Gender Representation in Advertisements

Gender Representation in Advertisements GENDER REPRESENTATION IN COMMERCIALS Imagine a commercial where a half naked man is bringing a beer bottle to a woman while pouring it all  over himself; Imagine a commercial where a loving husband cooks dinner while his wife is watching the  television on the sofa. Just imagine. Something does not seem right? That is because society is used to  certain types of commercials; ones where women are playing the domestic role and men are strong,  needed people. In this essay I will be explaining how different genders are being represented in the TV  advertisements and why ‘life’ from commercials is not something to look up to. Throughout the essay  these points will be shown by ‘taking apart’ commercials that have been on our TVs and we did not even  pay attention to the details and signs that were in front of us the whole time. Firstly, I would like to start from children’s commercials because the roles that young girls and boys are  playing are very similar to the ones that men and women have in other commercials. In one of the  Fisher-price.com[i] ads for a doll house, we can see two girls playing with some of the dolls and they are  already placing the ‘dad’ at the table sitting down while the ‘mom’ cooks and prepares everything,  whilst taking care of the ‘babies’. On the other hand, in a Tonka toy[ii] commercial we can see two boys  playing with the Tonka toys and they are being portrayed as very simple, not intelligent people as their  vocabulary is limited to ‘’This tool rules!’’ and ‘’Yea’’. In both of these commercials we can clearly see  that our children are being thought from a very young age who has which role in the family and this  society. Girls are there to serve the guys and guys are there to give a hand to the helpless girls. Secondly, we can look at commercials where the main characters are played by teenage girls and guys.   In Bissell commercial[iii] for a vacuum cleaner, we can see a family where the mom and her daughter are  very excited about cleaning and the boy in the family offers to get the vacuum for them, but the girl tells  him that there is no need because the vacuum cleaner is not even heavy. Cleaning is being shown as  something fun and easy, and by this society pushes girls into domesticity from young age. When we take  a look at teen males, Axe ad[iv], some people would say that it is just a funny commercial, but others could  be very offended by it. There is a need for the sexual desire of the audience, female and male, since  women are wearing very revealing clothing and are being shown as sexual objects and are willing to do  anything for the attention and acceptance of men. The guy in the commercial is also being shown as just  some kind of a sexual object because he is half naked and women are all over him- stereotypes of  masculinity. And finally, let’s take a look at how adult females and males are being represented in commercials. In  Dyson Vacuum cleaner[v] ad firstly we see a woman in a bikini posing for a photo in some kind of a photo  shoot. The photographer is a man, and the staff that brings drinks to the employees are girls. In the next  moment we see that a vacuum cleaner is connected to the models back and when the guy who is   holding the vacuum cleaner turns it off, the model becomes overweight and much more curvy. She does  not look upset by this fact at all, moreover she is totally fine with it and even walks of the set smiling. This commercial is very downgrading towards women and is very hard to look at and laugh from a  women’s perspective. For the male adults, I have chosen the Milwaukees BEST LIGHT[vi] commercials  because all of them are sending the same message. Men who are showing affection towards their  partners do not deserve to live is the most simple way of putting what this commercial has to show. If  there is any sign of caring and loving side in a man, they are not masculine; all men need to behave in a  tough guy manor, and if not they get mocked and put down. All of these commercials show us how society has accepted certain roles in life as normal, where women  are portrayed as subordinate to men. This can be connected to Marxism, where the proletariat role have  women and men are the bourgeoisie. Gramsci explains that the process by which a power relationship is  accepted, consented to and seen as natural or as ‘common sense’ exists- Hegemony. It is ‘normal’ that a  woman is cleaning, washing, taking care of children, cooking and serving her partner. It is ‘normal’ that a  man is working, bringing the money to the house, fixing things, waiting for everything to come to him,  not caring. Commercials are a part of the media and a lot of people blame the media for everything that the society  is doing and thinking. Levin and Kilbourne claim that heavy exposure to media alters the viewers  perception of social reality in a way that matches the media world, and they are