Media And Gender Roles Essay

It is almost impossible to go one whole day without encountering so form of media. As a human race we are constantly surrounded by media whether it is TV, radio, or newspapers it is everywhere we look. Being constantly surrounded by media, impacts how people think and behave because it sets an example for its viewers. A big effect of media we are seeing is how people are viewing gender roles. Media shapes gender roles by showing what each gender does in a “normal” life and a “normal” household; we see this explained in Deborah Tannen’s “Why can’t He Hear What I’m Saying”, “After the Fact” by James Davidson and Mark Lytle, also in Katha Pollitt’s “Why Don’t Boys Play with Dolls. Media has the ability to shape the way we think from a very young age, one thing it shapes specifically is out social behaviors. Men and Women are different in behavioral patterns and communication skills. From a very young age the way boys and girls interact with others is different. “Little girls tend to play in small groups or, even more common, in pairs. Their social life usually centers

She recalls “”I’m sorry”, one mom silently mouths to the mother of the birthday girl, who has just torn open her birthday present-Tropical Splash Barbie.”(Pollitt, 337) she argues that people are now sensitive to not stereotype genders because of past media influence. Pollitt’s essay touches on how people are now very sensitive about not fitting into normal gender roles, due to new found sensitivity in regards to standard gender roles. The feminist movement has helped this push away from gender norms because the movement strives towards equality. Pollitt’s essay is similar to the idea of Rosie the Riveter because it pushes men and women out of typical gender expectations into doing something