How Women’s Bodies are Presented in the Media

ASSIGNMENT RESEARCH ESSAY – 1500 word

 

Your research essay must not be just an overview of the general topic area, although that would be fine for the introductory or background sections. The bulk of your essay must provide an analysis of the subject, one that includes concrete examples based directly on the theory presented in this course.

It is also important for the essay to be reflexive, which means that it considers other categories of identity (e.g., race, class, ability) in addition to gender.

I am provided list of the topics covered up to the point of this essay. Of course much of it may not be relative for the specific topic chosen however there is the requirement of correlating the topic to theories presented throughout course as well as being reflexive of course material as it may apply to the topic in this essay. Just thought it would be easier for you if a bunch of resources were supplied to you. I am also providing you with the outline that has been approved and must be followed, the paragraph I am providing is to start the paper. Each of the body sections identify what needs to be addressed. Note there are absolute mandatory reference required as you will see at the end of the outline. In addition to that see the other resource requirements that follow after the end of the outline. Be sure to address power and privilege somewhere in the essay…..

RESEARCH PAPER OUTLINE

HOW WOMEN’S BODIES ARE PRESENTED IN THE MEDIA

Thin is anorexic, dark skin is dirty, eyes too small, nose too big, breasts too small, hair with no fro, ears stick out, warts belong on the toad and wrinkles belong to dried prunes not on the face or hands of a woman. Hallelujah Botox where have you been I have been waiting for you my whole life! Let us consider the well-being, the human cost in association to the messages elicited by the mass media. This deliberation will be done by providing an overview of how women’s bodies are represented, what problems have risen as a result of this representation, what the advantages of mass media are, and finally what’s changing. Beauty has become something that is constructed not something that ‘is’. Mass media has gone too far with the methods in which they represent women’s bodies and how beauty is observed.

1. Overviews of how women are and in some cases are not represented in the mass media. Specific types of omission can result in adding further insult to injury.
   1. This section will identify typical strategies that have been implemented based on historical representations that tend to keep women in their ‘place’.
   2. Typical ways in which women and their bodies are portrayed such as; weak, passive, delicate, submissive, vulnerable and psychologically unstable or ungrounded as a result of preconceived notions and developmental conditioning of how to behave and present oneself as a woman.
   3. Problems associated to mass media messages.
      1. What perceptions are being received by women and what types of effect does this have on their psychological well-being.
      2. Issues considered will include self-esteem-worth, oppression, eating disorders, body modification.
      3. Strategies used in mass media appear to be similar to what could be considered the psychology of mass media because the methods are appealing to psychologically induced responses.

III. Advantages of mass media.

1. Activist movements for social change.
2. Sharing of information, public awareness of issues.
3. Fine silk lining in the pockets of the corporations.

IV. What is changing in the mass media coverage and representation

1. Today’s body projects, Dove self-esteem film gallery, increased diversity, plus size modeling and women taking on acting roles in films that were previously male dominated roles such as these roles that were previously reserved for men.

 

Absolute Mandatory References must be used

Beauvoir, S. d. (2009). The Second Sex. Toronto: Random House.

Coontz, S. (2011). A Strange Stirring. New York: Basic Books.

Matlin, M. (2008). The Psychology of Women 6 ed. Belmont: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.

Pipher, M. (1994). Reviving Ophelia. New York: Penguin Group.

Scholz, S. (2010). Feminism. New York: Oneworld Publications.

Valenti, J. (2007). Full Frontal Feminism. Berkeley: Seal Press.

*****************END OF OUTLINE********************

Below I have provided additional resources and topic areas covered that correlate to this research paper. There must be three articles cited in the paper from required readings. Websites I included for your convenience and are relative to the section topic. The main section topic this paper is about is highlighted in yellow.

