Essay Plan: Representation...

Examine the reasons why some stereotypes within the media have changed over time? (January 2007)

Introduction:
Define stereotyping is...
Stereotyping is a social classification of a group of people by identifying common characteristics. It applies them in an oversimplified and generalised way, such that assumptions are made about the group concerned.

Paragraph 1:
In the past "women don't count for much, they are underrepresented and are 'symbolically annihilated'". (Tuchman)
Women were stereotyped "that marriage, parenthood and domesticity were..more important for women than men"(Gunter 1995) . Therefore women were only seen as 'housewives' and 'homemakers', in addition "women were left with little value in the T.V World" (Tuchman)
Eg: "Shake and Vac" advert or even Sound of music, where we see both the homemaker who is constantly thinking of the house duties or the maternal role where she is only seen as the carer of children

Paragraph 2:
On the other hand, women were also stereotyped in two categorise. Either they are 'pure, innocent and maternal' therefore seen as the "Madonna".However, they are also represented and stereotyped as 'sexually promiscuous, sinful and loose', therefore seen as the "whore", which then links to Laura Mulvey's "Male Gaze"theory (1975)"They are represented and portrayed as 'powerless' and 'ineffectual'". (Kathi Maio)
Paragraph 3:
Study carried out by McNeil(1975), concluded that women's movement was largely ignored by television, with married housewives being the main female role. However, 1970's second wave of feminism were women began to fight for their equal rights, which then lead to the mid 1980's were "television was increasingly taken women more seriously, types of programmes featured women in a more central manner (Dye 1987)
Paragraph 4:
However, during the 1990's, gender roles became increasingly equal and non-stereotyped on television
1995-1996 studies showed how women took 37% of the speaking roles, where as men took 63% of these speaking roles
1992-1993 only 3% of women were represented as housewives a major decrease from the 70's, furthermore only 8% of women were represented as homemakers
EG: Programmes like "Friends" gave television a refreshing feel to it rather than the traditional T.V programmes viewers were used to
1995-1996 43% of major roles and characters were females

Conclusion:
Women are rising in status throughout the media
"Friends" represented the female characters Rachel, Phoebe and Monica as 'intelligent' and 'non-housewifely'
Programmes such as "Alley McBeal" (1997) and "Sex in the City" (1998) represented women in a different light
Women were given the representation and stereotype as provocative and promiscuous, thus changing the stereotype of women, therefore reinforcing the fact that women are either stereotyped, represented and seen as "the whore" or "the Madonna", thus reflecting the zeitgeist.