect to see aliens, lasers, planets and robots, and would highly question the nature of the program if they were not on the program. 

On ITV Player, the programs appear in categories such as Drama, Children's and Lifestyle and Leisure. There are also sub-genre to make the search more accurate. For example, for Lifestyle and Leisure, its sub-genre could be cookery/food or DIY/Property. 
There also can be hybrid genres. Hybrid genres are genres that cross over such as Horrible Histories. It is a children's program, which is also a factual and a comedy program. 

Drama programs: 

• Catch Me if You Can
• Eastenders
• Silent Witness
• Doctors
• Father Brown
• Broadchurch
• Downtown Abbey
• The Vampire Diairies
• Lucan
• The Poison Tree