The grant that I am undertaking for my research project is the Women in Humanities Research Grant offered by The Oxford Research Centre in the Humanities (TORCH). Its aims are to “explore how sex and gender play out in history, art, philosophy, music, language, and literature, as well as the ethics and politics of gender identity and equality in the Humanities” (TORCH 2014). I decided to focus on art and, in turn, on popular culture, as popular culture art forms such as film and television are vehicles through which particular ideas and attitudes, such as politics of gender identity and equality, are dispersed to mass audiences. My topic of research, therefore, is on Star Wars, as it is one of the most popular film series in popular culture …show more content…
Although this comparison would be interesting and worth studying, I have decided against this as I feel that studying the reactions to young Anakin would interfere my focus on the influence that female characters have on young girls. This is because observing the reaction to Rey in particular is important, as Rey’s role in The Force Awakens places her “in milieu of the hero’s journey” which is a “typically male narrative” (Larabee 2016, 8). As females comprised 22% of protagonists in the top 100 grossing films of 2015 (Lauzen 2016, 1) and have previously been out numbered 2.57 to 1 in top-grossing G-rated films (Smith et al. 2010, 774), focusing on the effect of Rey as the female protagonist of a PG-13 film will provide new, specific insight on the influence of female protagonists on children. Furthermore, Ochman’s study on the effects of non-gender role stereotyped, same-sex role models in story books on children has revealed that “both girls’ and boys’ self-esteem increased more with same sex role models than with other-sex role models” (1996, 711). Therefore, it is important to analyse the effect that non-gendered same-sex female protagonists in non-feminine genres like science fiction and action adventure have on young girls, as it has previously been …show more content…
This research can be used to further research in scholarship on Star Wars, femininity in non-feminine film genres, and low culture media impact on children. In addition, this research can be applied to the creative processes involved in film making. Smith et al.’s study on gender related portrayals has previously shown that males being shown more frequently in film than females may lead to the belief in young girls that their stories are not as important as that of their male counterparts (2010, 775). If referred to prior to or during the script writing process, this research will show the effects that non-gender role stereotyped characters like Rey have on young girls and may lead to the creation and inclusion of more characters like her. Furthermore, it will provide evidence that Star Wars and genres like science fiction have a potential fan-base among children and adolescent
In the first paragraph of Laurie Penny’s essay “What to do when you’re not the hero anymore” she tells the reader how she recently went to see the new Star Wars movie. To her surprise a female character, Rey, fought off a bad guy as an equal. Hollywood has incredible power in how messages are portrayed in books, TV shows, and movies. It is no secret that media representation normalizes the reality of white male power. Penny explores how it is becoming more common to see a women lead in books, movies, and TV shows, rather than the stereotypical male.
Motion Pictures have always had a strong influence in today’s culture, but maybe none as prevalent as Star Wars. Originating with Episode 4 A New Hope, the series boomed from 1977 to 2005 with yet another addition coming in 2015. The strongest of the series was the original trilogy episodes 4, 5, and 6, all generally released in the 1980s. As one of the strongest film francaises still today, it’s impact within the 1980s was only the tip of the iceberg. Children and adults alike still anticipate the new edition of this seemingly endless journey. If any singular film series still holds prevalence in its future decades it is Star Wars: Original Trilogy.
Within Chapter one, I will focus on the understanding of gender. Looking at where gender first originated from and how it is portrayed in today’s society. Also this chapter will delve into femininity and masculinity and difference between the two genders and create a conclusion on what femininity and masculinity are and how they can be portrayed. In Chapter two, I will be looking into what contributes to making a villain, the definition of a villain and how villains are represented in different films. Also I will be looking into violence within males and females. And in chapter 3 I will then focus on Disney villains and how each villain portrays a gender. The focus within the chapter will be on, Jafar from Aladdin, Scar from the Lion King, Captain Hook from Peter Pan, Lady Tremaine from Cinderella, The Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland and Ursula from the Little Mermaid. From the research produced I will then conclude, my findings and
Despite the tremendous steps that have been taken towards reaching gender equality, mainstream media contradicts these accomplishments with stereotypes of women present in Walt Disney movies. These unrealistic stereotypes may be detrimental to children because they grow up with a distorted view of how men and women interact. Disney animated films assign gender roles to characters, and young children should not be exposed to inequality between genders because its effect on their view of what is right and wrong in society is harmful to their future. According to Disney films, it is important for women to achieve the stereotypical characteristics of a woman, such as maintaining their beauty to capture a man, and being weak and less educated than male characters. The women in Disney movies are always beautiful, which helps them to find a man.
