Essay Plan & Feedback

This was my very first essay plan for my chosen question on gender. I had almost everything in mind such as the images and sources I would use. However after the feedback I realised the ideas I had formed up to that point were very vague and had little direction. I needed to revisit the question, and refine the information I had gathered and go from there.

Peer feedback

• Find more examples of adverts where typical gender roles are subverted

• Look at the extremity of perpetuating gender roles

• Think about why these roles are presented - where the values come from

"To what extent does advertising construct our ideas of gender"

I think with this question it would be easy to veer off into many different subjects, or magnify one aspect far too much and ignore all of the others.

What to do next

• List and examine 'gender roles' and other ideas on gender - what they are, what roles exist, why?

• Find adverts that endorse or reflect these ideas

• Look at sources that address the relationship between advertising and gender, its effects on us as people, HOW it informs our concepts of gender.

• Look at sources that may explain the ORIGINS of our ideas on gender; e.g. what is masculinity? why is something considered masculine/feminine?

Source Notes | 'The Hidden Persuaders'

Another recommended source for the essay question on gender was 'The Hidden Persuaders' by Vance Packard (pages 65-95).

This publication focused primarily on the advertisement industry, however there were still sections that examined the relationship between gender and advertising that I could choose to integrate into my essay at a later date.

It is also worth noting that the book was published in 1957, and so the advertisements and the values they convey reflect the historical context of that time.

Unlike the previous article I looked at from Berger, Packard takes an unbiased stance and doesn't argue or point out the wrongs of these advertisements, nor does he comment on how they may affect audiences (e.g. perpetuating roles, stereotypes). Could this also be attributed to the year it was published? Or is this just the author's voice?

Notes

• People buy products that project images of themselves

• Brand loyalty (petrol, cigarrettes, cars..)

• (in buying a car) 'I am looking for a car that expresses who I am'

• Buick car ad 'It makes you feel like the man you are'

• P92 - a Midwestern ad agency found 'buying a shiny, new, and more powerful car every couple of years' gives the buyer a 'renewed sense of power' and 'reassures him of his own masculinity'

• Study for 'The Chicago Tribune' by Social Research, inc - 352 car owners in the Chicago area, investigators found that a minority of the populations (mostly men in lower class), have any real interest in the technical aspect of cars.

P70 - major finding is that automobiles are 'heavily laden with social meanings' and are esteemed because they provide ways for expressing 'character, temperament, and self concept' of the owner

P71 - words associated with cadillac 'proud, flashy, salesman, middle-aged, good income…'


• American Airlines - fear of dying from customers, drop in sales. Money spent on image/campaign with an emphasis of safety

Dr Dichter - projective tests that permitted travellers to imagine themselves being killed in an air crash

Investigators found that the thought in men's minds wasn't death at all, but how their family would receive the news - they didn't fear death but post-humous embarrassment

Airline took this fear by aiming its campaign at 'the little woman' to persuade her that her husband would get home faster via plane, and to get her in the air through family flying plans.

Study Task 2 | Reading & Understanding a Text

Tone of voice | Although the points raised by Berger have elements of truth, it cannot be ignored that a certain amount of validity is removed as he is a man, commenting on the experiences of women. Additionally, the opinions expressed in the text could be viewed as biased as they are predominantly eurocentric, and they focus only on heterosexual relationships. The language of the text itself is academic, but fairly easy to comprehend.

5 key points | A woman's presence expresses her own attitude to herself, and defines what can and cannot be done to her

Women are taught from an early age to survey themselves and their appearances continually

How a woman appears to a man can determine how she will be treated

Men look and observe women for their own pleasure, but when a woman observes herself or considers her appearance for her own self, she is vain

A man's presence suggests what he is capable of doing to you or for you. A woman's presence suggests what can be done to her. (The language used here contrasts - aggressive for the man, passive/submissive for the woman)

5 key quotes | "To be born a woman has been to be born, within an allotted and confined space, into the keeping of men"

"From earliest childhood she has been taught and pursuaded to survey herself continually"

"How she appears to men, is of crucial importance for what is normally thought of as the success of her life"

"This nakedness is not, however, an expression of her own feelings; it is a sign of her submission to the owner's feelings or demands"

"The ideal was broken. But there was little to replace it except the 'realism' of the prostitue - who became the quintessential woman of early avant-garde 20th century painting"

the man himself..