not the only ones. A lot  of very influential people share their opinion, like Germaine Greer, an Australian theorist and academic,  who believes that the media upholds an ideal image of beauty in its representation-an image that the  women are made to be desperate to conform to. The emphasis on beauty/’sexiness’ and women in the  media has meant that women now believe that if they do not conform to this-if they are not beautiful-  they are not successful and are useless. Not only women are the ones who are trying to fit into this  picture that has been imposed on us, according to the research done by academics a lot of men feel the  same way. There is a lot of focus on mus cled and very fit male bodies and it is causing men the same  anxiety and personal insecurity that women have felt for decades. At first I did approach this topic from a feminist side, but simply because it was quite obvious that men  are the one in control and the women were represented as passive objects of the male gaze (Mulvey  1975). University of North Texas professor Steve Craig said that women tend to be represented as  rewards for men who choose the right product; these commercials are narratives of playful escapades  away from home and family. Later on, as I was going through even more material, such as Kraft dressing[vii] and Diet Coke[viii]  commercials, I realized that a number of ads have represented men as objects for the female gaze.  Women viewers are not passive but active and engage critically with these kinds of media texts by   selecting texts that have meaning for them. Even though we do blame the media for these impositions,  Gammon and Marshment stress the importance of the audience’s role in the construction of meaning in  media texts and emphasis the range of interpretations that any text offers. Although these days there are a lot of commercials that are representing men and women differently,  one type of commercial has never been made with a female as the customer and the men as the ‘bait’-  beer commercials. For this reason I have decided to concentrate on beer commercials and how they  affect women and men everywhere. According to Susan Bordo, an academic, men in beer ads are always  being portrayed as virile, slim, muscular and powerful, whilst the women are eager for male  companionship, weak, vulnerable. Men and beer have gone together for ages. Beer is crafted by men in  factories owned by men, sold to men, and consumed by men. I have done a research in order to see if my suspicions are indeed correct. After gathering the results of  my survey, I have found out that a 100% of females asked knew what beer is and have tried it before,  80% of them liked it and would have it again and 48% of them said that beer is their number one drink  when choosing to drink alcohol. When talking about just the United States, according to Dr, Bart Watson  women account for 25% of total consumption by volume, and 37% of craft-beer consumption in the  United States. Meg Gill has said: ‘’It has gotten better the last few years, but sometimes you hear ‘let me pour you  something sweet, honey.’ Women, just like men, love hops. And women can detect bitterness much  better than men.’’ Women were also the first to turn brewing into a lucrative industry, taking beer out  of their kitchens and selling it for a profit around town. In medieval Europe, women known as alewives  skirted the discriminatory rules against female ownership of land and business by opening ale houses.   So why aren’t there any beer commercials where the women are drinking beer and the men are bringing  it to them? Factory-dominated brewing has gone on for so long it seems that society has completely  forgotten that beer was once the domain of women. A lot of people assume that women are trying beer  just because their husband or boyfriend offered them once, when in reality women have been drinking  beer for a longer time than they have been with their husbands. Gender inequality leads to economic  disadvantage for women, gendered violence, exclusion from the higher echelons of power but also from  enjoying good beer. Arbitrary and anachronistic feminine stereotypes are internalized essentially by  women- Naomi McAuliffe. If any of the companies do choose to try and sell the beer to the female part of society, they need to be  very careful since they are not just telling us what beer we are supposed to be drinking, they are also  letting us know what they think about us, collectively, and as individuals. According to Beer Genie the  reason that women don’t drink as much beer as men is a combination of misconceptions, myopic macho  marketing, a lack of knowledge and information and the way it is served. It has nothing to do with the  taste, and that is why I think that the commercials are to blame for women being ‘afraid’ to try beer or  even ask for one in a bar/pub. In order to try and change the view of beer, I have decided to make a beer commercial where the roles  