Introduction
The UNESCO article ” Gender equality in media content and operations: articulating academic studies and policy – a presentation” thoroughly analyzes media outlets’ difficulties in promoting gender equality and offers helpful suggestions for enhancing gender representation and minimizing gender stereotypes in media content. Overall, the article offers valuable insight into the difficulties of gender representation in media and presents ideas that can be implemented. The function of media in forming cultural views regarding gender is discussed in Chapter 13 of Lindsey’s book “Gender: Sociological Perspectives,” along with the ways in which media representations of gender can support or contradict gender-based stereotypes and inequities. These ideas are supported by the Lourenço’s (2016) article, which emphasizes the critical part that media portrayal plays in influencing cultural attitudes toward gender.
Gender
This article’s identification of the institutionalized prejudices in the media sector, such as the underrepresentation of women in leadership roles and the enduring use of gender stereotypes in media content, is one of its strong points. The paper also draws attention to the possible drawbacks of gender biases in the media, such as the reinforcement of prejudice and violence against women (Lourenço, 2016). The article offers valuable suggestions for combating gender biases in media material, such as the necessity of boosting the proportion of women in positions of authority, encouraging gender-sensitive reporting and promoting gender mainstreaming in media content.
In order to advance gender equality and lessen gender stereotypes, the essay also stresses the significance of presenting varied voices and experiences in media material. The article emphasizes the significance of media representation in forming cultural attitudes toward gender and supports the notion that gender is a socially constructed identity (Lourenço, 2016). Moreover, in relation to the course concepts from chapter 13 of Lindsey’s “Gender: Sociological Perspectives,” this concept is influenced by cultural norms and expectations (Lindsey, 2020). Thus, it underscores the necessity of structural reforms to achieve gender equality in the media and the impact that power and privilege have on how gender is portrayed in the media.
However, the essay does not address some of the more significant systemic problems, such as the lack of diversity in media ownership and the effect of advertising on female representation in media content. The intersectionality of gender and how gender intersects with other types of identity, such as race, class, and sexuality, are also not discussed in the article. A more intersectional approach to gender representation in media is required to overcome these problems (Fu, 2022). This would entail identifying the ways in which various facets of identity interact and impact how gender is portrayed in media, as well as creating solutions to these problems (Hinnosaar, 2019). In addition, improving advertising transparency and addressing the lack of diversity in media ownership would also help to lessen gender bias in media content.
Conclusion
In summary, the UNESCO article presents a solid framework for comprehending the difficulties of gender representation in media and offers actionable advice for resolving these concerns. To address the deeper structural problems that fuel gender biases in media content, it is vital to take a more intersectional approach to gender representation in media. The article supports key ideas from Chapter 13 of Lindsey’s “Gender: Sociological Perspectives” by highlighting the significance of media representation in forming cultural attitudes toward gender, the influence of privilege and power on gender representation in the media, and the necessity of structural changes to achieve gender equality in the media.
References
Fu, Y. (2022). Research on the influences of social media to gender equality. SHS Web of Conferences, 148, 03026. Web.
Hinnosaar, M. (2019). Gender inequality in new media: Evidence from Wikipedia. Journal of Economic Behavior &Amp; Organization, 163, 262–276. Web.
Lindsey, L. L. (2020). Gender: Sociological Perspectives (7th ed.). Routledge.
Lourenço, M. E. (2016). Gender equality in media content and operations: articulating academic studies and policy – a presentation. Studies in Higher Education, 41(5), 927–931. Web.