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HUGHEY 1 Nicholas Hughey Professor Gee SOC141 07/14/2019 Miss Representation Women's rights have been a hot-button issue since the 1850s and even though Congress passed the 14th and 15th Amendments in 1920, women still face gender discrimination in society (History, Art & Archives 2007). The documentary Miss Representation touches on many aspects of gender socialization. This film addresses the media's portrayal of women. Most young Americans spend at least 10 hours and 45 minutes a day consuming media. This has a giant effect on how young people perceive society because of what the media's message is. Women are often sexualized and seen as less than men not only in Hollywood but even in the modern workplace. Sexualization makes women feel as if they are viewed as objects and they often strive for unattainable standards of beauty and youthfulness. This is causing depression and eating disorders because they want to be perfect, but it is unattainable. Media projections cause women to avoid leadership positions. "Women are merely 3% of Fortune 500 CEOs" (Newsom 2011). In these roles, women are being dehumanized when they are in a position of some influence. People question their qualifications because they are filling a role typically filled by a man. 1. Why do you think the media is an important agent of gender socialization? The media plays an important role in gender socialization because of its power of influence on the American people. Americans spend a lot of time on the media. The media teaches our roles in society. We learn our social roles based on what the media portrays. The media typically portrays beauty, youth, and sexuality as important social roles for women in contrast to leadership positions and positions of influence. These projections are learned from

HUGHEY 2 movies, the toy aisle, music, social media, etc. The media has an influence on our behaviors. Gender socialization is why males and females behave in different ways. The media says what appropriate behavior is for each gender. 2. Do you think representations of gender have changed since this film was made? I think women have a larger voice in society now because of social events such as the #MeToo movement and other feminist movements that are seen today. Things are becoming more gender neutral. For example, the toy aisle has more gender-neutral toys now that the gender dysphoria is moonlighted. Women have new representation in the workplace and in leadership positions since 2011. There has been a 6% increase of women in Congress since 2011 (DeSilver 2018). Women have come far since 2011 but there is still a lot of work to do to achieve complete gender equality. Representations of gender have changed to reflect our cultural and sociological perspectives in society. Being transgender has changed since 2011. I think people are more openly accepting different genders today associated with gender dysphoria because “According to a study by the Intelligence Group, a consumer insights company, more than two-thirds of people ages 14 to 34 say gender no longer defines destiny or behavior as it once did” (Millennials and Gender: A Major Attitude Shift).

HUGHEY 3 Works Cited DeSilver, Drew. “A Record Number of Women Will Be Serving in the New Congress.” Pew Research Center, Pew Research Center, 18 Dec. 2018, www.pewresearch.org/facttank/2018/12/18/record-number-women-in-congress/. History, Art & Archives, U.S. House of Representatives, Office of the Historian, Women in Congress, 1917–2006. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 2007. “The Women’s Rights Movement, 1848–1920,” https://history.house.gov/Exhibitions-andPublications/WIC/Historical-Essays/No-Lady/Womens-Rights/ (July 14, 2019) “Millennials and Gender: A Major Attitude Shift.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, www.theatlantic.com/sponsored/prudential-sleeping-giants/millennials-and-gender-amajor-attitude-shift/467/. Newsom, J. (Director). (2011). Miss Representation [Video file]. The Representation Project. Retrieved July 14, 2019, from Kanopy....