Gender can be defined as differences in traits as exhibited in one’s sex, that is, whether male or female. This includes behavioral, psychological and cultural peculiarities. Empowerment means the granting of power, authority or right to perform certain acts. Therefore gender empowerment can be defined as giving power to certain genders to be able to perform certain actions in the society that contributes to social, economic, political, and psychological development (Pervin, 2015). There have been continuous outcries from all parts of the world and within all races on the position of woman in social, cultural, political and economic spheres. Social science studies have always revealed that women are not given equal opportunities to contribute to the societal development as compared to men. This has led many activists’ activities across the globe to fight for gender equality for women especially in political and economic developments. The analysis of the movie Zootopia, a children animation movie, will reveal the issue of gender in the society especially on women struggle for economic empowerment, and how some of these issues can be overcome to achieve equality.
Conceptual Framework
The movie Zootopia presents us with a clear and precise example of social concepts in women issues in terms of gender, value, and norm. As discussed earlier, gender relates to one’s sex, that is, either male or female. Gender also reveals peculiarities in terms of traits. The value in social science is the worthiness of a person in terms of what the society perceives them to be in relation to their contributions to the society (Brym, 2007). Norm is the accepted ways of living and interactions as well as what the society perceives to be right. The movie is acted in the village of Utopia, where animals of all kinds are revealed to be in good coexistence and thus they experience a lot of harmonies. Judy Hoops is the main character in the movie and has a dream of making it to the police force, something that is rare for the feminine gender (Howard, " Moore, 2016). Judy is presented in the movie as knowledgeable and highly determined female officer. She is able to solve a complex case with Nick Wild, who is acting the role of a fox, of the mysterious disappearance of a group of predators. In her line of duty as she chases her dreams, Judy the rabbit police officer faces a lot of inequality and discrimination. Judy is working up the ladder to gain recognition in the society as a respected police officer, but this dream is being diluted with several challenges of gender disparity. This also reveals the value women police officers are given in the society despite their efforts and contributions. Despite the fact that she is able to make major contributions to mysteries faced by the police force, Judy does not get any respect as a career policewoman.
Research Questions
1. What are the feminist issues in the movie Zootopia?
2. How does Judy, the main character overcome these feminist issues?
Methodology
The media analyzed is based on an animation movie produced for the children as the major audience. The movie setting is in a village of Utopia where there are different kinds of animals living in harmony. The animals have set leadership structures and forms of administrations. There is a police unit that is charged with the responsibility of maintaining law and order. What is evident in the movie is the struggles that female gender undergo to fight gender disparity, including taking jobs that they least consider important like working as a police.
This research work is in the form of content analysis. Content analysis is a technique used in research to make replicable and valid inferences. This is achieved through interpretations and coding textual material.The movie content takes a descriptive form while representing the issue of women empowerment, making this type of data qualitative. There is only one character who is the heroine of the movie, trying to reveal the issue of gender inequality and women empowerment, though this is an issue that affects many women globally.
Findings
The issue of gender empowerment is vividly brought out in the movie Zootopia (Howard, " Moore, 2016). The movie is based on animations, but with a storyline created to reveal the many issues women go through to achieve economic as well as political recognition, besides attaining status within the society (Brym, 2007). These are depicted with the struggles that Judy Hoops has to undergo to make it into the police force, and also the challenges she faces once in the police force. Her main role in the movie was to build the idea of women empowerment through feminism and contrary to both normativity and male gaze (Milestone " Anneke, 2016). Judy as a character did not willfully pursue a career within the police force, but her major aim was to show that women can make it into careers that are considered to be more masculine (Milestone " Anneke, 2016).
The difficult conditions for recruitments as well as the training for recruits as revealed in the movie do not fit the feminine gender considering their physiological makeup. This reveals that police force is a place for the masculine gender as their physiological make up can support such strenuous activities. Therefore, in theory, we expect more male police officers in the police force as compared to the numbers of their female counterparts.
Value as a social aspect is seen through Judy’s instructor who discourages her that her chances of making it is minimal due to her body size, which is not only tinier but also weak as per the instructor’s view. This means the instructor had valued Judy at a below average and perceived that she was not fit for the forces.
The social norm dictated that the place for Judy in the society was at the farm. Even her parents were encouraging her to look forward to farming carrots and house chores as that is where the women in the Utopia society belonged to. Carrot farming in this movie is symbolic and relates to the discourse of femininity.
Judy’s profession as a police officer is used in the movie to break the theory of normativity. After her continuous struggles, she successfully makes it to the forces. This is a reflection of winning of “battle of gender inequity” (Milestone " Anneke, 2016).
Being able to solve the issue surrounding the disappearance of the 14 predators is an emphasis on the female world of work as well as their much-needed contribution to the development of the society. Being that the same issue could not be solved with male police officers, Judy is depicted as a woman with a great asset in the minds of the public. The kind of the job she does and the challenges she meets has helped to empower her, thus able to fight against the theory of the male gaze.
Conclusion
In the 21st
century, women issues have dominated many of the discussions globally. Women have been oppressed for a longer time in the society, especially with backward traditions. Modernity has come with inclusive education, a factor that has sensitized most women to fight against masculine dominance. Many of them have taken the initiative to line their careers within the male-dominated fields, which have been for a long time been considered to be gender specific and has become a norm in the societies. The movie Zootopia is an example of an article that shows women struggle to counter male gaze and gender disparities as well as creating a new identity that helps women to be highly appreciated and valued. These struggles are very important especially in the economic and political empowerment of the feminine.
.
References
Brym, R. J. (2007). New Society: Sociology for the 21 st Century with Student Learning Guide.
Howard, B., " Moore, R. (Directors). (2016). Zootopia [Video file]. Estados Unidos: Walt Disney Animation Studios. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
Milestone, K., " Anneke, M. ( 2016). . Gender " Popular Culture. Polity Press.
Pervin, L. A. (Ed.). (2015). Goal concepts in personality and social psychology. Psychology Press.