SECTION TOPIC – INTRODUCTION TO WOMEN’S STUDIES

Required Readings were

From Feminist Issues: Race, Class, and Sexuality, read:

• “Introduction” by Nancy Mandell

From Canadian Woman Studies: An Introductory Reader, read:

• “Introduction” by Dorothy E. Smith
• “Women’s Studies: An Inclusive Concept for an Inclusive Field” by Marion M. Lynn

Website recommendations were:

A Guide to Women in Canadian History @ http://www.heroines.ca/

Fordham University @ http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/women/womensbook.html

A Chronology of the Development of Women’s Studies in Canada @ http://www.unb.ca/par-l/chronology3.htm

 

SECTION TOPIC  – HERSTORIES: THEORY, ACTIVISM,  AND WOMEN’E LIVES

Required Readings were

From Feminist Issues: Race, Class, and Sexuality, read:

• Chapter 1, “Liberal, Socialist, and Radical Feminism: An Introduction to Three Theories about Women’s Oppression and Social Change” by Shana L. Calixte, Jennifer L. Johnson, and J. Maki Motapanyane

From Canadian Woman Studies: An Introductory Reader, read:

• “The Ontario Medical College for Women, 1883-1906” by Lykke de la Cour and Rose Sheinin
• “Our Mothers Grand and Great: Black Women of Nova Scotia” by Sylvia Hamilton
• “Women in Huron and Ojibwa Societies” by Marlene Brant Castellano

Website recommendations were:

Duke University. Special Collections Library @ http://scriptorium.lib.duke.edu/wlm/

Jofreeman.com @ http://www.jofreeman.com/photos/MissAm1969.html#photos

Oregon state university @ http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/phl302/texts/wollstonecraft/woman-contents.html

Parks Canada @ http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng//progs/lhn-nhs/femmes-women/index.aspx and http://www.pc.gc.ca/canada/proj/fcdv-wwv/itm3-/fcdv-wwv1c_e.asp

 

SUBJECT TOPIC – UNESSENTIAL WOMEN AND THE THIRD WAVE

Required Readings were:

From Feminist Issues: Race, Class, and Sexuality, read:

• Chapter 2, “An Introduction to Feminist Poststructural Theorizing” by Sharon Rosenberg (pages 40-42)
• Chapter 4, “Feminist Theorizing on Race and Racism” by Raimunda Reece

Required Readings were:

From Feminist Issues: Race, Class, and Sexuality, read:

• Chapter 3, “Third-Wave Feminisms” by Lara Karaian and Allyson Mitchell

From Canadian Woman Studies: An Introductory Reader, read:

• “Feminism and Young Women: Alive and Well and Still Kicking” by Candis Steenbergen

Website recommendations:

Resources for Lesbian and Bisexual Women @ http://lesbian.org/

Queer Resources Directory @ http://www.qrd.org/qrd/

Queer Theory @ http://www.queertheory.com/queer_theory_site_index.htm

The Miss G Project @ http://www.wix.com/themissgproject/index_new

Third Wave foundation @ http://www.thirdwavefoundation.org/

Toujours RebELLEs! Waves of Resistance @ http://www.rebelles.org/en/node

 

SUBJECT TOPIC – ADVOCATING FOR A BETTER WORLD: WOMEN AND ACTIVISM

Required Readings were:

From Canadian Woman Studies: An Introductory Reader, read:

• “Building a Culture of Peace: An Interview with Muriel Duckworth and Betty Peterson” by Evie Tastsoglou and Marie Ann Welton
• “Wench Radio: Funky Feminist Fury” by Wench Radio Collective

From Canadian Woman Studies: An Introductory Reader, read:

• “The Canadian Disabled Women’s Movement: From Where Have We Come?” by  Pat Israel and Fran Odette

From Canadian Woman Studies: An Introductory Reader, read:

• “Feminism, Peace, Human Rights and Human Security” by Charlotte Bunch
• “Local Activisms, Global Feminisms and the Struggle Against Globalization” by Angela Miles

Website recommendations were:

Barbara Robertson’s Home Page. Women and Disability Resources. @  http://members.tripod.com/barbara_robertson/Women.htm

Bora Laskin Law Library Women’s Human Rights Resources Database @ http://www.law-lib.utoronto.ca/Diana/whrr/index.cfm?sister=utl&CFID=1498216&CFTOKEN=66130599

Dawn Ontario Disabled Women’s Network Ontario @ http://dawn.thot.net/

Disabled Peoples’ International @ http://www.dpi.org/lang-en/

Feminist Majority Foundation @ http://www.feminist.org/global/index.asp

Infact Canada Infant Feeding Action Coalition @ http://www.infactcanada.ca/Breastfeeding_Rights.htm

Sisterhood is global @ http://sigi.org/

Division for the Advancement of Women @ http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/

http://www.unwomen.org/

 

