How Does Media Influence Gender Role Socialization?

In our last discussion, we discussed the power of the media and its ability to shape our views and perceptions. Through advertising, television programming, movies, and news reports, the media sets the norms for the societies in which we live. This is especially true in regard to gender role socialization. This process of becoming masculine or feminine begins early and continues throughout our lives. Through social learning, “boys and girls learn that certain activities and attitudes are more appropriate for one gender than for the other” (Ferris & Stein, 2014). This is not a new phenomenon. Children have been learning how to act appropriately from their parents, peers, and schools for centuries. What has changed is the enormousness of influence from the media. Don’t get me wrong, the media has been lurking in the foreground of our unconscious minds since its creation in the 1600’s. But, in my opinion, the invention of the television in 1936 is when the media gained its greatest influence. Suddenly, they were right in our living room and with most families tuned in every evening by the mid 1950’s, they were able to influence a large group of people simultaneously. Through television programming, the media was able to …show more content…
C. Mackey argued that “the father/mother split of parental responsibility is greatly tied to physicality--men, biologically, were capable of work that required brute strength…which left women as caretakers of the children” (p. 4). Obviously, todays job market has evolved to the point that brute strength is no longer a requirement for many jobs and women do these jobs as well as men. With the passing of 50 + years, women have entered the workforce to supplement the family income (and themselves) and some hold quite significant positions that earn them a handsome annual