This extract from ‘Ways of Seeing’ by Berger not only analyses the ways in which women are viewed within society, but how classical art, namely European nude paintings, depict women and mirror these societal views. A running theme within the text is the idea of spectatorship – how men have always been the spectators and women have been the recipients of their gaze. Consequentially, most art, images, and other depictions of women have been engineered (knowingly or otherwise) with the male viewer in mind.

This creates damaging portrayals of women as they are tied to a male’s perspective of themselves instead of being completely autonomous. Berger references a portrait of Charles II’s mistress Nell Gwynne, mentioning that her naked form doesn’t reflect her own feelings, but that it is ‘a sign of her submission to the owner’s feelings or demands’. This infers that women have always been viewed as separate from their own sexuality, affirming their roles as passive subjects.

This leads on to Berger’s comment that women have been ‘taught and persuaded to survey [themselves] continually’, becoming the ‘surveyor and the surveyed’. Male approval has been viewed as highly important for women throughout history due to a combination of reasons; men have made up the majority of those in positions of authority, and also due to traditional values and roles for women – courtship, marriage, child bearing and motherhood. These roles arguably involve some level of ‘male approval’ and culturally, have always determined a woman’s success in life.

Gender in Advertising | Visual research

"To what extent does advertising construct our ideas of gender?"

Having selected the essay question I wanted to explore, I went on to look at examples of how gender is portrayed within advertising. I found images from a range of time periods, covering a number of products.

Although the older examples were shocking, in some ways it was more saddening to see that very similar messages are still being perpetuated today. Here are a few that I found..

Jimmy Choo (2006) | In this instance violence and death (possibly as a result of a violent act?) is intermingled with sexuality. The female model is passive, silenced.

American Apparel | This set of images are comparison photos for an identical product that is featured on the brand's website. The men's version is simply a photo of the model displaying how the product is worn, however the female version is extremely sexualised and becomes less about the garment.

Shaving cream ad | Below the text stating "Two ways a woman can get hurt" lie images of a boyfriend/male lover, and a razor. This advertisement normalises domestic abuse, affirming it as part of living as a woman.

Del Monte ketchup ad (1953) | Uses misogyny to highlight the 'ease' of a product. Implications of inferiority when compared to the masculine figure that the ad refers to without showing them.

Fiat advert with graffitti (1970s) | The original text on the billboard likens a product/object to a woman. It also conveys the message that things of beauty or attractiveness warrant physical attention. The language used in the ad cements this as fact with assertive words like 'would'. Another issue with the advert is that it validates male behaviours by saying that is how women should be treat.

Preparatory Research Task

SOCIAL
adjective

1. relating to society or its organisation
      synonyms: community, collective, group, societal
        antonyms: individual

2. needing companionship and therefore best suited to living in communities

    relating to or designed for activities in which people meet each other for pleasure
       synonyms: recreational, entertainment, leisure

3. zoology - (of a mammal) living together in groups, typically in a hierarchical system with complex communications

Charles | Alec Soth

Sell Out Crowd | Ningeokuluk Teevee

CULTURAL

noun

1. the arts and other manifestations of human intellectual achievement regarded collectively
       synonyms: the arts, humanities, literature, music, painting, philosophy

2. the ideas, customs, and social behaviour of a particular people or society
       synonyms: civilisation, society, way of life, lifestyle, heritage

a defining aspect of what it means to be human, culture is a central concept in anthropology, encompassing the range of phenomena that are transmitted through social learning in human societies

"Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends" - Maya Angelou

Buddha head in coal yard | Greg Girard

Idioms of the World | Marcus Oakley

HISTORICAL
adjective

1. of or concerning history or past events

2. belonging to the past
      synonyms: past, bygone, ancient, old, former, prior
       antonyms: contemporary

the study of the past and how it relates to humans

"The most effective way to destroy people is to deny and obliterate their own understanding of their history" - George Orwell

The Priest and the Dying Soldier | Hector Rondón Lovera

Snail vs. Knight | Smithsfield Decretals, 1300

POLITICAL
adjective

1. of or relating to the government or public affairs of a country
       synonyms: governmental, ministerial, parliamentary

relating to the ideas or strategies of a particular party or group in politics
       synonyms: activist, factional, partisan

(from Greek, politikos - "of, for, or relating to citizens")
       is the practice and theory of influencing other people.
       organised control over a human community or state.

