Media Portrayal of Gender Roles
As seen through the three Sociological Perspectives
Gender Portrayals in the Media
The media portray gender roles as negative social effects of using stereotypes. In the media, there is a dominate model family. Men are portrayed to be the providers in a family and to be head of the household. Women are to be behind and work at a lower position of their husbands. They usually stay at home and take care of the house and look after the children.
Functionalism and Gender
Functionalist argue that any pattern of behavior that does not benefit society will become unimportant. According to functionalism, the division of responsibilities between males and females survived because it benefited human living.
Functionalism and Gender Portrayals in the Media
Functionalist would view gender portrayal as a function. They would believe that the genders are a based division of labor. Functionalist would think that how males and females are portrayed in the media is of the norm.
Conflict Theory and Gender
According to conflict theory, it is to men's advantage to prevent women from gaining access to political, economic, and social resources.
Conflict Theory and Gender Portrayals
There is patriarchy when it comes to women in congress. Women are being denied high status occupations for the benefit of men. Conflict Theorists see traditional gender roles as outdated.
Symbolic Interactionism and Gender
Symbolic Interactionists focus on how boys and girls learn to act the way they are "supposed to act."
Symbolic Interactionism and Gender Portrayals
Symbolic Interactionists are seeing that society is favoring males over females. Gender is acquired in large part from interaction with parents, teachers, and peers. Parents are vitally important in gender socialization because they transfer values and attitudes regarding how boys and girls should behave.