will be changed. The woman is going to be the one drinking the beer, and the man is going to be the one  handing it to her. I am hoping that by doing this, I will be able to show how by just reversing the ‘normal’  roles, men and women can be seen in a different light. If we want to provide males and females with a wide range of possible roles, we need to make sure that  they are being thought from the young age that they are free to explore all the roles. There is a lot of  room for improvement when it comes to gender representation in commercials. [i] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHy8zMPOa2Q [ii] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHlmGRhj7vM [iii] Look at the attachment [iv] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6rAQHa1gmc [v] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_3oIy5jAG0 [vi] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGItoKaX0BM [vii] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uH1dEWhutm8 [viii] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ff-jBpca7Cw BIBLIOGRAPHY: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/aug/14/pint-beer-woman-right Accessed: 22/5/15 http://www.acrwebsite.org/search/view-conference-proceedings.aspx?Id=7225 Accessed: 22/5/15 http://firstwefeast.com/drink/how-craft-beer-fails-its-female-fan-base/ Accessed: 25/5/15 http://www.tested.com/food/460240-women-are-taking-back-beer/ Accessed: 20/5/15 http://www.beerwestmag.com/the-magazine/feature-have-you-really-come-a-long-way-baby/ Accessed: 22/5/15 http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/aug/14/pint-beer-woman-right Accessed: 20/5/15 All of these sources are very reliable and up to date. Some of them have been written in more than two years ago, but have been updated fairly recently.

Comparison of Northwest Airlines and American Airlines Essay -- Aviati

Comparison of Northwest Airlines and American Airlines Globalization Globalization can be defined as â€Å"making worldwide in scope or application†(1). In this comparison of the global corporate culture of Northwest Airlines and American Airlines several areas will be addressed. The strength of the global culture with-in the companies. The fit of the company to the global marketplace, and the adaptive ness or the empowerment of the employees will be examined and compared. Perhaps more important, than whether they currently have a global atmosphere, is whether they can improve or create this atmosphere. A comparison between the two airlines will be made on their mission statements, information dissemination, global-mindedness, career paths, and the use of cultural differences as an asset and if a worldwide training system is in place. A conclusion will then be made as to which corporation has the best organizational composition to compete in the global market. The strength of Northwest and Americans’ global culture can be compared by evaluating how well they â€Å"facilitate performance†(2,546). Both of the corporation’s employees, it may be argued, have the common goal of wanting their company to expand and continue to grow in the global market. It could also be argued that the companies differ, in significant ways, when it comes to the motivating effect this common goal has. Northwest seems to be better motivated in obtaining this goal. Examples of this motivated corporate culture are illustrated by the fact that they were â€Å"pioneers in global alliances†(3) and in the fact that they have committed major investments, in the form of hub cities, in both Tokyo and Amsterdam. American, on the other hand, does not seem to be as motivated by the goal of expansion in the global market. Although they have alliances with several international carriers, the number of alliances is not as large as Northwestâ€⠄¢s. The recent acquisition of TWA, by American (4), may help to expand their global culture, due to the greater foothold this acquired asset has in the global market. In addition the financial investment that Northwest has shown in the global market is lacking in American. The only hub, questionably, outside of the U.S. is in San Juan, Puerto Rico (4). American seems to concentrate its strength inside the U.S., which may have a stifling effect on globaliza... ...y increases, all of which are received positively by employees. Whenever possible, managers should select technology that increases workers’ skill requirements. Providing effective training about ways to use the new technology is essential. Training helps employees perceive that they control the technology rather than being controlled by it. The training should be designed to match workers’ needs, and it should increase the workers’ sense of mastery of the new technology. Mangers face a substantial challenge in leading organizations to adopt new technologies more humanely and effectively. Technological changes are essential for earnings growth and for expanded employment opportunities. The adoption of new technologies is critical determinant of American and Northwest Airlines in the global marketplace. Works Cited 1. Merriam - Webster Dictionary. www. M-W.com . ‘Globalization’ 2. Debra L. Nelson & James Campbell Quick. (2003). Organizational Behavior, Fourth Edition. Thomson. Pages 539 - 559 3. Northwest Airlines. www. NWA.com . Company Overview 4. American Airlines . www. AMRcorp.com . AMR Corporate Information

