How Our Society Depicts Gender Essay

Gender is a flop guide that has shaped humankinds news report and has remained a strongly divisive issue, influencing except facets of the purchase order. The age-old sexist views against women argon muted evidently present and strong in directlys monastic order. For instance, in the close to recent elections in the United States, sexual urge has played a major role, especi everyy in the light of a practised number of women joining the process, either as chamberpotdidates, campaigners and advocates, or opinion leaders.Zernike, K. (2008), in a New York Times article authorize Postfeminism and other coffin nail tales, tackles the difficulties that women candidates faced amidst predominantly sex- and gender-biased electorate, and even the media. Gender in the Media The media today carries messages that are either shaped by or shaping the society. Curran, J.(2002) concludes that the media is a powerful and convenient vehicle which societal forces climb on to spread their messages, or to institutionalize forward their agenda and win support, and that what the media dominantly carries as messages are reflections of the society at large. What break in way, then, to know how society depicts gender than by looking at the way media depicts it, through with(predicate) commercials, for instance.Take as an example Kelly Ripas Electrolux commercial, wherein the lady waiter is depicted as non and an efficient host doing a daily show among others, al i also doing in all ho implementhold chores single-handedly. And Electroluxs tagline You can be more unspeak competent implies that although the cleaning woman, represented in the commercial by Ripa, has been juggling time and running nigh in her feat to efficiently pay heed her habitation while maintaining her professional life, can even do more, as if all those things she had been doing are palliate not comely for the woman to be admired.This depiction of a woman in this commercial does not stri ctly fall into any of the themes or categories explained by Goffman, as the commercial is already a mixture of various elements menti unitaryd by Goffman, including the use of height differences, smile, elevation, etc. For instance, in a scene where Ripa drinks champagne with colleagues, her manly counterparts are shown as much taller than she is, as well as her female colleague, who looks so distinctly homogeneous a male in her made-to-order suit and short haircloth.The scene sends a strong message that among them, Ripa is of lower rank, as symbolized by her short height congeneric to everybody else in the scene, her long blond hair and lighter colored suit. Therefore, as the one of lower rank and probably neighborly status, Ripa has to run home to tuck her kids to bed. The use of the kitchen can easily be mum as the commercial is all most selling efficient kitchen and home appliances. However, it also gives a message that being a woman, Ripa must be efficient at home also, and must be able to respond to the kids needs at the deal moment that they need her.Overall, the message of the ad is clear that a womans professional success does not in truth count, as her efficiency at home counts the most. Conclusion Contemporary society is no contrasting from societies of centuries back. While thither are several theories on gender which different groups adhere to depending on what is convenient to their beliefs and agenda (Butler, J. , 1988), it is undeniable that gender biases and prejudices confuse not really changed significantly despite all the efforts through the years.Society still holds a very limited perspective and curt point of view on gender. Although testis institutions have been set to raise awareness of and promote gender equality, and various mechanisms have been established to eliminate gender biases and prejudices, there is still a prevalent finis of gender inequality. Biases against women, stereotyped as weak, domestic, of course m ade for homecare, incapable of professional achievements, among others, still predominate societys general mantra through the media, and even in the political, donnish and social arenas.Indeed, as Butler quotes Simone de Beauvoir one is not born but quite an becomes a woman, (Beauvoir, 1986, as quoted by Butler, p. 519), society develops concepts, and in this case, creates the concept of a woman as society wants it to be weak, domestic, only good for the home, among other stereotypes. As society depicts its women to be such, it should not expect, then, for its women to achieve more in life, it should not push its women to do impossible feats.The society better deliberate of ways to take care of its women, as yet these women want to live their lives limiting themselves in stereotypical women roles, or jumping come out of the closet of the box and dare do what only men are expected to do. whole shebang Cited Butler, Judith (1988), Performative Acts and Gender Constitution An Essay in Phenomenology and Feminist Theory, Theater Journal, Vol. 40, No. 4 (Dec. ,1988),pp. 519-531. Curran, James (2002), Media and Power illustrated edition, Routledge 2002. Zernike, Kate (2008), Posfeminism and other fairy tales, The Nation, New York Times, published 16 evidence 2008.a