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To what extent do you agree with the claim that media normalizes male violence? To what extent do you agreewith the claim that media normalizes male violence? Violence is term referring to a condition that causes injury physiological, social or physical well-being of an individual or a group. There has been an increase in interest for the academics, activists and politicians on the issue concerning the responsibility of mass media in reproduction and production of violence. In fact, a lot of debate on matters related to violence in the world has no inclusion of gender.
Moreover, issues related to masculinity as far as violence is concern cause implications in defining violence. However, there is a strong notion that the highest percentage of violence cases involves men, whereby they are involved in killing children and women, and this has led to a discussion concerning the construction of masculine gender. Nevertheless, the paper will focus on gathering ideas supporting the claims that media has been normalizing male violence. Media has received a growing attention in relation to promoting the perception of masculinity power.
This is due to claims related to sense of promoting power of masculinity through media that contributes significantly to violence caused by men. Moreover, the power associated with masculinity establishes a notion of dominance, which is based on the norms against non-dominant groups. However, this notion does not imply that all men are violent; instead, it suggests that violent behaviors are masculine. Furthermore, this is evident from numerous movies watched through media. There are men experiencing unsettling changes, thereby making a section of masculine power to be achievable through attributes such as physical size, strength, and their ability to be violent.
Media created a notion that identity of masculine validation can involve the use of power as an instrument to control and dominate others and this result to violence. In fact, there are males who have gained accessibility to abstract forms of validation in relation to masculinity in issues related to authority in their workplace and economic power. Therefore, men physical body creates the potential for being violent in a way of attaining their asserting their manhood. Moreover, men always have been actively involved in the creation and maintenance of their masculine identity through media, and this has been an ongoing process for individuals and groups of men.
Violence in men is depicted in media through coded mainstream advertisement, whereby violent men are icons such as superheroes. Moreover, there are advertisements on media, which seems to be using men to threaten consumers to buy certain products. The adverts exploit the feeling of inferiority since they are not powerful or violent to provide with products for enhancing qualities (Katz, 2010, 175). On the other hand, there are magazines used to make adverts supporting the relationship between masculinity and violence.
Media has been using violence as a form of genetically programmed characteristics such as military symbolism for enhancing identification and association of masculinity. Advertisers using media to market their products have been demonstrating masculinity using violent male icons. In relation to the association of masculinity due to violence based on gender has made some men feel insecure, powerless or having increased vulnerability on their lives due to their social economic class. In addition, this has led to increased advantage of men over women in situations requiring physical size and strength.
Consequently, this is attributed to size and physical strength that encourage increased prevalent of violence among men. In relation to this, muscles shown through media involving bodybuilding has resulted to high level of insecurity among men and women. In fact, this has led to a notion that muscles are a functional ability of self-defense. Therefore, muscles have become a component of separating men from each other and women. Muscles have been used as a symbol for masculinity, and this is applied through advertisements on media, though masculine of products and services.
Media promotes violence based on gender through cultural power of Hollywood firms, which has been a construction of violence that is not constrained in movies. There are numerous adverts concerning movie that appear on TV and most of these movies comprise of elements of violence and sexuality, which is commonly perpetrated by men. These senses make violence caused by aggression from men to appear as a common thing in life. In fact, this can be explained by the high involvement and participation of men in these movies, whereby they constitute a significant part of the audience.
Similarly, this issue can be attributed to guns as substantial indicators of the power and a component of masculinity developed and broadcasted to numerous audiences. Therefore, in relation to movies and firms, media has contributed significantly to violence among men, which is associated with masculinity. References Katz, J. (2010), Advertising and the Construction of Violent White Masculinity: from Eminem To Clinique For Men, In A.N. Eken, B. Rodriguez, H.G. Akbas, J. Harris, M. Guceri, M.E Bilgic, S. Tack, Z. I.
O nel, (Pp.169-180)
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