Feminists see the media as continuing the prejudices and stereotypes through its representation of women. Liberal feminists think that the removal of these images should be imminent and should be replaced

Marxists believe that women are deliberately stereotyped in order to keep the dominant ideology through a male gaze and enforcing capitalism. Reinforcing traditional stereotypes of women in the media and shunning working mothers keeps women in the roles that are most useful to men, and it keeps the women as a cheaper reserve labour. Any beautiful women are kept from achieving as the medias stereotyping of women as sex objects influences people's opinions that pretty girls aren't intelligent. Carol Sander, the editor for a British magazine, lost $35 000 worth of advertising because she was quoted saying she found it hard to make women look intelligent when they are plastered with makeup! The view that women should be seen to be feminine, beautiful and young is projected onto the public because that is their opinion. Their thought is that the reason for stereotypes of women in the media is because there is demand for it. The pluralist view is that the public want to see women in stereotypical roles, and they want them to be seen as sex objects when selling products, and audience figures prove it. Feminism is the idea of equality of the sexes, giving an equality of rights and position in society. Feminists believe that the subordination of women runs through all areas of society. The earliest form of feminism was Liberal feminism. These women concentrated mostly on legal

  • Word count: 900
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Sociology
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Censorship-is it Right or Wrong?

Kyle Karim Censorship-is it Right or Wrong? The issue of censorship always provides an interesting debate. There are many intelligent and very valid arguments for and against the issue. However I strongly believe that the act of censorship is wrong. I believe that all films, songs and television programs should be released uncut from any government or senior authority intervention. A film or piece of music is a work of art, thus it should be marketed as its creator intended. Because of this the cutting of a film or censoring of a song is the same as the mutilation of a painting or an act of vandalism. Indeed musicians are often referred to as artists and this especially true of those that right there own music, it reflects their emotions and feeling and who has the right to censor someone's feelings, past and emotions. In the case of films censorship is widely used as a marketing ploy. The largest market for cinemas is the 14-17 age group. Therefore by editing a possible 18 rated film down to a 15 it stands better chance of being big at the box office, thus making it more money. This is made more probable by the fact that in Britain cuts are agreed between the British Board of Film Classification and the distributor-not the writer or director! I understand that is not suitable for an 11 yr old to watch a film with a large sexual content but instead of

  • Word count: 1041
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Sociology
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Refugees and asylum seekers - the facts.

Refugees and asylum seekers - the facts Much has been written about refugees and asylum seekers in recent months. Unfortunately, everything said is not always based on fact. This page seeks to clarify the truth. What people say Asylum seekers live in the lap of luxury while they are here, while pensioners have to make do. The facts In 2003, a single pensioner gets a guaranteed minimum income of £98.15 a week. A single asylum seeker gets less than half of that - only £37.77 a week - 30% below the poverty line. Asylum seekers are not allowed to claim welfare benefits. If they are destitute, all they can do is to apply for help to the National Asylum Support Service (NASS), the government department responsible for supporting destitute asylum applicants. There is no question of an asylum seeker being able to choose where they live and the accommodation is nearly always in hard-to-let areas where few people want to live. NASS does not give either asylum seekers or landlords any money for luxury items or furnishings. Asylum in the UK (Home Office) top What people say Asylum seekers are responsible for higher council tax. The facts All the costs of looking after asylum seekers - including accommodation and subsistence costs - are met by central government, not through council tax. Asylum seekers have nothing to do with councils putting their taxes up. National Asylum

  • Word count: 1288
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Sociology
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How is Crime represented in the Media

