Assignment
After watching the video, imagine yourself to be a sociologist and examine gender roles in contemporary U.S. society. Keep in mind that this assignment is not an attempt to extract your personal opinion on particular aspects of society.
You are using scientific anthropological methods to describe specific situations. In other words, if you have an opinion, support it through your empirical observations.
Select 10-15 advertisements from magazines. Answer the following questions in separate sections.
1. Discuss your sample
a. Describe how you collected your ads, from what magazines, how many, dates.
b. List the limitations of your sample. For example, are all magazines like the ones you sampled from?
2. Discuss how gender is portrayed in your sample of ads.
a. How is the portrayal used to sell the product?
b. Discuss how gender roles are reinforced or contested in the situation you observed?
3. Comment on how your findings compare to one of the theories we have discussed in class over the semester.
a. Apply the theory to your observations.
b. Draw one or more conclusions from your analysis.
Answer whether there are limitations to the theory's application to your observation. What does the theory miss or not explain well?
Your project commentary should be limited to 3-4 four pages, grammatically corrected, and typed (double-spaced, no larger than 12 point font).
Additional Email from Instructor regarding Assignment:
As indicated in the syllabus this project involved collection of 15 ads from local and national magazines and how they portray American women. These 15 ads comprise the data set for your research and discussion.
The purpose of the assignment is to understand the role of women in American society and culture. This assignment is designed to help you to understand the role of women in American society and culture as well as the place of women in social institutions (family, religion, economy, media, healthcare, education, government, etc.). It will be best if you read chapter 12 in your book "Gender, Sex, and Sexuality" in your textbook and watch "Dangerous Ways Ads See Women" video before you start this assignment.
The project has two components. First the methodological component. Second the theoretical component.
Methodological Component (Powerpoint file with 15 ads. Discussion question 1)
In this section you discuss how you obtained these ads, what were the sources of you ads, are they old or contemporary magazines, and any other information about your sources. You may use electronic ads from online sources. Whether you use online or print ads, every single ad MUST be included in your project in a Powerpoint file and all your sources (print and/or electronic) MUST be listed in your references.
Theoretical Component (Word file discussion questions 2 and 3)
In this section (discussion question 2) you need to discuss how the images in your ads promote or reinforce cultural practices, beliefs, and assumptions about women, sexuality, gender roles, love, sex, dating, relationships, family, parenting, division of labor, work, social inequality, and gender inequality. What do these ads tell you about social status of women in society? Do these ads promote gender quality or inequality? Domination or subordination?
After you discuss your ads individually, you need to apply your observations and finding to one of the sociological theories and explain how the theory you pick helps you to interpret your data (discussion question 3). To have a better understanding of the theoretical discussion I strongly urge you to read pages 264 and 265"Theoretical Perspectives on Gender" in your textbook.
Video is on youtube :
The Dangerous Ways Ads See Women | Jean Kilbourne |
https://www.dropbox.com/s/a6fu4lgkgsy0jei/ads.zip?dl=0