The Self-Immolation of Thích Quảng Đức | Malcolm Browne

Picasso for Amnesty International

TECHNOLOGICAL
technology - noun

1. the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes, especially in industry

2. machinery and devices developed from scientific knowledge

(from Greek, techne, "art, skill, cunning of hand"; and logia)

Ultraviolet Bath, Russia | Joe McNally

Paul Blow

Study Task 1 | Image Analysis

The Uncle Sam Range (1876) by Schumacher & Ettlinger, New York

The first image is an advertisement promoting ‘The Uncle Same Range’ (1876). The overall tone of the advert is heavily patriotic, with stars and stripes pattern adorning most surfaces. A host of other American symbols and imagery are also featured; including Uncle Sam, a bald eagle, the declaration of independence (which can be spotted in a frame), as well as three characters that are named ‘Dixie’ (the South), ‘West’, and ‘England’ (possibly New England?). The abundance of these national symbols definitely casts a jingoistic attitude, which seems to be pushed as part of an advertising tactic.

                The advert is reflective of the social and cultural attitudes of the time. For example various aspects of the image portray racist views; the juxtaposition between the black servant tending the stove and the all-white dinner party members evidences the racial hierarchy in this era, where figures of wealth and power were white. These same themes continue with the items on the bill, such as “bird’s nests” and “grasshoppers” listed under China. The bill almost makes a mockery of other nations, implying they are uncivilised.

                The image also communicates a heightened sense of American pride. This could stem from the fact it was produced in 1876, celebrating 100 years since America gained independence. Because of this, Uncle Sam (a personification of the nation) is situated in an extravagant setting, openly offering food to the caricature of the world. The numerous pots and pans, as well as the extensive list of food that is pictured could be ways of implying that America is prosperous and has a wealth of resources. The target audience of this advertisement is most likely to be white, wealthy Americans. By instilling this sense of pride, those viewing the advert may aspire to obtain the lifestyle that is depicted in the image.

'Colonial Progress Brings Home Prosperity' series of posters by Adrian Allinson;
displayed Dec 1930 - Jan 1931, Waterlow and Sons Ltd

The second lot of images are from the Empire Marketing Board, a set of two posters from the ‘Colonial Progress Brings Home Prosperity’ series (1930-31). The general advertising purpose of these images appears to be justifying colonialism by showing the benefits it can have. However, they are geared towards a white, predominantly male audience as they would be the ones benefiting from such practices, not the indigenous peoples. 

                The two posters act as a sort of ‘before and after set’ – with the top image depicting a group of East-Africans carrying out daily tasks. However the difference between the two is the influence of the white man – with the second image showing the addition of transport, bridges, equipment, and how the Africans are being utilised as a workforce. The ‘new style’ image tries to portray colonialism as a positive thing, suggesting it is the driving force behind the betterment of a society with feats of human engineering and other modern achievements. 

                The top image is more abundant in natural imagery, which could be a metaphor for primitivism and, what Westerners would class as a ‘backward’ way of living (carrying things manually, living amongst animals). The African people are represented in a dehumanising manner, either with scornful expressions or no facial features at all. With this lack of human emotion or individuality, they are reduced to being a commodity. Both images also show the erasure of the indigenous culture – from wearing traditional dress to adopting a western style of clothing. As well as that, they appear to abandon their former way of life and are made to work for the white landowners. 

When comparing each of the images they both share themes of racism, glorifying the West and its attitudes. They both support the assimilation of other cultures/non-whites into a Western way of living. Technology is hailed as a sign of a civilised society and progress within both advertisements, with whites championing the way in technological advancements. In terms of their historical contexts, the two images write positive accounts of American/British history, and seem to skirt over or justify any dark truths as being for a ‘greater good’. Because these advertisements are created by and for a powerful, white audience, these accounts would not have been widely disputed.