Choose one of the following options for your assignment.
OPTION A – “Gender enculturation”
Objectives • To demonstrate understanding of how gender enculturation takes place in our own society • To demonstrate understanding of key anthropological concepts related to the study of gender dynamics • To demonstrate ability to adequately apply those concepts to the analysis of media Instructions For this assignment you will analyze how gender is constructed and how gender enculturation occurs in our society through media. In addition to demonstrating a clear understanding of what is meant by the social construction of gender, in your essay you must show a clear understanding (through definition and relevant application) of at least three of the following terms. • Gender roles • Gender stereotypes • Gender ideology • Gender identities • Sexuality • Gender stratification • In addition, you are encouraged to use other concepts discussed in class To develop your argument you will choose at least three different media items, which you will describe and analyze in your essay drawing on four or more anthropological concepts relevant to the study of gender (from the list above). These media items may be printed advertisements, television commercials, items from social media (i.e. memes), films, and television shows. All of the items should be from the same category.
OPTION B – “Migration: a personal story”
Objectives • To demonstrate understanding of the complexities associated with migration processes in the contemporary world • To demonstrate understanding of key anthropological concepts related to the study of migration
To demonstrate ability to adequately apply those concepts to design and analyze an interview Instructions For this assignment you will develop a semi-structured interview to explore an individual’s story of migration. You will interview one person who is close to you about their experiences emigrating from their homeland to a different place. Migration stories do not have to be U.S.-centered. In designing your interview guide and in analyzing your interviewee’s responses you should use at least three of the following concepts/issues. In your essay you must show a clear understanding (through definition and relevant application) of the concepts you have selected. • Push and pull factors • Voluntary-forced migration spectrum • Type of migrant • Ethnic identity • Situated negotiation of identity • In addition, you are encouraged to use other concepts discussed in class Following the anthropological code of ethics, you must obtain inform consent before starting the interview, and you must assign a pseudonym to your interviewee (do not use their real name in the essay). You will take careful notes during the interview and will not record it. You should feel comfortable asking your interviewee to slow down so as to be able to write down what they say, or to ask them to repeat something they have said.
Gender Enculturation Essay
Introduction
People are living in different cultures around the globe. It seems imperative to adopt different cultural values and norms to be relevant and become a permanent part of the culture. Every individual, including different genders, contains different cultural values. The cultural contradiction looks obvious, especially in a diverse society. However, the most important thing is to eliminate these cultural contradictions through various media platforms. The concept of gender enculturation is in the limelight in societies. Existing in a diverse community or culture is not a big issue for people. However, people have to embrace or adopt cultural values and norms to survive in a particular culture in the long run. In this study, the emphasis is on gender enculturation along with the role of media. The study aims to carry some fundamental concepts such as gender roles, gender stereotypes, and gender stratification to elaborate the gender enculturation.
Understanding the enculturation is necessary to understand the gender enculturation. The study will show different concepts and media items systematically. It seems better to put things in order and connect things to make the whole content meaningful. Gender enculturation triggers many factors.
Enculturation
Enculturation is a process of learning cultural dynamics. Established culture guides people to embrace the generally accepted norms and values. Several factors such as parents, peers, and adults can play a role in this process. Successful enculturation results in language competition, cultural rituals, and different values.
Gender Enculturation
Interestingly, gender and enculturation are entirely different. It depicts the role of genders in a particular culture. For Instance, Gender enculturation is a process of guiding both males and females to adopt the cultural norms and values separate. Every culture may have a different set of values or standards for both men and women. Thus, gender enculturation may be different for different genders. Genders in the culture usually resist acculturation, as they like and adapt their lifestyles due to emotional and sentimental attachment (Sheppard & Mayo 2013).
Thesis Statement
Media plays a vital role in increasing gender enculturation, as different media channels usually perceive cultural values and norms for boys and girls and create an impact.
Thus, thesis statement depicts the role of the media to demonstrate gender enculturation. In modern societies such as the United States, United Kingdom, and many others, it creates barriers for boys and girls to resist the acculturation.
Social Construction of Gender
In different societies, the social construction of gender is quite visible. In a particular culture, the community or culture defines roles for males and females. People usually accept these defined roles and perceive them ideal in a specific culture. Gender’s role is constructed in society, and many factors revolve around it. The general gender role in society or culture is defined. For Instance, a woman has to become the household, nurture children and cook for family members (Schiffauer 2006).
On the other hand, man has to work, provide and protect the family. In conservative societies, it is the constructed gender role. However, liberal societies are not limited to these defined roles. Due to changed cultural values, social construction is entirely different. Maybe both male and females aim to work and take care of each other. In modern societies, social development can be done differently.
