OUGD603 - Brief 6 - Codes of Gender Documentary

Notes taken while watching the documentary.


Erving Goffman, sociologist and author of "the presentation of self in everyday life."
Goffman argues that there is nothing natural about gender identity. It is not embedded in our genes. Society constructs the categories in which we think we fit.

The difference between sex and gender.
Sex: The different biological characteristics at birth.
Gender: The cultural definitions to physical differences. These differences are further defined with different characteristics.

Female:

• Dependent 
• Emotional
• Empathetic

Male:

• Strong 
• Intelligent 
• Competitive

These are labeled as masculine and feminine. 

Western culture mainly operates with a 2 sex, 2 gender distinction. When discussing gender we mainly focus on the differences rather than looking at the similarities.

Gender Display: The process whereby we perform the roles expected of us by social convention.

In advertising, the feminine touch is seen as soft. Rather than carrying objects and being in control of them they are holding them lightly and delicately. In contrast, the masculine touch is seen as powerful and assertive. Controlling and bold.

The feminine reclining position seen in advertising shows women as helpless and defenseless. It is a submissive and powerless position. Masculinity is is all about power and not showing weaknesses. A typical masculine position in advertising is the arms folded pose. This shows strength, confidence and is threatening. 

Modern advertising shows  men as objects of the gaze, rather than being the ones looking. E.g. Abercrombie and Fitch.  

In contrast to the submissive and powerless femininity, a new form of femininity has emerged: feminine power. People such as female action heroes. They are active and in control, tough girls who aren't the victims. E.g, Uma Thermon in Kill Bill and Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft in Tomb Raider.Seen as confident, empowered and in charge women. But for all their displays of stereotypical masculine power, it is still not enough to break the old feminine codes. The traditional gender code is never far from the surface, women are still sexualised and prove they are just girls no matter how empowered they are.

Advertising takes something that already exists and by concentrating it and privileging it in the culture (and ingorning other things) it creates new meaning of gender.