I took this photograph on the 4th of October 2015, at Aura Leisure Centre in my home town of Dundalk. It’s a sign up in the weight room of the gym. It’s there to encourage those who lift weights to return them to where they got them in the first place. This particular sign always bothered me, so this is what prompted me to take this picture.
In an area of the gym mainly used by men, it is appears that it is directed towards them as the term ‘girls’ is used. The stereotype of the man being the stronger sex is a subtle message here I think. According to Connell and Pearse (2015), ‘men are supposed to be aggressive, tough-minded, taciturn, rational, analytic, and promiscuous’. Gender norms and roles are being reinforced with this sign. “Gender …show more content…
The word ‘weak’ has negative connotations and seems was used to undermine the male reader. The inclusion of the term ‘girls’ along with ‘staff’ is major factor in pushing the stereotypes. It sounds very condescending towards the female staff of the gym, that they are ‘girls’ and not seen as equal with the other ‘staff’ stated. When the word ‘girls’ is used, one would think of a small, female child, not as strong as an adult female. This suggests that if a male cannot lift the heavy weights to put back, they should call a ‘girl’, who by nature should be a lot less capable of lifting them. ‘The notion that lifting has developed a sexist connotation towards women has prevented the female culture from stepping out of their comfort zone because societal norms tell them not to (Gerhard and Tanner, 2013). It not only discourages the women who want to lift weights here, but also knocks the esteem of the male who genuinely does not possess that much …show more content…
The notion of a female having more strength than a male is one that isn’t even considered remotely true in everyday life. For a male to go into a gym and not be able to lift like his fellow ‘alpha male’ can be a source of embarrassment and knock self confidence. There is a need to prove ones masculinity not only to the opposite sex, but to other males also. ‘Hegemonic Masculinity is a concept that comes from R. W. Connell’s (1995/2005) exploration of how our dominant ideas about what it means to be a man influence the behaviours of actual men in any given society’ (Ryle, 2014). This customer message emphasises how the male is assumed the stronger sex and there for has the ability to put weights back. The idea is to ‘shame’ those into tidying up after themselves, and the manner in which they do it is to question masculinity. Once again, reinforcing the notion that one is not a man unless he is stronger than ‘girls’ or ‘women’.
The message is ended with what appears to be a ‘winky face’, which signs it off with an element of cheekiness. Almost to subtly say ‘of course we don’t expect any man to need one of the girls to help them’. Women are suppose to be subordinate to men, and this is just one way in everyday life how it is promoted even unbeknownst to us.
In an area of the gym mainly used by men, it is appears that it is directed towards them as the term ‘girls’ is used. The stereotype of the man being the stronger sex is a subtle message here I think. According to Connell and Pearse (2015), ‘men are supposed to be aggressive, tough-minded, taciturn, rational, analytic, and promiscuous’. Gender norms and roles are being reinforced with this sign. “Gender …show more content…
The word ‘weak’ has negative connotations and seems was used to undermine the male reader. The inclusion of the term ‘girls’ along with ‘staff’ is major factor in pushing the stereotypes. It sounds very condescending towards the female staff of the gym, that they are ‘girls’ and not seen as equal with the other ‘staff’ stated. When the word ‘girls’ is used, one would think of a small, female child, not as strong as an adult female. This suggests that if a male cannot lift the heavy weights to put back, they should call a ‘girl’, who by nature should be a lot less capable of lifting them. ‘The notion that lifting has developed a sexist connotation towards women has prevented the female culture from stepping out of their comfort zone because societal norms tell them not to (Gerhard and Tanner, 2013). It not only discourages the women who want to lift weights here, but also knocks the esteem of the male who genuinely does not possess that much …show more content…
The notion of a female having more strength than a male is one that isn’t even considered remotely true in everyday life. For a male to go into a gym and not be able to lift like his fellow ‘alpha male’ can be a source of embarrassment and knock self confidence. There is a need to prove ones masculinity not only to the opposite sex, but to other males also. ‘Hegemonic Masculinity is a concept that comes from R. W. Connell’s (1995/2005) exploration of how our dominant ideas about what it means to be a man influence the behaviours of actual men in any given society’ (Ryle, 2014). This customer message emphasises how the male is assumed the stronger sex and there for has the ability to put weights back. The idea is to ‘shame’ those into tidying up after themselves, and the manner in which they do it is to question masculinity. Once again, reinforcing the notion that one is not a man unless he is stronger than ‘girls’ or ‘women’.
The message is ended with what appears to be a ‘winky face’, which signs it off with an element of cheekiness. Almost to subtly say ‘of course we don’t expect any man to need one of the girls to help them’. Women are suppose to be subordinate to men, and this is just one way in everyday life how it is promoted even unbeknownst to us.