How does School and the Media Affect Women and Social Classes?
As we surf the internet, scrolling down our social media page or watching the television, we are bombarded by numerous companies trying to advertise a new product. Sometimes we might see an advertisement that is overly sexualized, exploiting a female’s body so as to catch new customers. Advertisements such as those for a perfume might place a male figure in a leading role, which at times could be portrayed in a negative, controlling manner towards women. Sometimes, companies might use television shows to get people’s attention, by getting a well-known public figure to help brand their product. Those who are willing to be ensnared by these forms of advertisements, might not think …show more content…
She concludes that the media shapes public opinions about classes by framing stories and programming in patterned, predictable, and misleading ways. Jean Kilbourne the author of “Two ways a woman can get hurt”: Advertising and Violence,” is currently serving on the Massachusetts Governor’s Commission on Sexual and Domestic Abuse, has spent most of her professional life teaching and lecturing about the world of advertising, and has produced award winning documentaries on images of women in ads. Similar to the division of classes and genders in the media, division can be observed in schools, according to Jean Anyon, the author of From Social Class and the Hidden Curriculum of Work. Anyon shows how children from an early age are being exposed to a form of division, as they are treated differently based on the class they are in. The media cunningly uses people with a high social status, such as celebrities, in their scheme of gaining people’s attention, while helping to further divide social classes, teaching children how they think children should be treated and how to treat others with the help of divided schools, thus …show more content…
With its power, the media helps to shape our society and it can manipulate people’s emotions to their advantage. Kendall states that, “equality doesn’t exist in contemporary society, but media audiences are encouraged to view themselves as having an “equal right” to purchase items that somehow will make them equal to people above them in the social class hierarchy” (426). Though every class isn’t equal, by slightly giving the impression that everyone is equal, the media is able to lure people into their trap. They’ll use people with a high social status, such as celebrities, to help sell their products, which in turn causes people to buy the product. They’ll be able to sell products that the upper class is using, to those of the lower class, to create some form of equality among them. On the other hand, the media can abuse their power through the content in which they produce. Some types of advertisement, might take advantage of the use sex, which can cause a dehumanization of people especially women. Not only do they divide classes, but they can cause a separation between men and women within different classes. Making mention of a perfume ad, Kilbourne says, “Apply generously to your neck so he can smell the scent as you shake your head ‘no.’ In other words he’ll understand that you don’t really mean it and he can respond to the
As we surf the internet, scrolling down our social media page or watching the television, we are bombarded by numerous companies trying to advertise a new product. Sometimes we might see an advertisement that is overly sexualized, exploiting a female’s body so as to catch new customers. Advertisements such as those for a perfume might place a male figure in a leading role, which at times could be portrayed in a negative, controlling manner towards women. Sometimes, companies might use television shows to get people’s attention, by getting a well-known public figure to help brand their product. Those who are willing to be ensnared by these forms of advertisements, might not think …show more content…
She concludes that the media shapes public opinions about classes by framing stories and programming in patterned, predictable, and misleading ways. Jean Kilbourne the author of “Two ways a woman can get hurt”: Advertising and Violence,” is currently serving on the Massachusetts Governor’s Commission on Sexual and Domestic Abuse, has spent most of her professional life teaching and lecturing about the world of advertising, and has produced award winning documentaries on images of women in ads. Similar to the division of classes and genders in the media, division can be observed in schools, according to Jean Anyon, the author of From Social Class and the Hidden Curriculum of Work. Anyon shows how children from an early age are being exposed to a form of division, as they are treated differently based on the class they are in. The media cunningly uses people with a high social status, such as celebrities, in their scheme of gaining people’s attention, while helping to further divide social classes, teaching children how they think children should be treated and how to treat others with the help of divided schools, thus …show more content…
With its power, the media helps to shape our society and it can manipulate people’s emotions to their advantage. Kendall states that, “equality doesn’t exist in contemporary society, but media audiences are encouraged to view themselves as having an “equal right” to purchase items that somehow will make them equal to people above them in the social class hierarchy” (426). Though every class isn’t equal, by slightly giving the impression that everyone is equal, the media is able to lure people into their trap. They’ll use people with a high social status, such as celebrities, to help sell their products, which in turn causes people to buy the product. They’ll be able to sell products that the upper class is using, to those of the lower class, to create some form of equality among them. On the other hand, the media can abuse their power through the content in which they produce. Some types of advertisement, might take advantage of the use sex, which can cause a dehumanization of people especially women. Not only do they divide classes, but they can cause a separation between men and women within different classes. Making mention of a perfume ad, Kilbourne says, “Apply generously to your neck so he can smell the scent as you shake your head ‘no.’ In other words he’ll understand that you don’t really mean it and he can respond to the