Gender Issues Paper
...e time in front of the television than in school and will often remember more of what he has learned by watching television than at home or school. (Schaffer, 1980) Media can transmit ideas and images, defining "normal" men, to millions of people at the same time, and there is no mystery in its messages about how men should look and behave. Interpretations of cultural expectations are frequently presented through magazines, movies, sports, TV programs and commercials. (Morris, 1997) The media serves as a gatekeeper of information and images, thus controlling what we see and how men are depicted. By defining "normal" men, media suggests how men should be. (Wood, 1997) It should come to no surprise that men, just like women, take their cues about gender behavior and expectations from the images that are presented to them through the media. Men are told they should participate in sports and focus their efforts toward achievement and career goals, thus developing their intellectual and physical abilities fully. (Schaffer, 1980) Television and advertising silently shout a very clear message: men must be muscular to be beautiful. Thus, men believe a sense of masculine security can be achieved through a muscular body, thus reaffirming the qualities that make a man a man in the eyes of others. (Dotson, 1999) Male characters are portrayed as competitive, constructive, adventurous, independent, competent, powerful, violent, sexually aggressive and totally in control of all emotions, all of which are long-standing cultural ideals of masculinity. (Morris, 1997; Wood, 1997) Our male cultural icons reinforce the ideas that "big boys don't cry", and men don't get sad -- they just get even. Studies have also shown that when male characters display such characteristics, they are often receive rewards or are otherwise positively reinforced for their "masculine" accomplishment (Pollack, 1998) Do idealized images in media really affect us? One might reasonably assume that everyone knows the difference between fantasy and reality, so we don't accept these images as models for our own lives and identities. However, research suggests that the unrealistic ideals in popular media do influence how we feel about our relationships and ourselves. (Wood, 1997) This influence appears to be particularly strong for children, who, as a group are not as skilled as adults in distinguishing fantasy from reality (Morris, 1997) Boys have a more difficult time than girls establishing their gender identity, since boys are forces to develop a more abstract identification with the male role. While girls identify directly with their mothers, who are observable, a boy's model, his father, spends a majority of time out of the home. (Basow, 1992) In addition, boys are expected to conform to social norms much earlier and are often disciplined severely for breaking them. Therefore, boys show stable, same-sex preferences at an early age, because the consequences of deviating from the norm are painful and harsh. (Schaffer, 1980) Consequently, boys often look to sources in the media for information and guidance related to gender ideals, especially how to develop into "a real man" sexually, since the father is usually unavailable. The result can be a confusing mix of information and misinformation regarding what men should believe and how men should behave in society. (Morris, 1997) Modeling is an important process in gender role development; however, the models presented on TV are typically stereotyped to the extreme and can influence viewers' attitude and behaviors. Even as an adult, if an image is pounded into a man's brain long enough, he will eventually see this image as a true depiction of what men ought to be. (Dotson, 1999) Ultimately, our society rewards demonstrations of these masculine endeavors with money, power and status. (Schaffer, 1980) Of the many influences on how we feel about ourselves and what we expect of ourselves, media is substantial. (Wood, 1997) The process of maintaining the cultural standards of masculinity can have negative outcomes for individual males including long-term failure to fulfill male role expectations. The severity of these outcomes is dependent on the male's level of endorsement of traditional masculinity ideology. It is also dependent on the extent a male will attempt to fulfill traditional role. Continuing dissonance between expectations and one's characteristics can lead to low self-esteem and other negative psychological consequences. (Oskamp, 1998) We are constantly besieged with ideals of how we should look, feel, act and be. It's difficult not to feel inadequate. In a recent study conducted by Barry Glassner, every one of the 256 nonmuscular adolescent boys demonstrated either mood or behavioral disruptions related to feelings of inadequacy. A national survey of 62,000 readers conducted by Psychology Today showed a direct positive correlation between self-ratings of high self-esteem in men and self-ratings of muscular physiques. (Real, 1997) Clinicians maintain that unrealistic images of how we should act could contribute significantly to dissatisfaction and its consequences, including feelings of inadequacy, anorexia, and emotional difficulties such as depression. (Wood, 1997) Depression is a range of disorders ranging from dysthymia (a mild form of depression) up to and including major or clinical depression. (Pollack, 1998) The American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) labels a person as having a clinical depression only if he or she shows the following symptoms for a duration of at least two weeks. These symptoms include signs of either of feeling sad, "down" or "blue" or having a decreased interest in pleasurable activities, including sex. In addition, the person must exhibit at least four or any of the following symptoms. Including weight loss or gain, too little/too much sleep, fatigue, feeling of worthlessness or guilt, difficulty making decisions or forgetfulness, and preoccupation with death or suicide. (Real, 1997) The hallmark of depression is the way it causes victims to magnify troubles out of all proportion to their true measure. (Styron, 1994) Depression affects boys in a variety of ways. It may make them feel sad, anxious, or numb. The depressed male may act sullen and withdrawn or, may become agitated, overly aggressive, and full of rage. The boy may misbehave in school or become dependent on drugs or alcohol. Depression in boys is a syndrome involving a whole range of behavioral difficulties and symptoms. (Pollack, 1998) College men, when depressed, are more likely to beco...