Gender Differences in Advertising - Research Paper Example

Gender Role Portrayal Introduction In gender terms women, are the most dominant feature one will see in the commercials being done on the televisions. Beauty seems to be associated with the number of people who will see the product and at the end be able to purchase it. Societies always appreciate the different genders that are present n the society and this can be viewed through the different allocation of responsibilities with reference to their sexual orientation. People are portrayed differently in the advertising images that are shown both on the television and radios. For instance, there were advertisement son the television channel related to products to be sold to the physicists whereby in most of, the advertisements it was the men who were being portrayed in the advertisements with no women (Cohhen-Kettenis 19). Men were dominating the advertisements while women were only portrayed as sellers of the products but specifically to men. As for those working as physicists, it was the men who were undertaking those responsibilities and they worked in isolation an indication that this was a demanding career that didn’t require disturbances. The skillful roles were given to men an indication that masculinity was the main domineering factor that made men be considered as being strong in society. With reference to women they were depicted as support staff to the offices in which the physicists were found. Men were seen as the only individuals who qualified scientists as women sat back to watch and see what was being undertaken by men. In the case whereby they were not participating as support staff to the scientists, they were expected to be objective in terms of their appearances an indication that they were emphasizing on their looks only. Therefore in the case were we want women to be presented in terms of the physical sciences then it would be with reference to their beauty and support nature. Sociological Concepts In most advertisements, women are portrayed as a racial minority group in the sense that they are preferred when it comes to promoting advertisement. In most of the cases, the advertisements tend to portray women as sex objects as most of the advertisements show them when they are almost nude. Despite the fact that they are regarded as promotional strategies, the nature is which they are presented sounds stereotyping to them. The advertisements serve as a basis for distinguishing the different roles that are given to different individuals with the society with reference to the sexual orientation in the society. The way women are portrayed in the advertisements is regarded as inappropriate in the sense that it brings with it stereotypes as some go ahead to view women as being lose and immoral. Models and Roles Played The models are poor in presentation and this in turn brings with it an issue in terms of understanding the individual differences that exist in the society (Messner 9). However, this may not be the case for the advertisers as they argue that they are presenting what is already in the society. The societal morals and mode of socialization may not easily agree to this as they expect all undertakings done in the society to be done with reference to the norms of the society. In the society, the attitudes that are as a result of the norms are different with reference to the culture from which one is oriented to. It is therefore vital that there be a proportional presentation in terms of the genders in the advertisements that are being made. Over presentation of one gender may leave questions to those watching the advertisements. It cannot be ignored that the cultures are also different in the countries and advertisements that are regarded as normal in one country may be viewed as immoral and unacceptable in another country. Relationship of Products to Models In other advertisements, women were depicted as having the nurturing traits of being home makers and those involved in child care. This clearly in n indication that the virtue of patriarchy is still dominating in the society and that as long as history remains, women are expected to be submissive to the men. It is their responsibility to ensure that the home is in place and that the men should go out and look for employment in order to meet the demands of the family. The impression of men just acting and women to only act is evident on the television advertisements and this is attributed to the fact that in most of the advertisements, it is men who care less about their appearance but this has been emphasized among men. They are represented as being in less expensive clothing as compared to the women, who will be in very expensive accessories in terms of the jewellery, makes up and hair styles (Cohhen-Kettenis 51). Advertisements could also appear in a manner that may not be well interpreted by the viewer and to the viewer it is likely to be like a case of role reversal. The issue of how different genders are expected to act and dress is portrayed through the advertisements and that it is the men who are the dominant gender in the society and not women. In cases where the specific products are being advertised with reference to a specific sex group, then it would be depicted well by that sex group and in this case the viewer can easily differentiate the advertisements and the consumers. In some cases, the advertiser would even specify the group that can benefit from that product and if necessary the age category. Message being conveyed to Consumer The target market for the specific advertisement maybe accepted in one country but appear to be blasphemy in another. This indicates that to some extent it is culture that determines whether we are to accept or reject a given advertised product. This explains why despite the fact that some companies may have the