The Traditional Media Is A Mixed Blessing For Feminists

Brenda Nguonly Professor John Baker HN 110, Section 012 30 October 2014 The traditional media is a mixed blessing for feminists; on one hand, they educate the American public about issues like wife-beating and the gender gap, and on the other, both synthesize feminism into a homogenous mold and reinforce â€Å"post-feminist† repudiation of feminist wins. Traditional mass communications impose a gender dualism that made no room for gray - â€Å"bad† feminism versus â€Å"good† masculine norm - ignore marginal (feminist) voices, distort feminism, and delimit the spread of feminist principles (Beck 140). Media backlash typically follows women’s efforts to make significant strides towards independence and equality - perpetuating binaries of bra-burning â€Å"dykes† and subservient (and thus attractive) women, likening philosophical disagreements amongst feminists with â€Å"catfights† and mud-wrestling women (Beck 144). This portrayal causes women’s hesitancy to own their own movement, which is then perceived as petty and confrontational. The media ignores the fact that feminism is multi-faceted and thus subject to internal disagreement, and instead sells the entertainment value of fighting women while maintaining the status quo of cool-headed and right male codes (Beck 142). They pass cultural codes - generally white and heterosexual male - for ‘raw’ reality. Reality is never a universal concept; the basic concept of â€Å"woman† is riddled with cultural codes conveyed and interpreted in media texts. ThereShow MoreRelatedInfluence Of Western Customs Of Wedding Essay9329 Words   |  38 PagesAfrican socio-cultural setting, first, with the contact of Europeans with Africa. With Africa subjugated and dominated, the Western culture and European mode of civilization began to thrive and outgrow African cultural heritage including marriage. Traditional African cultural practices paved the way for foreign way of doing things as Africans became fully ‘westernized†™. Western culture now is regarded as frontline civilization by mostly Africans. African ways of doing things became primitive, archaicRead MoreHonour Killing in Pakistan19346 Words   |  78 Pageswho’s assistance, encouragement and support in shape of useful comments on my thesis drafts work from the initial to the final stage enabled me to develop my understanding of the subject in an analytical way. Lastly, I offer my kind regards and blessings to all of those who helped me to make this research possible such as my Family, who gave me the moral support to complete my thesis. ~ II ~ Abbreviations AHRC†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.Asian Human Rights Commission ALRC†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.Asian Legal Resource Centre CEDAW†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