Gender representation in the contemporary art is vital in the shaping of the societal perceptions and self-image development by individuals in a particular society. Stereotypes often lead to distorted images and expectations with a section of the community especially the youth always struggling with issues such as self-esteem and worth (Daniel and Bridges 2010, p. 33). Similarly, the affected individuals may also engage in negative acts like drug and substance abuse with the aim of conforming to the perceived standards that are depicted in the media. The media plays a critical role in shaping the prevailing societal perceptions and stereotypes on issues of gender and sexuality (Galdi, Maass, and Cadinu 2014, p. 400). Consequently, gender stereotypes such as the theory of the male gaze are represented in the contemporary media contents that are aimed at influencing the audience.
The male gaze theory refers to the depiction of women as sexual objectives or elements of pleasure for the male viewing especially in visual arts and literature (Hodkinson 2010, p. 62). In responding to the male masculine voyeurism the visual media tends to sexualize women for the masculine audience. On the same note, the male gaze can take many forms in their depiction in the media especially in their relation to the gender and sexual stereotypes (Ter Bogt et al. 2010, p. 845). Some of the stereotypes that are used in the representation of women in the contemporary media include the depiction of the females as sexually submissive, weak, passive, sensitive, soft, and graceful. Such perceptions are central to the perpetuation of the theory of the male gaze as they make the women characters to be more appealing to the male viewers.
AIMS OF THE STUDY
This study proposes a research to investigate the societal impact of the representation of the gender stereotypes in the contemporary. Investigation of the impact of the male gaze is significant in the determination of the negative and positive representation of the expectations as well as the strategies that are used by the media to conform to the societal stereotypes. Furthermore, the proposed study is essential in the determination of the approaches that can be used to subvert or challenge the societal construction of gender that seek to sexualize women. The specific objective of the proposed study is therefore to investigate the influence of the male gaze theory in the representation of gender and sexuality in the contemporary media
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
Some of the research questions that will be answered in the proposed study include: 1) what are some of the changes in the depiction of femininity in the contemporary media? 2) What are some of the societal and cultural impact of the representation of the gender stereotypes in the contemporary media?
LITERATURE REVIEW
Sexuality and gender issues are some of the common areas of studies in the feminist evaluation of the depiction of women in the society. According to Krijnen (2017, p. 1), the second wave of feminism increased interest in the discussion of how the media relate to gender. Consequently, a number of studies have examined the portrayal of the femininity in the visual media especially with the aim of challenging the patriarchal systems and values. Existing studies also investigate the association between the media and the audiences. Hodkinson (2010, p. 83) evaluates how the media affect the audiences and identifies the varying political and cultural influence on the consumers. The author has established the significant impact of media in manipulating the political opinions of the individuals who are exposed to a particular form of media.
The influence arises mainly from the societal construction of a particular subject. For instance, Hodkinson (2010, p. 84) describes the concept of use and gratifications as the primary factor that makes the audiences to actively choose and utilize the media for their own purpose. On the same note, McRobbie(1990, p. 68) indicates that the sales for Jackie as a weekly magazine increased primarily because of the audience’ choice to consume the construction of the teenage feminism. According to Kavka (2014, p.55), reality TV as an example of visual media is another instance that demonstrates sensationalism with the aim of presenting authenticity and twists in plots to not only entertain the audiences but also to communicate specific messages (Hearn and Morgan 2014, p.4). Reality TV has enabled the perpetuation of the gender stereotypes and sexuality by presenting the societal expectations of beauty. Kavka (2014, 56) asserts that the exhibition of the perceived sexualization in reality TV occurs when women as scantily dressed with the aim of drawing large viewership from the male audiences. While the reviewed studies have highlighted the nature of the gender stereotypes and sexuality in the traditional media, the gap of knowledge is observed in the depiction of the male gaze in the contemporary media.
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
All types of media represent images of women and men. Since the media form an important element of people’s lives, such images are insinuated into the individuals’ consciousness at every moment (Gill 2012, p. 736). Consequently, unrealistic, limiting and stereotypical perceptions are perpetuated on the given aspect of the society. The theoretical framework for the discussion in the proposed paper is based on the theme that men and women are depicted in stereotypical ways that are aimed at sustaining and endorsing the socially acceptable perceptions. Consequently, the male gaze and the objectification of women are perpetuated in the media as a way of conforming to the societal stereotypes and depiction of individuals (Halliwell, Malson, and Tischner 2011, p, 39). An example of the representation of the societal stereotypes in the media is the portrayal of the ideal female beauty standards.
In the West, the ideal female beauty is portrayed as thin and young in movies, films, newspapers, and advertisements. Conversely, for a woman to be considered attractive she must conform to the beauty standards as those perpetrated in advertisements and other forms of media (Evans, Riley, and Shankar 2010, p. 115). As sex objects, most societies expect women to acquire and develop qualities such as beauty, powerlessness, passivity, and submissiveness. In depicting women as sex objects whose existence is based on pleasuring male audience, women are sometimes represented as attractive and irresistible to men. Women are habitually pictured as partially or nude with the intention of attracting male consumers. In music videos and other films, females dancing provocatively and sexually suggestive manner are popular among the male audiences (Aubrey and Frisby 2011, p. 475). Similarly, advertisement of products such as make-up and cosmetics often depict women to attract men due to their use of the right commodities.
METHODS
The study proposes to utilize content analysis as the main research methodology for accomplishing objectives. According to Nair (2010, p. 12) is one of the most commonly used research methodologies by media scholars. Content analysis technique refers to the process of systematically categorizing and classifying the communication content based on the predetermined categories (Collins 2011, p. 291). The predetermined categories enable a technical objectivity and hence allowing other researchers to reliably adapt the stipulated research methodology. Content analysis also entails a process in which the researcher seeks to determine what individuals say about a particular subject (Schreier 2012, p. 25). The proposed study will utilize the content analysis technique to evaluate existing studies on the prevailing trends regarding the depiction of sexuality and gender in the contemporary media.
Relevant studies will be searched and retrieved from electronic databases using a search strategy where key terms and phrases are used. Some of the main key phrases used in searching for the relevant studies include ‘male gaze’, ‘gender’, ‘stereotypes’, ‘contemporary’, and ‘sexuality’. The mentioned terms are used to narrow down the search while excluding the irrelevant studies. A secondary analysis is undertaken on the retrieved studies to identify the patterns, themes, and trends relating to the depiction of the gender stereotypes and sexuality in the contemporary media. The justification of the use of content analysis in the paper is based on the advantages of the technique. Content analysis is a relatively less expensive and unobtrusive method that allows for the evaluation of the current events while allowing the generation of data that can be quantified (Nair 2010, p. 12). Consequently, the technique is important in assessing the contemporary aspects relating to the depiction of sexuality and gender in the modern media.
References
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Collins, R.L., 2011. Content analysis of gender roles in media: Where are we now and where should we go?. Sex Roles, 64(3-4), pp.290-298.
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Ter Bogt, T.F., Engels, R.C., Bogers, S. and Kloosterman, M., 2010. “Shake it baby, shake it”: Media preferences, sexual attitudes and gender stereotypes among adolescents. Sex roles, 63(11-12), pp.844-859.