same product in different countries, the mode of advertisement is also different. This is common to advertisements that are made on the television which are judged on the basis of one’s religion or the general opinions. The controversy therefore comes in with reference to the sexual orientation of individuals. The use of figures that are not famous like musicians and actors creates controversy on the product being advertised. This is because of the way the viewers are used to the character of the advertiser and the moment there is a shift, it creates conflict of interest (Messner 11). However, considering the needs portrayed by the consumers it is also evident that most consumers end up purchasing products that are irrelevant. This is attributed to the fact that the process of advertising always has a way of convincing people to purchase what they might not need at that time. Therefore it is through the advertisements that the companies can reach a level of self actualization while the consumers remain at the physiological level where they only satisfy their basic needs. The more a product is advertised, the more it creates emphasis on the consumers on the need to have it. This seems to be the main interest of the advertising agencies and the main issue at the end will be the need by the different companies to meet the requirements of the free market which has brought with it a stiff competition due to a variety in the mode of production. Gender definition through the Media Through the media, it is clear that women can be a source of profit if they are depicted as being extremely beautiful in the advertisement which to the agencies is a form of enticing the viewers. The media is seen as depicting women in a negative manner which tends to come up with a stereotypical result in terms of being seen as sexual objects, home makers and support staff like in the advertisement of the physics products (Cohhen-Kettenis 28). When boys are advertised with toy cars and reassembling objects, it instills in them a skill of manipulating movement. The position taken should be one that will maintain a dominant and competitive position in the market. The value by the consumers should be maintained as long as possible and this can be ensured by listening to needs of consumers and what the other competitors have to offer. Marketing to the consumer should be undertaken with the intention of ensuring maximized profits whereby they are able to identify the needs of the consumers. It therefore becomes vital to use such factors when coming up with an advertisement. Bem’s Acculturated Lens Theory The culture in every society has their lenses that are hidden and it is through the lens that they judge what is right and wrong. It agrees to the fact that women are generally opposite to each other and cannot be the same with reference to the responsibilities that are granted to them by society. This is attributed to the fact that it is the men who are strong and women who are weak and to prove this we view advertisements that will show men advertising cement and bricks for construction and women advertising food and in the kitchen. According to the theory, it is possible for both men and women to be involved in all the activities with reference to their capabilities. We have to look at the culture gender lenses and not look through them as this is a contributing factor to the enduring stereotypes that both genders have continued to have about them. This explains why advertising has shifted to the radios and television and is slowly being taken to the internet what is known as the ecommerce. The theory handles three concepts namely androcentrism, biological essentialism and gender polarization (Messner 12). They all rotate around the issue of the male centeredness in the society and how women have to learn to accept the fact that this is an issue that may not be solved easily. What men do is always seen as being right yet what women due is always a subject to question. This can be evidenced even with the advertisements whereby in some of the advertisements, women are seen by the viewers as being sexual objects yet they do no t go back to see beyond the physical appearance of that woman advertising and the product. As a stereotypical look, it may also not be a surprise if some of the viewers and listeners fail to purchase the product just because they hated the women who advertised the product. In biological essentialism, Bem looks at the biological differences between the two sex and how they have been used to assign individuals in terms of roles and responsibilities in the society. Most advertisers prefer to include one in their advertisement with attribution to their physical outlooks and how it has to be appreciated by society. Gender polarization refers to the ways in which both genders are used in structuring society and this is with reference to the task assigned to them through the process of socialization. Conclusion Through the commercials on the different stations, women have been stereotyped as sex objects who can be commercialized for the benefit of the companies and the products being advertised. This is attributed to the fact that most of the women tend to appear for the commercials when they are half dressed and in makeup and this may not be the case for the men who are shown when in their formal dressing. To society, this would be considered as deviance yet to the companies it is seen as a way of promoting their business and to maximize on the profits. Works Cited Cohen-Kettenis, Peggy, T. & Friedmann, Pfafflin. Transgenderism and Intersexuality in Childhood and Adolescence: Making Choices. London: SAGE Publication. 2003. Messner, Michael. Center of Attention: The Gender of Sports Media. Introduction. Re-reading America. 6th Ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s. 2004. P 1-15. Read More