Identities: Applying Feminism factsheet

We've had some brilliant discussions on feminism, masculinity and gender representations in class over the last couple of weeks.

You should have completed or be working on a range of blog tasks including the Everyday Sexism TEDx talk and the Media Magazine article on the fourth wave of feminism and the most recent work on feminist and gender theorists such as McRobbie, Butler and Gauntlett.

These tasks will give you an excellent introduction to feminism but it's a topic with such depth and range there are always more ways we could apply these ideas. There is an excellent Media factsheet on applying feminism - it introduces some additional theorists and also suggests other media texts theory can be used to analyse.

Complete the tasks below to finish your work on feminism.

Applying feminism: blog task

Go to our Media Factsheet archive on the Media Shared drive and open Factsheet #86: Applying Feminism. Our Media Factsheet archive is on the Media Shared drive: M:\Resources\A Level\Media Factsheets - you'll need to save the factsheet to USB or email it to yourself in order to complete this at home. Read the factsheet and answer the following questions:

1) Briefly list or describe the different waves of feminism.

2) The factsheet doesn't mention a fourth wave of feminism. Do you think we are currently in a fourth wave of feminism due to digital media?

3) List the five different types of feminism with a one-sentence definition for each.

4) Summarise Laura Mulvey's analysis of Hollywood film.

5) What does Jean Kilbourne argue regarding advertising and the impact on women?

6) Summarise Naomi Wolf's theory of 'The Beauty Myth'.

7) List the texts discussed in the section 'feminism and music videos'. Do you believe that the representation of women in music videos can have an impact on how people behave in real life?

8) To conclude feminism, do you believe than men and women are basically equal now or is there still a need for feminist movements?

You will need to complete this work for homework - due date set by your exam teacher.

Further reading: in-depth theory and wider examples of feminism in the Media

If you're interested in further theory and examples in terms of feminism and the media -or perhaps are currently redrafting a Critical Investigation on this topic - then the following Factsheets and links will be essential reading. Remember: if you want an A* in Media then you'll need a wide variety of theoretical perspectives to call on in the MEST3 exam.

Feminist theory: Factsheet research

Media Factsheet #125: Gender for A2 - Focus on Judith Butler
This Factsheet offers much more depth on Judith Butler and her work in Gender Trouble (1990) - the argument that gender is a process or performance and not biologically set. It explores how Butler fits into wider media theoretical perspectives (e.g. Structuralism and Post-Structuralism) and also criticisms of her approach. One key criticism is the difficulty in applying Butler's ideas to feminist campaigns in the real world - relevant to our recent work on the possibility of a fourth wave of feminism.

Media Factsheet #125: Gender: Beyond Butler

This Factsheet explores a wider interpretation of the representation of women in media and society. It offers a historical perspective, looking particularly at the 1970s and British television. It also builds on Factsheet #89 and Jean Kilbourne's work on advertising and the representation of women. Finally, the Factsheet addresses masculinity and the changing representations of men in the media over the last 30 years.