In what ways do image construct identities?

By Jasmine Kamel

• “With a simple flip of the television channel or radio station, or a turn of the newspaper or magazine page, we have at our disposal an enormous array of possible identity models.” (Grodin & Lindlof 1996)

The gap….

• The representations of gender roles exaggerate the gap between men and women greatly, when really this is not the case in reality.

• Some would say that masculinity and femininity is not a chose, and any deviation is a pathology.

• These roles are normalized by the repetition that occurs constantly and are shown day after day in media images.

Women and Men

passive Main Character

weak Strong

mother independent

dependent Violent

White Hetrosexual

hetrosexual powerful

White

The ‘gendered gaze’• Laura Mulvey (1975) emphasized the phrase ‘the

gendered gaze’ she highlighted that the way that the camera is used naturalizes different ways of looking at men and women and encourages the gap between masculinity and femininity.

• She pointed out the power of the gaze and how much the camera objectified women and increasingly men as well.

• Not only does it objectify them it also normalizes their objectification. She also explains that’s treating a person, as an object is dangerous because it makes them easy to be forgotten and disposed off.

Heterosexuality?

• In the past heterosexuality was the norm in society, the media have taken that and Repeatedly shown them in there images even though today’s society is a mix of sexuality’s.

• in the media based world anyone who’s not heterosexual, would be considered abnormal.

• To have feminine qualities is seen as a negative attribute when it comes to a male figure.

Example…

• http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/11/27/article-0-163A0845000005DC-520_634x364.jpg

• This advert repeats the constant stereotype of heterosexuality being a norm, the male is coming back from work and the women being the caring mother cooking and taking care of the kids

• Defines the purpose of the advert and focuses mostly on the representations that they shown.

Conclusions….

• Everything to do with images portrayed to us such as shot type, costume, the way the models or actors are positioned and the narrative creates identities, these are usually representations that are normalized but wouldn't’ necessarily be normal in reality. The gap between masculinity and femininity isnt as wide as it is shown. The media does play a big part in constructing identities, because it has embedded a norm by images to people from a young age. They will always show representations..

Even in snowmen…..

End