How is the 21st century woman viewed in popular culture; subservient or empowered?

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Contemporary Sociological Theory

Professor Chad Thompson

Dawn Cote

February 26, 2011

How is the 21st century woman viewed in popular culture; subservient or empowered?

In simplest form popular culture is defined as “culture which is widely favoured or well liked by many people” (Storey,6). Popular culture has an undeniable influence on how women are perceived in the 21st century. While women have attained many rights and freedoms over the past century, there is still much more that needs to be addressed. Feminist author de Beauvoir writes, “even today woman is heavily handicapped, though her situation is beginning to change”. This essay will discuss how popular culture is a patriarchal ideology of norms and values in the 21st century that dominates women, keeping them in a subservient state.

Marxist dominant ideology thesis, states, “the social power of the exploiting class allows it to impose its ideas on society generally” (Callinicos, 95). The group holding power maintains maximum control with minimum conflict. The general population accepts what is being presented to them without resistance. While this Marxist ideology is based on Capital control, many feminists argue this is what popular culture does as well. Many women construct their identities according to female stereotypes which are presented in TV shows, movies, magazines, literature and even toys and advertising.  Women see the traits displayed as what is desirable in all females and seek to replicate them.

Women on television have been stereotyped according to male images and expectations. Classical television moms―like June Cleaver of Leave It To Beaver, who was at home all day in her prim and proper dress, endlessly cooking, cleaning house, and seeing to the every need of her husband and children is what was depicted when family television shows first started to air. Today this image is not the only way a woman is portrayed. Some critics argue that newer, less domesticated images of females in television roles are evidence that women are no longer stereotyped; instead they are allowed a wide range of social roles and responsibilities.  However the opposing argument is that today’s women playing the roles of educators, lawyers, doctors, police, politicians, and so on is also demeaning.  Today’s television images still portray women as almost exclusively White, middle-class, and heterosexual.  Even when lesbians and women of color do appear in prime time, it is generally to serve as a victim, deviant or an object of male desire, not as role models to the female population.  And even shows that have gone against the expected stereotype are few and far between. The prime time show Rosanne enjoyed great success but few mainstream televisions shows have attempted to replicate the working-class woman as a main character since its ending in 1997. (IMDb).

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The movie business is no better than T.V. Movies in the 21st century either portray a woman as the one who is pining for the love of the leading man and eventually gets him in the end or the damsel in distress who is saved by the strong brave man. Of course there are movies with leading ladies. However the majority of these main characters who are women are action figure type usually dressed in very provocative clothing shooting or fighting bad guys. What kind of ideology does this present to woman? Not the 21st woman who has independence and choices, but ...

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