Compassion Fatigue Essay

The idea of caring for others is the motivating reason that draws most people into nursing. The concept of being a supportive part of a person’s health care needs is exactly the cause of compassion fatigue. Compassion fatigue can hit the best of nurses. Nurses who are highly driven and detail oriented are at a higher risk for developing compassion fatigue. Compassion fatigue was a term first applied in 1992; it is described as a syndrome that occurs in nurses when caring for a patient facing life-altering or life-threatening changes resulting from an illness. Compassion fatigue is prevalent among nurses today, due to increasing patient loads, as a result of nurse shortages and hospital cut backs. Compassion fatigue in nursing should not be ignored. There are classic warning signs that someone might be experiencing compassion fatigue. Recognizing the signs of compassion fatigue and following the necessary steps to prevent and treat it can provide one with the tools needed to make their nursing career rewarding. Warning signs of five concepts of compassion fatigue An essential first step in developing a prevention plan is to recognize the warning signs of compassion fatigue. Learning to become aware of the problem is the first step in prevention. Compassion fatigue cuts you off from the people that need you the most. Warning signs of compassion fatigue can include cognitive, emotional, behavioral, spiritual, and somatic symptoms (Portnoy, D. 2011). Cognitive Nature of the Problems and their Causes Cognitive behavior is the ability to judge and reason effectively and having a perception of your surroundings. Cognitive symptoms can include a decreased sense of personal satisfaction and personal accomplishments. A feeling of indifference or apathetic with ones patients is another sign. A  sense of disorientation with lowered levels of concentration can also be seen during this phase. Emotional Nature of the Problems and their Causes Our emotions are a valuable source upon which we can rely on. Our emotions help us make decisions, and communicate with our patients. When experiencing compassion fatigue our emotional health suffers. Emotional signs that one might be experiencing compassion fatigue could include powerlessness, anxiety, guilt, anger, numbness, fear, helplessness, sadness, depression, shock, blunted or enhanced affect (Portnoy, D., 2011). Behavioral Nature of the Problems and their Causes Behavior is simply the way we react to a given situation. In regards to nursing, behavior is the skills and ability to care for our patients. Behavioral symptoms of compassion fatigue usually manifest in behaviors that are out of the ordinary for the person. Some examples might include irritability, being withdrawn from family, friends and co-workers, moody, appetite changes, unable to get adequate sleep, and isolating one’s self (Portnoy, D., 2011). Spiritual Nature of the Problems and their Causes Spirituality can be described as a person’s way of being, thinking, choosing, and acting in the world in light of that person’s ultimate values(Barlow, 2006). Spiritual compassion fatigue can cause a person to question the meaning of life, or experience feelings of hopelessness. They might also question their relationship with God, or their religious belief system. Often times they will stop attending the church that they once faithfully attended. Somatic Nature of the Problems and their Causes The somatic system deals with our bodies. The somatic system is responsible for nearly all voluntary muscle movement as well as for processing sensory information. When compassion fatigue affects our somatic system we can experience physical symptoms such as, sweating, rapid heartbeat, breathing difficulties, aches and pains. Frequent headaches and colds can also develop during this phase (Portnoy, D., 2011). Physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of the caregiver Examining the progression of compassion fatigue and its symptoms, one thing is important to understand, compassion fatigue can have a major impact on a nurses professional career. It is easy to see that some of the symptoms can impair the ability of the nurse to provide quality nursing care to their patients. The best defense against compassion fatigue is for healthcare workers to take a proactive approach to their physical, emotional, and spiritual care. Physical needs of Caregiver The first step in the providing for the needs of caregiver is for the caregiver to recognize the symptoms of compassion fatigue. Healthcare workers should develop an