David Gauntlet - Masculinity
Read this extract from Media, Gender and Identity by David Gauntlett . This is another university-level piece of academic writing so it will be challenging - but there are some fascinating ideas here regarding the changing representation of men and women in the media. 1) What examples does Gauntlett provide of the "decline of tradition"? Women are no longer seen as house wives or low-status workers Focus on men's emotions, need for advice and problems with masculinity instead of ideas of toughness, stubborn self-reliance, and emotional silence. The whole idea of "tradition" in modern media seems strange and unwanted 2) How does Gauntlett suggest the media influences the way we construct our own identities? He suggest that the media such as television programmes, pop songs, adverts, movies and the internet all also provide numerous kinds of 'guidance', not necessarily in the obvious form of advice-giving, but in the myriad suggestions of ways of living ...
