Gender Representation in the Media
Develop critical skills for analysing the media through a gendered lens
From Beyoncé performing in front of a lit up ‘Feminist’ sign to the #MeToo movement, feminist issues have never seemed so popular in the media. However, research still consistently highlights the under-representation of women in the media, especially amongst marginalised groups.
On this course, you’ll be introduced to key gender issues. You’ll explore female representation in areas from news to sports to feature films, and discover why equal representation still looks a long way off.
You’ll also consider what can be done to offer alternative depictions of women to the mainstream media.
What topics will you cover?
Studying gender and the media can be complex. First you’ll develop a critical toolkit for thinking about and analysing the media, including:
-
Key concepts and definitions
-
Media monitoring in fact and fiction
Once you’ve developed your critical toolkit, we’ll then put it to work. You’ll explore the representation of women in five crucial areas:
-
Politics
-
Violence
-
Sports
-
Sexualisation and body image
-
Feminist media and digital media
These different topics will allow you to explore the relationship between the media and gender, especially in relation to other structural inequalities including race, age, sexuality and disability. Representations of women in the media can differ across different geographical contexts.
Throughout the course, we’ll ask you to contribute examples of the media where you are in relation to these topics.
