Research

Media Magazine 17 'Magazines and Gender' written by Stephen Hill

• 'Gender is different to sex; there is general consensus that while sex is biologically given, gender is a social construct.'
• 'Like other aspects of post-modernity, current attitudes towards gender politics have become fragmented, characterised by playfulness and irony.'
• '...the contradictory assumptions made about gender in these magazines can be seen as a reflection of the gendered order of society and culture.'

It's important to understand that sex doesn't define anyone's characteristics or personality but it's gender which is constructed by the media and society. However, these representations of gender have became fragmented and detached as seen through various media texts signifying that no real representation is completely true or reliable. Overall this source highlights the contradictory representations presented to us throughout the media which are used in order to appeal to the more mainstream or perhaps niche audiences and how aspects as simple as the font can be used to construct these representations. 

The Representation of gender roles in the media by University West Spring 2012

• 'The starting point in gender theory then is that the features/traits that we consider as being feminine or masculine is socially constructed, and has changed throughout history.'  
• '...previous studies show that if women are represented, if at all, it is usually in a negative manner, as an object, subordinated or as a victim that needs to be saved: in some cases women are even portrayed as less successful than men.' 
• 'Women are represented as striving towards being as beautiful as possible, and as young-looking as possible.'

 ' Feminine Traits       
  Physically weak, Submissive, Emotional, Dependant, Afraid, Fearful, Nurturing, Troublesome, Follower, Victim, Described as physically attractive, Asks for or accepts advice.'
      
Masculine traits are usually considered to be the complete opposite when looking at a typical, conventional media texts.

This overall text demonstrates how gender roles are constructed by the media and that some audiences already have different perceptions of men and women due to the media. It also highlights the fact that men are represented very differently to women and are usually presented as the dominant beings in a patriarchal society. In some texts some women are represented as materialistic and concerned with their physical appearance by using the example of the film Sex and the City.