SUBJECT TOPIC  – DIVERSITY AND DIFFERENCE

Required Readings were

From Canadian Woman Studies: An Introductory Reader, read:

• “Biting the Hand that Feeds Me: Notes on Privilege from a White Anti-Racist Feminist” by Nancy Chater

From Canadian Woman Studies: An Introductory Reader, read:

• “The Boundaries of Identity at the Intersection of Race, Class and Gender” by Didi Khayatt
• “‘The Queen and I’: Discrimination Against Women in the Indian Act Continues” by Lynn Ghel
• “Regulated Narratives in Anti-Homophobia Education: Complications in Coming Out Stories” by Gulzar Raisa Charania

Websites recommendations were:

Muslimah Media Watch http://muslimahmediawatch.org/ and http://muslimahmediawatch.org/2009/07/on-muslim-women-feminism-and-diversity-of-experiences/

SUBJECT TOPIC  – WOMEN. WORK AND CAREGIVING

Required Readings were:

From Feminist Issues: Race, Class, and Sexuality, read:

• Chapter 9, “Mothers’ Maintenance of Families through Market and Family Care Relations” by Amber Gazso

From Canadian Woman Studies: An Introductory Reader, read:

• “Sewing Solidarity: The Eaton’s Strike of 1912” by Ruth A. Frager
• “Freedom for Whom? Globalization and Trade from the Standpoint of Garment Workers” by Roxana Ng

From Canadian Woman Studies: An Introductory Reader, read:

• “Mothering Mythology in the Late 20th Century: Science, Gender Lore and Celebratory Narrative” by Pamela Courtenay Hall
• “The Social Policy Snare: Keeping Women Out of University” by Jennifer Nicole Hines
• “Same-Sex Rights for Lesbian Mothers: Child Custody and Adoption” by Jennifer L. Schulenberg

Website recommendations were:

Media for social change @ http://citizenshift.org/categories/gender

The Feminist eZine @ http://www.lilithgallery.com/feminist/

Media Awareness Network @ http://www.lilithgallery.com/feminist/

Independent Lens @ http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/chinablue/jeans.html

Women’s News Network @ http://womennewsnetwork.net/

Citizenship Media for social change @ http://citizenshift.org/my-cultural-divide-clip-1

 

SUBJECT TOPIC – BODIES AND REPRESENTATIONS

***This is chosen the topic of the essay***

Required Reading were:

From Feminist Issues: Race, Class, and Sexuality, read:

• Chapter 6, “Exacting Beauty: Exploring Women’s Body Projects and Problems in the 21st Century” by Carla Rice

From Canadian Woman Studies: An Introductory Reader, read:

• “Model Athletes: Advertising Images of Women in Sport in Canada , 1950-2006” by Jennifer Ellison
• Erasing Race: The Story of Reena Virk” by Yasmin Jiwani

Website recommendations were:

About-Face @ http://www.about-face.org/

Adios Barbie @ http://www.adiosbarbie.com/

Body Positive @ http://www.bodypositive.com/

Fat!So? @ http://fatso.com/

Fat and Feminist Large Women’s Health Experiences @ http://www.fwhc.org/health/fatfem.htm

New Socialist @ http://newsocialist.org/

The Old Women’s Project @ http://www.oldwomensproject.org/

Real Women Project @ http://www.realwomenproject.org/

SUBJECT TOPIC  – VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

Required Readings were:

From Feminist Issues: Race, Class, and Sexuality, read:

• Chapter 7, “Violence against Women” by Lisa Rosenberg and Ann Duffy

From Canadian Woman Studies: An Introductory Reader, read:

• “Some Reflections on Violence Against Women” by Radhika Coomaraswamy
• “Judging Women: The Pernicious Effects of Rape Mythology” by Janice Du Mont and Deborah Parnis
• “Commemoration for the Montreal Massacre Victims” by Ursula Franklin
• “Taking Off the Gender Lens in Women’s Studies: Queering Violence Against Women” by Janice Ristock

Website recommendations were:

Communities against Violence Network @ http://www.cavnet2.org/

Ibiblio,org @ http://www.cavnet2.org/

Anti-violence Project @ http://www.avp.org/publications.htm

Ontario Women’s Justice Network @ http://www.owjn.org/