improved sense of self-care. Healthcare workers, nurses in general spend their professional life taking care of others. Nurses should take care of their selves first. They need to develop a healthier lifestyle, by getting regular sleep, eating a balanced diet, and exercising regularly. Emotional needs of Caregiver Nurses who are young, idealistic, and highly motivated tend to suffer from compassion fatigue at a higher risk (Bush, N., 2009). Talking to friends, peers, and family to gain ideas on how to better balance your job responsibilities with your personal life is one area of focus for the healthcare worker. Learning to set boundaries in the early stages of your career can be a valuable tool. Recognizing your limitations is important; you cannot stop all the suffering and pain of all your patients. Learning that you can be there to help your patients without needing to fix everything can lessen the emotional toll that dealing with difficult situations presents. Spiritual needs of Caregiver Caregivers need to prepare their minds, bodies, souls, and spirits to become resilient in working with patient at intense levels (Bush, N., 2009). Caregivers need to develop skills of empathy when dealing with patients. A positive belief system and attitude can prevent feelings of hopelessness.  Caregivers should recharge their selves by making a list of enjoyable things that they find pleasure in. Remembering how inspired and motived they felt during those early days after graduation can help to refocus their thoughts in a more positive manner. Coping strategies and resources Applying a systemic approach to the prevention of compassion fatigue can provide the healthcare worker with valuable tools in the prevention of compassion fatigue. Awareness of what situations contribute to your stress level, what events cause an increase in your stress. Develop a health balance in your life. Provide yourself the opportunity to enjoy your favorite activities on regular bases. Learn to connect with friends, co-workers, and family to develop a positive support system in order to talk out your stress by sharing your thoughts and reactions to certain situations. Conclusion Realizing that you have control over how you manage your life. Being compassionate is not a character flaw; on the contrary, it is a great gift. The healthcare profession is a very demanding career. The ability to serve others is one of the highest callings that a person can have, but in order to do this effectively you must first take care of yourself. Understanding the key symptoms of compassion fatigue will allow for caregivers to put into place the necessary tools in order to prevent compassion fatigue. Engaging in self-care strategies will be beneficial for healthcare workers in order to handle to day to day stressors of their profession. References barlow828. (Nov 28, ’11). Spirituality in Nursing. Retrieved Sunday, Sep 01, 2013, from http://allnurses.com/showthread.php?t=646693 Bush, N. (2009). Compassion fatigue: are you at risk?. Oncology Nursing Forum, 36(1), 24-28. doi:10.1188/09.ONF.24-28 Gilmore, C. (2012). Compassion fatigue — what it is and how to avoid it. Kai Tiaki Nursing New Zealand, 18(5), 32. Portnoy, D. (2011). Burnout and Compassion Fatigue: Watch for the Signs. Health Progress. Retrieved from http://www.compassionfatigue.org/pages/healthprogress.pdf

Mythology and How It Affects Society Essay - 1218 Words

Mythology has been used in a multitude of ways since the beginnings of civilization as it provided mankind explanation for natural occurrences: harvest time and the changing of the seasons, natural disasters: earthquakes and storms, and life events: birth and death, but was also used to simply provide entertainment. Another huge role that mythology played a part in was the explanation of how the earth and all its people were created and why. This formed the structure for many societies as they could attain some kind of understanding as to what was happening in the world around them. As a result, humans brought about the creation of some very popular religions as the gods, whom they worshipped, were often referred to in the mythology of†¦show more content†¦The Greek creation myth focuses more on a matriarchal worship with Gaea being the mother goddess who created the sky and had her children who, then, established a patriarchal society with Zeus reigning over as supreme god and is the most recognized name in various forms of information even today. The creation myth was formed to found the basis of religion and give an answer to the question of how their world came to be. The way Greek mythology was set up also caused the society to be polytheist with many gods watching over them and having multiple shrines built for worship to a specific god or goddess. Now, â€Å"The Ages of Man† tells of how Zeus’s creation of man dwindled in quality with each coming generation due to lack of morality and respect. 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