Wednesday, 30 June 2010

GENDER STEREOTYPES IN MUSIC: Current Research Findings


  • Men enaged in significantly more aggressive and dominant behaviour
  • Men represented at independent, adventurous, unemotional and competent
  • Stereotypical Gendered occupations apparent (i.e. Males as FireFighters/ Mechanics Women as Cheerleaders/ Waitress)
  • Women engaged in significantly more explicit, sexual and passive behaviour
  • Women are represented as objects of sexual advances or as sexual objects
  • Sex role steretyping and negative attitudes towards females
  • Women more likely to be presented in provocative or revealing clothing
  • Women portrayed as decorative objects that dance, pose and do not play instruments
  • Research findings are not restricted to the Hip Hop genre

FEMINISM (1960/70)

  • A movement in which women questioned their position within patriarchal society & the 'private sphere' of home/children/domestic bliss.
  • Serves to uncover, challenge and elimate oppression and dominant gender imagery
  • Women began to debate the narrow range of stereotypes across all media
  • Women were seen as either virgins, mothers or promiscuous
  • Women were seen as sexual objects
  • Women are inferior to men
  • Women as domestic/based in the home

SEXUAL OBJECTIFICATION AND THE MALE GAZE (LAURA MULVEY 1975)

  • Definition of Voyeurism: Erotic pleasures gained from looking at a sexual object (who is unaware of being watched)
  • Presence of women solely for the purpose of display (rather than narrative function)
  • Female on display is passive and objectified for a male gaze regardless of viewers gender
  • Voyeuristic treatment of female body in 'male' videos- use of dancers as adornments to the male ego
  • The inclusion of women for women for display is a staple element in music video's- across all genres
  • Women connote to-be-looked-at-ness and are the object of the male gaze

POST FEMINISM AND THE FEMALE GAZE

  • A re-appraisal of Feminist values
  • Does not strive for 'equality' as this assumes men are 'the best'- they wish to surpass male achievements
  • Objected to theories which position them as objects of the 'male gaze'
  • Identifies a 'female gaze'- women actively desiring men
  • Women began to assert their right to dress and be sexually attractive as long as they are in control.

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