The Negative Impact Of Gender Stereotypes In The Media

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On a daily basis we are subjected to a society that continuously uses stratification to divide members of the population into subgroups, such as; ‘gender, race, ethnicity, class, age, disability, sexuality and location, and in which the privileges, disadvantages and exclusions associated with such categories are unevenly distributed.’ Due to this, we are forced to question if gender stereotypes in the media have a negative impact in society.

Gender stereotype in the media promotes a more conservative, heteronormative view on what gender is. The stereotypes also promote a very binary view on gender; you’re either a stereotypical man or a stereotypical woman, nothing in between. Luckily, the media is also changing; nowadays, with more celebrities identifying as non-binary, not confirming gender, transgender, and also having non-hetero sexual preferences, we’re just beginning to see the diversity of human beings when it comes to …show more content…

Now, for a introspective, philosophical, psychologically-aware human being – seeing a topless woman in the newspaper doesn’t consciously (or sub-consciously, if you properly address it), leave the lasting impression that “women are objects” – however, again, the overwhelming majority of people, although capable, don’t consciously address the meaning of the content and imagery that they are presented with in the media. So, for a huge amount of people, when they see a topless woman in a paper full of men in suits, sports stars and the like – the impression they are left with could be one of “women are good to look at.” This is clearly not a positive, gender-neutral theme to put out into the world. The message that is soaked up by an audience of people who aren’t thinking about it properly, just like with Page 3, is that women are objects, and men do business. Again, to re-emphasise, this is the opinion that is soaked up by both men and

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