How is Crime represented in the Media? In this Coursework I will be discussing, analyzing and evaluating the issue of Crime Represented in the Media. I chose this Specific topic because Crime plays an important part in the media. To me this is the most interesting topic I could discuss, it involves so many questions which I don't know the answers to and so to grasp this topic I will carry out an Investigation, analyzing aspects of Crime and the media such as Over Reporting, Moral Panics and Stereotyping. My aim is to explain the impact of the media's portrayal of crime on the reader and on the general public and how the media portrays crime. I will do this research by carrying out Cross-sectional studies, gathering sociological information perhaps from other sociologists, carrying out questionnaires, interviews, gathering statistics and just looking at different forms of media. I will use different people of different ages to carryout my questionnaires. Before carrying out my research I expect there to be reporting of negative aspects of crime such as rising statistics of certain crimes e.g. knife crime, instead of levels of certain crimes decreasing. Crime is an act punishable by law, as being forbidden by law or harmful to the public welfare. The characteristics of these could be peer pressure, criminals have not been taught the difference between 'right and wrong',

  • Word count: 5008
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Sociology
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'Refugees come to Britain for help, support and most importantly safety. It is wrong of the general public to assume refugees have a negative effect on our society'.

'Refugees come to Britain for help, support and most importantly safety. It is wrong of the general public to assume refugees have a negative effect on our society' The above statement claims that Refugees come to Britain for help and safety, and that the way the public condemns them is wrong. Refugees are individuals who leave their home country for one of a number of reasons, although they are usually fleeing a war, persecution or an illegal dictatorship. In this essay, I will present an argument agreeing with the above statement, stating that refugees should be always be allowed into the country and that the public should be proud to be seen as a safe haven for the unfortunate few who flee are forced to flee their home countries. Firstly, Britain is a very rich country, the people of Britain can afford the small amount required to take in these refugees. Britain is one of the worlds richest countries, when you take into account the country's size and comparatively small population, it is easy to see that, on average, the people of Britain are, themselves, very well off. Refugees cost the country just over £300 million a year, which is just £13 per taxpayer per year. For a country in the financial position Britain is in, £13 per person really isn't that much considering that last year £110 billion was spent on luxuries in Britain, and when you remember the thousands of

  • Word count: 971
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Sociology
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How do the Representations of Women Differ in Men's Magazines Compared to Women's Magazines

How do the Representations of Women Differ in Men's Magazines Compared to Women's Magazines. Hypothesis; Due to the changing roles of women, the media should reflect this in their representations. My intention is to find if there is a difference in the way women are portrayed in men's magazines and women's magazines. I would expect that men's magazines would be more stereotypical of women (sex objects, domestic, vulnerable) whereas woman's magazines would be more feminist (women power, independence). My first concept is Angela McRobbie's pluralist idea of target audience demands (advertisement attraction due to audience demands). My second concept is Marjorie Ferguson's cult of femininity (instructing women in values and behaviour of being a woman). Context and Concepts; The first research study I will be looking at is Angela McRobbie (1991). McRobbie notes how women's magazines have to attract advertising. The articles on make up are surrounded by advertisements for eyeliner, hair mousse, and lipstick. Fashion and celebrity, prominent in such magazines, are also tied into the system of consumption. It is seen to be unusual to not be interested in hairstyles, cleansing and all the other intimate rituals that are an intrinsic part of being a woman in contemporary consumer culture. The second study I will be looking at is Marjorie Ferguson (1983). Ferguson conducted a

  • Word count: 1290
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Sociology
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Moral Panic and media folk devils.

oursework Moral Panic and media folk devils. * Introduction In this study I will first define what a moral panic is, then I will use previous studies from independent sources to find previous opinions and ideas and also what moral panics we have had (and are in the middle of) from the post war period onwards to present day. After this I will conduct my own study on the subject. * Hypothesis. My hypothesis for my study is that most people will agree that moral panics and folk devils are based mostly on rumours and fear influenced by the media. I believe this as many of the previous moral panics are now perfectly acceptable, and also due to media influence linking real life tragedies to other media as a scapegoat, such as shootings in America being influenced by computer games. Also I think that older people will be more concerned with moral panics than the younger generation as they have greater exposure to media, have a lesser interest in the subjects which start panics and have younger relatives and children. * Definition. The phrase moral panic can be defined as The Chambers Dictionary moral panic: the idea that 'a condition, episode, person or group of persons' (Cohen 1972) becomes defined as a threat to 'societal; values and interests' This can be simplified and explained as: When the media or government uses scapegoats to pass on the blame to a minority group or

