To what extent are patterns of media use affected by the gender of the audience?
Cambridge
O level and GCSE
2022
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Patterns of Media Use and Gender Differences
I. Arguments for Gendered Patterns of Media UseA. New Technologies and Gadgets - Males engage more frequently with emerging technologies, such as gaming.
B. Genre Preference - Males typically prefer action, sports, and documentaries, while females choose reality TV, dramas, and soaps.
C. Channel Selection - Feminists argue that males often control household viewing decisions.
D. Planning and Consumption - Morley's research suggests that males plan their media consumption carefully, while females are more spontaneous. - Males focus more attentively on media, while females tend to multitask.
E. Print Media - Males are more likely to consume broadsheet newspapers, indicating a greater male presence in the public sphere.
F. Social Media - Females favor visual and image-based social media platforms, such as Instagram and Pinterest.
G. Social Interaction - Females use media as a means of forming personal relationships, while males prefer uninterrupted consumption.
H. Work and Leisure - Males utilize work-based media, such as LinkedIn, more frequently, while females use media primarily for entertainment purposes.
II. Counterarguments to Gendered Patterns of Media UseA. Gender Convergence - Traditional male and female behaviors are becoming less distinct in postmodern societies.
B. Changing Media Content - Media products are adjusting their content and gender representations to appeal to both males and females.
C. Individualism and Choice - In a postmodern world, personal preferences and interests drive media consumption, rather than social factors like gender.
D. Age and Social Factors - Age, social class, and ethnicity exert more influence on media use patterns than gender.
E. The Digital Divide - Unequal access to media resources affects patterns of use.
To What Extent Are Patterns of Media Use Affected by the Gender of the Audience?
The media plays a significant role in contemporary society, shaping our perceptions and influencing our behaviors. A key debate within the sociology of media centers around the extent to which patterns of media use are affected by the gender of the audience. While traditional perspectives suggest clear distinctions in how males and females engage with media, evolving social norms and technological advancements complicate this view. This essay will explore both sides of the argument, examining the influence of gender on media consumption patterns while considering alternative factors that contribute to media usage diversity.
Arguments for Gendered Media Consumption
Historically, distinct gender roles and societal expectations have influenced media preferences. Morley (1992), for instance, argued that men tend to plan their media consumption, often focusing on specific programs or genres, while women engage more spontaneously, fitting media consumption around domestic tasks. This aligns with the observation that males are more likely to be 'gamers,' dedicating significant time and focus to video games, a traditionally male-dominated sphere, as noted by Greenberg (2002). Furthermore, research suggests that men gravitate toward action, sports, and documentaries, seeking information and excitement. In contrast, women often prefer reality TV, dramas, and soaps, potentially reflecting a greater inclination toward emotional engagement and interpersonal narratives (Gauntlett, 2008).
This gendered division extends to media forms beyond television. Feminist scholars have long argued that within households, men often control the remote, dictating viewing choices. Moreover, print media consumption reveals a similar trend: broadsheet newspapers, associated with politics and current affairs, tend to have a larger male readership, perhaps indicative of men's greater representation in the public sphere (Curran and Seaton, 2003).
Challenging Traditional Views
However, attributing media usage patterns solely to gender risks overlooking the dynamic nature of modern society. Postmodern theorists argue that the rigid boundaries between male and female behaviors are eroding. The rise of the 'ladette' culture, challenging traditional feminine norms, and the decline of the hegemonic male, as discussed by Connell (2005), exemplify this shift.
The media itself has also played a role in blurring these lines. Recognizing the commercial benefits of appealing to wider audiences, media products are increasingly adapting content and representations. Gaming, for example, is becoming more inclusive, with games like "Tomb Raider" featuring strong female protagonists, contributing to a surge in female gamers (ESA, 2022).
The Role of Individualism and Other Factors
In today's postmodern world, characterized by individual choice and identity construction, reducing media preferences solely to gender seems limiting. The proliferation of media channels and the rise of narrowcasting cater to niche interests, allowing individuals to curate personalized media experiences. Factors like age, with older generations engaging more with television and younger demographics dominating social media, likely play a more significant role in shaping media consumption (Ofcom, 2021). Similarly, social class can dictate access to and preference for certain media, with tabloids traditionally associated with working-class readership and broadsheets with the middle and upper classes (Abercrombie and Longhurst, 1998).
Moreover, ethnicity adds another layer of complexity. Gillespie's (1995) research on Punjabi teenagers in the UK highlighted their consumption of both mainstream British media and specialist Punjabi programs, demonstrating how cultural background influences media engagement.
Conclusion
In conclusion, while historical patterns suggest a correlation between gender and media usage, attributing contemporary trends solely to this factor is simplistic. While gender may influence content preferences to some extent, the evolving media landscape, coupled with the rise of individualism and the increasing significance of factors like age, social class, and ethnicity, suggests a far more nuanced picture. Therefore, understanding media consumption patterns requires a holistic approach that acknowledges the interplay of multiple social and cultural factors, moving beyond simplistic gender binaries to recognize the diverse ways individuals engage with the media-rich environment of the 21st century.
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To what extent are patterns of media use affected by the gender of the audience?
Possible responses:
Arguments for:
- New technologies: Males engage with new technologies and gadgets more regularly than females, e.g., males are much more likely to be 'gamers.'
- Genre: Males typically choose action, sport, and documentaries, while females choose reality TV, dramas, and soaps - information vs. entertainment.
- Choice of channel: Feminists have shown that it is males who typically have control and decide what the household is watching.
- Planning: Morley’s research shows that men carefully plan their media consumption, whereas women are more spontaneous.
- Print media: Publications such as broadsheet newspapers are more regularly consumed by males than females, perhaps reflecting a greater male presence in the public sphere.
- Consumption: While females multitask while consuming media (e.g., browsing social media while watching a TV show), males do not do this - they focus on the media more attentively.
- Social media: Females tend to use visual, image-based social media such as Instagram and Pinterest far more than males.
- Social interaction: Uses and gratifications theory - females use the media as a source of interaction, helping them to form personal relationships with others - it’s a social activity. Males prefer uninterrupted forms of consumption on their own.
- Work and leisure: Research shows that males use work-based media far more than females, e.g., most regular users of ‘Linkedin’ are males, females tend to use media more for entertainment, e.g., Instagram.
- Any other reasonable response.
Arguments against:
- Gender convergence: In postmodern societies, boundaries between male and female behaviors are changing. Thus, differences in media use by gender are outdated, e.g., the rise of the ‘ladette’ and the decline of the hegemonic male (Connell).
- Media content change: In order to appeal more to males or females, products are changing their content and/or representations of gender, e.g., gaming is now becoming more popular with females as the content and characters become de-masculinised.
- Individualism: In a postmodern world characterized by individualism and choice, gender becomes irrelevant when it comes to media usage. There is so much diversity in today’s industry, and with narrowcasting on the increase, media usage is about personal choice and interest - not social factors like gender.
- Age: This social factor is more important than gender - e.g., TV viewing rises considerably in those aged over 50, and social media usage is most popular with teenagers and young adults.
- Social class: This is more influential than gender in determining media usage, e.g., newspapers - tabloids are typically consumed by the lower classes, broadsheets by the higher classes.
- Ethnicity: Many ethnic groups consume and produce media materials specific to their own culture, and these are rising in popularity. Gillespie found that Punjabi teenagers in the UK enjoyed watching both mainstream and specialist Punjabi programs.
- The digital divide: Some groups do not have the same level of access to media as other more privileged groups, which affects patterns of media use (e.g., pensioners).
- Any other reasonable response.