Summary

David Gauntlett - Media, Gender and Identity

The tone of the book is descriptive in a way that it covers the male and female trends in advertising. The passage explains the issues/trends/emotions that advertising displays/covers. One interesting aspect that I read was that ‘some advertisers are unapologetically sexist’ and it is presumed this is because it is fitting of their target audience. This was an example of the Iceland advert who have since changed their slogan suggesting that they are wanting to attract a larger target audience.
As well as providing discussed information the passage also provides factional information such as 'More recently, a study of 400 prime-time TV commercials broadcast in Spain in 2005 found that there was a balance of male and female characters'. This is interesting to consider as it does not fit the population at the time, with 50.6% men and 49.4% women however women were 'twice as likely to be shown doing housework or child care whereas men were twice as likely to be shown doing work outside the home'. I think that this type of advertising has effected the way that people view roles, either by following the stereotype or being against the image that is created through such advertising. However, there has been a change in the way female figures are presented in advertising through the invention of 'postfeminism'. This utopia allows women to do whatever they please, providing they have sufficient will and enthusiasm. This contradicts the previous perceived role of the woman in advertising where they were shown to be carrying out gender stereotyped roles. 
Reading this has made me aware of the changes in advertising over time and the various roles that men and women play, e.g commercials and voice overs. It has also taught me that without gender stereotypes advertising would struggle to make the companies money as, for example, it would be difficult to advertise a male brand without using men. Each of these ideas are an interesting basis I would like to explore more when answering the question 'To what extent does advertising construct our ideas of gender?'

Reading and Understanding a Text

David Gauntlett - Media, Gender and Identity

Image Analysis

The Uncle Sam Range 1876 Schumacher & Ettlinger

Empire Marketing Board - East African Transport Old Style/New Style 1930

                                   
  Image One, an advertisement promoting "The Uncle Sam Range' in 1876 demonstrates the patriotic view of the american dream whilst trying to enforce the image of the desired lifestyle to middle to lower class individuals. This is similar to Image Two which is a set of two images produced by the Empire Marketing Board to demonstrate the importance of colonies in persuading the ruling classes of the colonised countries to donate money to the organisation so that their lifestyle can continue.

The Uncle Sam Range image has an interesting composition. Rather than having the main focus of the advertisement as the range, the centre piece of the image is the male figure and the globe, sitting round the table as a family. This male figure is presented in a way to illustrate to the audience that he is Uncle Sam, a strong male figure in the civil war in 1812, emphasising the patriotic society that was prominent in America at the time this image was published. This is similar to the images produced by the Empire Marketing Board as they are illustrating to the investors the power the empire has and the independence that they withhold. This is demonstrated by the contrast between the ‘old-style’ and ‘new-style’, with the strong patriotic view that without the British, the people would not be clothed and have a job therefore would still be living a tribal lifestyle. 

The strong American decor in image one further influences the patriotic view of America, with the overpowering design of the red, blue and gold design. I think that the room is displayed in this way as the Range is being released after 100 years after America gained independence therefore showing how far they have come and that they have something to celebrate. The names of the children, printed on their clothing ('Dixie' 'West' and 'New England') show unity between the countries, addressing the immigrants and showing that they are one. Colour is also used to create an effect in the second pair of images. The 'Old-Style' image compared to the 'New-style' has a duller atmosphere to create subliminal message to influence the audience in a way that they view the British Empire in a positive way. The people in the image are also dressed in a uniform which adds a sense of community and consideration within their work environment. 

Both images have a strong influential message. In image one this is displayed through the western font type as well as the powerful imagery of the american dream. In the second set of images, this is clear through the contrast between the old and new way of living. Each of the images emphasis that one culture is dominant over another. This is more clearly shown in image one as the globe is reading a 'Bill' of what other countries trade with America and in Image two, it is evident that the British think that the partner colonies could not survive without them. To conclude, I think that each of the images are advertising what they think is a better way of life, focusing on the importance of independence and the power of an empire. 

Research Resources

Todays COP session has introduced me to a number of different resources to use when investigating a subject area. It has also outlined ways to ensure that the information is authentic and the ways to narrow down the search to a more specific area (looking at a websites sources/index and context of a book). I found when trying to find a specific book in the library, it is difficult to locate a specific section on a topic area. To get around this issue it is best to ask one of the librarians and not give up! I will look to use all these methods of research when investigating my chosen question for OUGD401 and to become more confident in using these resources. 

Research Resources:
- Books
- Google Books
- University research websites
- Journals
- Online PDFs

Research Focus:

"To what extent does advertising construct our ideas of gender?" 

Find a theory of gender

The gender scheme theory is something that I learnt in depth for my Psychology A-level. This means that I have a detailed understanding of the theory and the strengths and limitations behind it.  

Sources: 

Book:
Mark Billingham, Kevin Brewer, Sarah Ladbrook, David Messer, Howard Padley, Sue Standring, Regina Teahan (2008) AQA Psychology B A2 Student Book, Nelson Thornes

- Gender Schema Theory, Sandra Bem (1981)
This theory focuses on how an individual in gendered in society. Bem has looked at how children develop from an early age and at which stage they start to show signs of masculinity and femininity. It is argued that some of these behaviours are learnt through social learning theory which suggests that children require roles through observation, reward and punishment. This is just one of the theories involved in the bigger picture of this psychology subject.

Visual Literacy - The Language of Design

Todays lecture introduced us to Visual Literacy - the ability to interpret, negotiate and make meaning from information presented in the form of an image. This was demonstrated through the example of toilet signs. As we have all become naturally aware of the symbols and colour related to the male and female toilets, it was unusual yet fascinating to see how an image is read. As the conventions of visual communication are a combination of universal and cultural symbols, wherever this symbol is displayed whether in traditional form or in a more humorous form, its meaning will still remain the same. This is an interesting aspect to consider when designing to ensure that the image has a readable meaning.

Key Terms:

Visual Syntax - The syntax of an image refers to the pictorial structure and the visual organisation of the elements that make up the image. It represents the basic building blocks of an image that affect the way we visually 'read' it.

Visual Semantics - The semantics of an image refers to the way an image fits into a cultural process of communication. It includes the relationship between form and meaning and the way that the meaning is created.

Visual Synedoche - This term is applied when a part is used to represent the whole, or vice versa. The main subject is simply substituted for something that is inherently connected to it.

Visual Metonym - a symbolic image that is used to make reference to something with a more literal meaning