Gender Roles, Research Paper Example

Americans spend a lot of their time in front of their television screens, whether watching network programming, advertisements; cable channels DVDs or rented movies. Studies have shown that in the typical American home the television is turned on for more than seven hours each day, and the average person watches more than three hours of television a day. Young children as well as the elderly are said to watch the most, teenage girls were recorded to be the least; however, teenage girls have other forms of media influence which is similar to television, like magazines. Households which avail of premium cable spend even more time in front of their television sets. A result of this is that people cannot escape the media exposures and the vivid recurring patterns of images we see on television.

The television is found in practically every American home, in some houses now, more than one can be seen (Aubrey and Harrison 111-146). It is safe to conclude from this that television is our nation’s most common and constant storyteller. This makes television responsible for playing a central role in American children’s lives, it provides a fuel for conversation amongst peer groups; even though throughout the decades television has seen much change in technology, program availability and culture, it can be said that the images about gender roles have remained fairly stable (Lauzen, Dozier and Nora Horan 200-214).

The most consistent image we have of women and their part in television can be said that women are underrepresented. Studies have shown that since the early days of television, it can be seen that in prime time hours, men have outnumbered women by two or three to one (Glascock 656-669). The ratio of men to women is very uneven, especially in violence-laden crime and action-adventure programs, however they are more equal in situation comedies. The problem with how women are portrayed in television is also seen in terms of age. Women who are on television appear much younger than men, yet they seem to age a lot faster. Studies have shown that the typical woman on television is in her early thirties, yet the typical man is in his mid to late-thirties; men are seen to be cast in roles and still romantically involved even if they are well above the age of 65, while a women of the same age would be portrayed as elderly and settled, or even alone.

It has also been noted that female characters in cartoons were not as numerous as male characters; this was seen in a study concerning cartoon programming since the 1970s (Aubrey and Harrison 111-146). Female characters were seen on screen less, and they generally played very few lead roles. In connection to this, male roles in cartoons were seen to portray more aggression, and females were not seen as capable of doing so.

Fictional television series have increased in numbers dramatically since the 1950s. More than half of those shows fall into a category of comedy (Olson and Douglas 409-429). These sitcoms follow a simple formula of establishment, complication, confusion and resolution. Family problems are seen to be easily resolved and they are done so with the use of humor. Gender roles have been seen as one of the many changing aspects when it comes to family life, not just in television.

This type of gender inequality is not only seen in television programming, but can be found in commercials and advertising; a big part of American media culture (Glascock 656-669). We do not notice how much of role advertising plays in defining gender; however, we may want to consider these questions: have you ever wondered why commercials of household products generally show women cleaning the home instead of men? Or, why beer commercials show men sitting around the house, watching sports and drinking beer instead of women?

Gender stereotypes were generally based on social roles and their acceptability in society (Lauzen, Dozier and Nora Horan 200-214). This can be traced back from the times of Uncle Sam, where men were recruited to serve in the army, and women were expected to stay at home and look pretty. Advertisements and television programming show gender roles which are believed to be acceptable in today’s society, and they are reflective of what people do in everyday life (Olson and Douglas 409-429). These are roles seen as childcare, domestic chores, workplace activities and romantic relationships.

Studies have shown that people believe it would be better if women stayed at home, and if men were the breadwinners of the family (Glascock 656-669). This may seem like a traditional attitude; however this is what domestic comedies portray the ideal family to be like. These portrayals of family roles are very influential to children; this is because of their very limited experience with various family types, their level of exposure to television and the things they witness in their home, if they are in conjunction with what television shows them. The expectations of real-life family may be directly affected by this information the television is showing our young viewers.

Television is seen as the dominant portal for portraying stereotypical gender roles and behaviors (Lauzen, Dozier and Nora Horan 200-214). This can be seen from male dominance to female nurturance. However, there are significant changes in recent television shows which now include women stepping out of the home and seeking out more untraditional roles. During the last two decades, it has been noted that women are portrayed to take part in the workforce, and relationships between husband and wives have become more and more equal; husbands are now more open to share in childcare and work around the house (Glascock 656-669). This is taken as an assumption that media is reflective on society, and not the other way around, there is a growing acceptance in gender-role behaviors and equality.

Television still does continue to play a role in defining gender standards in America, these standards have seen to change, but not dramatically, and not in all aspects of media. The television shows which do show deviance from traditional aspects of gender roles are remarked as bizarre by the audience, and its fictitiousness is still underlined.

Works Cited

Martha M Lauzen, David M. Dozier and Nora Horan. “Constructing Gender Stereotypes Through Social Roles in Prime-Time Television”. Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media, 2008: 52.2; pp. 200-214.

Jennifer S. Aubrey and Kristen Harrison. “The Gender-Role of Children’s Favorite Television   Programs and It’s Links to Their Gender-Related Perceptions”. Media Psychology, 2004: 6; pp. 111-146.

Jack Glascock. “Gender Roles on Prime-Time Network Television: Demographics and Behaviors”. Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media, 2001: 45.4; pp. 656-669.

Beth Olson and William Douglas. “The Family on Television: Evaluation of Gender Roles in Situation Comedy”. Sex Roles, 1997: 35.5/6; 409-429.