Traditional Gender Messages: The Powerfulness Of Gender Socialization

Gender Socialization is a lifelong process in which artificial differences between persons labeled as “female” and “male” are constructed and enforced simultaneously through intentional and nonintentional messages, in which humans are active participants in through this publically accountable process. These traditional gender messages as pervasive, powerful, and pernicious as they exist in a positive feedback loop where the pervasiveness of gendered messages gives the messages power over people by shaping their opinions on gender; this power is then enacted through conscious and sub-conscious gender policing of themselves and others. The system becomes pernicious to the extent that ideas about gender and their enactment harm people- the

perceived

This impact elevates these

Angela Melidosian

Miss Representation Paper ideas from mere messages to an entire gender socialization process with lifelong lasting effects.

Because humans are active participants in gender socialization, they not only absorb messages but begin to enforce them inwardly and socially- this public enforcement is the second key to the powerfulness of gender messages/socialization. Miss Representation points to two discrete messages sent by the media: one that girls should be young, underweight, attractive, and available to men, and another that boys are in control, unemotional, and that women are there for their enjoyment. These messages can lead to men developing warped expectations/roles of women and relationships, women attempting to fit these ideals with extreme efforts and self- policing like developing eating disorders, and both women and men punishing those who transgress these roles (through methods such as fat shaming for women, and homophobic slurs for men). These messages are their most powerful when they leave the pages and the screens