With countless inventions throughout the 20th century, audiences had a strong interest in technology and the amazing unpredictable future they present. On the other hand, technology, particularly after society witnessed the effects of WMD’s (weapons of mass destruction) in the World Wars, sparked fear and ethical concerns regarding technological abuse (The Levine Institute 2017). As such, in a society filled with innovative technology like televisions, SF filmmakers have been able to take advantage of these widespread worries and wonders and explore captivating themes in a fictional world free of racial, religious and political boundaries. Both Blade Runner and Lucy play on the concerns of audiences and portray a dysfunctional society dominated by dehumanising consumerism and technology. SF, which is viewed as a male-dominated genre, has also been heavily influenced by gender roles during the Golden Age of Science Fiction (1935-1956); a dry period following the World Wars that saw SF increase in popularity (Dirks 2017; Lilly Library 2010). During this time, females were seen as delicate housewives and were not encouraged to pursue science and maths, thus appearing uneducated in these areas (Coob 2005). Men, however, were strongly seen as science, mathematics and machinery lovers (Brewer 2017). As such, SF became a genre for male readers and male writers,
Society cements certain roles for children based on gender, and these roles, recognized during infancy with the assistance of consumerism, rarely allow for openness of definition. A study conducted by Witt (1997) observed that parents often expect certain behaviors based on gender as soon as twenty-four hours after the birth of a child. The gender socialization of infants appears most noticeably by the age of eighteen months, when children display sex-stereotyped toy preferences (Caldera, Huston, & O’Brian 1989). This socialization proves extremely influential on later notions and conceptions of gender. Children understand gender in very simple ways, one way being the notion of gender permanence—if one is born a girl or a boy, they will stay that way for life (Kohlberg 1966). “According to theories of gender constancy, until they’re about 6 or 7, children don’t realize that the sex they were born with is immutable” (Orenstein 2006). The Walt Disney Corporation creates childhood for children worldwide. “Because Disney are such a large media corporation and their products are so ubiquitous and wide spread globally, Disney’s stories, the stories that Disney tell, will be the stories that will form and help form a child’s imaginary world, all over the world, and that’s an incredible amount of power, enormous amount of power” (Sun). Because of the portrayal of women in Disney films, specifically the Disney Princess films, associations of homemaker, innocence, and dependence are emphasized as feminine qualities for young children. Thus, children begin to consider such qualities normal and proceed to form conceptions of gender identity based off of the movies that portray the very specific and limiting views of women (...
on how Gender Inequality on TV and in Movies has a Powerful Impact on Kids." Wall
Disney has portrayed women in movies by the use of animation characters for over a century since the 1900s. There has been a very big change since the early 1900’s to modern day in Disney’s depiction of the personalities of the women, their attitudes and ideologies towards men, and the way they are portrayed in the movies. This progression has had a distinct development, from passive damsels in distress in need of the help of men, to being superheroes. Therefore, the evolution of women in Disney movies will be analyzed through the use of university level feminist essays, as well as a research paper written about gender roles in Disney animation. The evolution will also be analyzed through examination of the clips of the movies themselves.
Girls are supposed to play with dolls, wear pink, and grow up to become princesses. Boys are suppose to play with cars, wear blue, and become firefighters and policemen. These are just some of the common gender stereotypes that children grow up to hear. Interactions with toys are one of the entryway to different aspects of cognitive development and socialism in early childhood. As children move through development they begin to develop different gender roles and gender stereotypes that are influenced by their peers and caregivers. (Chick, Heilman-Houser, & Hunter, 2002; Freeman, 2007; Leaper, 2000)
Mainstream movies are about men’s lives, and the few movies about women’s lives, at their core, still also revolve around men (Newsom, 2011). These female leads often have male love interests, looking to get married or get pregnant. Strong independent female leads are still exist for the male view, as they are hypersexualized, or the “fighting fuck toy,” (Newsom, 2011). This depiction has created a culture where women are insecure and waiting for a knight on a horse to come rescue and provide for her as well as the acceptance of women
The work's topicality is characterized by the existence of the gender stereotypes in society, having generalization, and does not reflect individual differences in the human categories. Meanwhile, there is still discrimination on the labour market, human trafficking, sexual harassment, violence, women and men roles and their places in the family. Mass media offers us the reality, reduces the distance, but we still can see the negative aspects too. TV cultivates gender stereotypes, offering ideas about gender, relationships and ways for living. Such media ideas attach importance to many people in the society. Consequently, it is quite important identify gender stereotypes in the media, in order to prevent false views relating to gender stereotypes.
Disney princesses are fun for all ages, but their target audience is young children and “as children grow and develop, they can be easily influenced by what they see and hear”. Therefore, what they see and hear in Disney movies leaves an impression on them. The first princess, Snow White, was created in a time where each gender and race had a specific role in society. Recently, many believe that Disney has come a long way in regards to gender and race since Snow White, as several multi-cultural protagonists have been introduced subsequently, and gender roles do not appear to be as stereotypical as they once were. However, many of the apparent innocent messages about race and gender in these movies, can be exposed as otherwise. Despite their mask of progression, Disney princesses still have the potential to corrupt the minds of young children through sexism and racism.
Critics have warned the public audience about Disney programming’s affect on the “invasion and control of children’s imagination” (Ross 5). These movies express the typical gender roles “such as males being physically strong, assertive, and athletic, and females being prone to overt emotion, inc...
of influence in both the characters and gender roles of people in our society. The films have brought about the shaping of morals, behaviors and characters of not only children, but also adults in todays society, through engaging them in a constant series of unthinking consumption. In addition, most of the films in Disney bring out many different gender roles and people who grew up watching them have been influenced greatly by the content in the films (Blum 13). This paper will involve the various roles played by the characters in the films and how their roles have influenced the society at large.
Many people think that boys in our culture today are brought up to define their identities through heroic individualism and competition, particularly through separation from home, friends, and family in an outdoors world of work and doing. Girls, on the other hand, are brought up to define their identities through connection, cooperation, self-sacrifice, domesticity, and community in an indoor world of love and caring. This view of different male and female roles can be seen throughout children’s literature. Treasure Island and The Secret Garden are two novels that are an excellent portrayal of the narrative pattern of “boy and girl” books.