1. 1
Representation
Gender in TV Dramas

2. 2
Stereotypes- Write examples of
gender stereotypes on the post it notes and stick
up here.
• Males
2
• Female
Activity 1

3. 3
• Males
ve
• Negative
3
• Females
Stereotypes- Sort the stereotypes
based on whether they are positive or negativeActivity 1

4. 4
Dominant Ideologies
• Stereotypes are ‘socially constructed’ and exist as
‘myths’ and are neither ‘true’ nor ‘false’ but simply a
reflection of dominant ideologies.
• Stereotypes can be reinforced, challenged or even
constructed by the media through representation
• A counter-stereotype is the reverse of a stereotype.
Counter-stereotypes may eventually become
stereotypes themselves if they are too popular.
• How do we ‘pick up’ on these Dominant Ideologies?
• Encoding and decoding model (Stuart Hall)
• The media encodes the representation
(Camera/MES/Sound/Editing)
• The audience decodes it…

5. 5
Activity 2a
• Compile a list of what you consider to be characteristics/adjectives that
reflect each gender
• Male • Female

6. 6
Activity 2b
• Draw in objects that we would traditional associated with each gender
• Male • Female

7. 7
Feminine Representation
• Feminism has been around for over 30 years
yet media representations of women are
worryingly the same.
• Representations of women across all media
tend to highlight the following:
• beauty (within narrow conventions)
• size/physique (again, within narrow
conventions)
• sexuality (as expressed by the above)
• emotional (as opposed to intellectual) dealings
• relationships (as opposed to
independence/freedom)

8. 8
Feminine Representation
•Women are often represented as being
part of a context (family, friends,
colleagues) and working/thinking as part of
a team.
•They tend to take the role of helper (Propp)
or object, passive rather than active.
•They are often victims
•Men are still represented on TV drama
characters up to 3 times more frequently
than women.

9. 9
Feminine Representation
•The representations of women that do
make it onto the screen do tend to be
stereotypical, in terms of conforming to
societal expectations, and characters who
do not fit into the mould tend to be seen
as dangerous and deviant.

10. 10
Masculine Representation
• 'Masculinity' is a concept that is made up of more rigid
stereotypes than femininity. Representations of men across
all media tend to focus on the following:
• Strength - physical and intellectual
• Power
• Sexual attractiveness (which may be based on the above)
• Physique
• Independence (of thought, action)

11. 11
Masculine Representation
• Male characters are often represented as isolated,
as not needing to rely on others (the lone hero, -
Propp again and even Carl Jung – Hero
Archetypes).
• If they submit to being part of a family/team, it is
often part of the resolution of a narrative, rather than
an integral factor in the initial equilibrium.

12. 12
Activity 3
• How would you use the elements of Camera, Sound, and
Mise en Scene to represent male and female characters
that represent the stereotypes we talked about at the start?
Editing

13. 13
MASCULINE GENRES
• Dominant males
• Subservient females
• Masculine ‘action’
• Lack of emotion
• ‘Serious’ storylines
• Romance controlled
• Patriarchal ideology
(narrative closure)
• Male heroes
• Sole characters or
characters with one/two
side kicks

14. 14
FEMININE GENRES
•Female interaction
•Males as ‘partners’
•Relationship issues
•Emotive storylines
•Shared feminine
identity
•Narrative openness
•Confirmation of
patriarchal ideology
•Female ensemble
dramas

15. Activity Four - Sherlock
• Watch the sequence from Sherlock.
• You will see the extract twice. First time through watch for
how stereotypes and reinforced and challenged.
15
Reinforced Challenged

16. Activity Four - Sherlock
• Second time through – pick 4 ways in which gender has
been represented from the last slide and find evidence via
Camera, Editing, Sound and Mise en scene
16
Stereotype One Stereotype Two
Stereotype Three Stereotype Four

17. Activity Five –
Desperate Housewives
• How is gender represented in this extract? Make notes on
the use of stereotypes and how micro features are used.
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6VaFK0Kl8g
17

18. Activity Six – Strike Back
• How is gender represented in this extract? Make notes on
the use of stereotypes and how micro features are used.
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCLDhdxHSSg
18