  • Word count: 9883
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Sociology
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Ethics in the Media

Ethics in the Media In the world of media today, an ethics code is one of the most important things to follow. Unfortunately, Mike Barnicle and Patricia Smith did not feel the same way. Mike Barnicle and Patricia Smith, both former workers for The Boston Globe, plagiarized and falsified information in order to bring forth newsworthy stories. Throughout this paper I will discuss the unethical acts of both Barnicle and Smith, the problems they caused for themselves, and the problems they caused for The Boston Globe. "The following is what happens when a company lacks consistent response to, and enforcement of, its core values and standards"(Hoffman 1). The summer of 1998 became one of the worst summers The Boston Globe has ever seen. For thirty years The Boston Globe had built itself a great reputation and had won twelve Pulitzer prizes. "The Globe even outshone its cross-town rival, the Boston Herald" (Hoffman 1). In 1973 the Globe hired a writer by the name of Mike Barnicle. Mike wrote about the Boston's working class. Including cops, single mothers, gas station owners, elderly immigrants and young veterans. Problems with Barnicle started to surface early in his Boston Globe career. The Globe settled two lawsuits stating that Barnicle plagiarized quotes of famous people. Also, a man by the name of Mike Royoko complained that Barnicle was copying his work. Many workers at the

  • Word count: 1786
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Sociology
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women in media

Women in Media & Politics Women and their status in society are issues more seriously discussed today then ever before. Women have had a long struggle to find dominant and powerful positions in the different fields in general and politics and media in particular. Since, women in politics and media come in the limelight therefore they make greater impact in the society. Over the years, women have proved their mettle and worth in both politics and media and have brought positive changes in the cultures of society not just in America but all over the world. "Gender is one of the primary fault-lines running through contemporary American politics. For the last thirty years feminists have challenged conventional assumptions about the role of women in society. The revived New Right and the women's movement have been struggling to define the terms of the public debate in 'culture wars.' The political agenda has become deeply polarized by issues such as affirmative action, abortion rights, and welfare reform" (Norris 1). When we see world history then we come to know that women have served key positions in the high political offices. In western countries like Britain, USA the attitudes have definitely changed regarding women's leadership positions. In Britain, for example, a woman has held the highest office of Prime Minister as well. These Western countries not only themselves are

  • Word count: 964
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Sociology
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Discuss evidence from at least 2 areas where it has been argued that media affects public belief and / or behaviour.

Sociology Level 1. Question 4b. Discuss evidence from at least 2 areas where it has been argued that media affects public belief and / or behaviour. Student Name: Alexander McCormick. Matriculation No. 0005671. Tutor: Patricia McCafferty. Essay Submitted: March 16th, 2001. Much can be said for the media and it's effects, it is an area, which has received much attention and has been utilised in a variety of forms, for a multitude of reasons, with both positive and negative influences. There can be no doubt that it is a powerful tool, and used for the right reason, it could be a wonderful thing. This essay will look at evidence supporting claims that certain people use the media to propagate pro Capitalist Ideology, manipulating in a very deliberate way the response and content of media. With evidence from a British study by Grover and Soothill, of the press reporting of sexually motivated murders, Australian Stuart Fists article on the suppression of the Tumour potential of GSM cellular phones. American Carl Jensen's 20yrs of censored news which looks at the diabolical record of American Government services and their involvement in suppressing sensational stories, and the content analysis of the British mainstream media reporting by Greg Philo, this essay will attempt to summarise the evidence supporting their claims. From a positive historical perspective, the

  • Word count: 2930
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Sociology
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