- How is gender constructed in the media?
- To what extent do portrayals of gender influence everyday perceptions of ourselves and our actions?
- In what ways do the media reinforce and sometimes challenge gender inequalities?
Critical Readings: Media and Gender provides a lively and engaging introduction to the field of media and gender research, drawing from a wide range of important international scholarship. A variety of conceptual and methodological approaches is used to explore subjects such as: entertainment; news; grassroots communication; new media texts; institutions; audiences. Topics include:
- Gender identity and television talk shows
- Historical portrayals of women in advertising
- The sexualization of the popular press
- The representation of lesbians on television
- The cult of femininity in women's magazines
- Images of African American women and Latinas in Hollywood cinema
- Sexual violence in the media
- Women in popular music
- Pornography and masculine power
- Women's relationship to the Internet.
This book is ideal for undergraduate courses in cultural and media studies, gender studies, the sociology of the media, mass communication, journalism, communication studies and politics.