Gender Enculturation Occurs in our Society through Media
Gender enculturation is a learning process. The individual can learn from experience and observation. The role of mass media is merging in societies to teach enculturation. Different media channels contain massive informational resources to spread the information. Media houses have developed many touch points to share information. It created a positive impact on social learning. It has been revealed that the antisocial media effect is also visible and became controversial in many societies. Through the media, people derive information that contradicts with ate native culture. It can be said that the media has spread antisocial overtones. However, despite this negative impact, it can also be elaborated positively.
TV programs on television can help children prepare for school. Preschool programs are usually shown on television, and it helps children learn traits. It increases the assertiveness of children to adopt this trait. For Instance, in the United States of America, the literacy rate is quite high as compared to other countries. Getting an education is a part of the culture, and it can be taught through TV programs. These TV shows make children’s minds get the education and become a good citizen and contributor.
In the United States of America, arrogance is a prominent cultural trait, and it is due to the media, especially different social media channels. However, interestingly, this negative quality is not prohibited in this culture. Gender enculturation occurs in our society through media. Media channels may demonstrate Hip-Hop as music. However, it is not just music as it represents the whole culture, lifestyle, and image. People in different countries can learn and observe American culture through the depiction of hip-hop. Males and females perceive different thing from this content, and it justifies the gender enculturation (Schiffauer 2006)
· Gender Roles
In a particulate culture, gender roles have been changed over time. In the United States, gender roles are right for some groups.
On the other hand, these roles are not valid for other groups. Thus, gender roles seem contingent in the US culture. However, of course, people have roles to play in the culture. For example, US depict gender inequality, and Democrats are still working to sort out this issue. US culture does not restrain a woman from working in different organizations. Work is to be divided equally in the culture or society. In a feminist community, the intention of the media is always to enable gender equity in every single role. In the United States, a woman labor force is increasing, and it seems a good sign. In different contents of traditional and social media channels, women have been seen as a worker. Thus, the media have helped to contain this shift regarding gender roles. Gender roles can be examined in adolescents. Adolescents may have different role attitudes and developments. It depends on various media channels, which adolescents usually watch. In the Mexican culture, males have been preferred regarding many activities. The media typically demonstrate ancient or traditional culture in different drama series and movies, and it creates the impact. On the other hand, the media also show the new content, which is also pertinent to current culture and gender roles (Updegraff, et al. 2014).
· Gender Stereotypes
Gender Stereotyping is a process of streamlining preconceived ideas about males and females to limit their roles by genders. In conservative societies, especially in the Asian region’s media usually shows the role of women as a servant of men and family. Even despite having cultural space, the stereotype occurs to suppress women’s function. Conversely, in modern societies, gender stereotypes are less. However, it exists sometimes. In the United States, there is a perception that men are suitable for a leadership position in the company. It seems a process of stereotyping, which put the women behind as compared to men. Frequently, in movies, men are shown at top positions with women as secretaries. Thus, the media played a vital role in creating these gender stereotypes (Fuenzalida & Sjöberg 2012).
· Gender Stratification
Gender Stratification is a social classification of men and women. Gender stratification enables the high status of men in society as compared to women. Gender stratification portrays the inequality in society. Gender stratification can be inspected at the level of individual results and connections or with a universal viewpoint that evaluates catalogs of gender inequalities in different countries. Based on different roles and characteristics, the disparity or scarification can be assessed and meanness expertly. Interestingly, media plays a vital role in increasing or decreasing gender stratification.
Now, several media items are to be examined to understand gender enculturation. The examination of these media items triggers all these elaborate concepts as well.
Media Items
· Printed Advertisements
According to Hofstede`s dimensions, United State of American contains the individualistic culture. People usually want to live alone. Thus, different companies, including domestic and international, have depicted the cultural values in the different printed ads. Gender enculturation can be justified by examining several printed ads. Media channels have also demonstrated the low power distance in the United States. However, this particular media item usually grabs the sports to ensure the gender enculturation and construct the gender role. Companies can print ads in business magazines to target specific groups. For Instance, if a Company depicts shoe in the printed ad for both men and women, it defines the role for both. It urges both men and women to take part in sports.
On the other hand, the printed advertisement may depict baby alarms for fathers. It can teach fathers in society to take care of the child in the absence of the mother. Thus, the company can create awareness through a printed advertisement. The significant benefit of the printed poster is the comprehensive content. Cultural norms and values are to be taught with a proper rationale. Also, it reduces or eliminates the stereotypes in society. Printed advertisements are a significant source of awareness. Along with the attractive depiction of the product or services in the printed publication, the authenticity of the content helps to integrate with norms and values (Wang & Chan 2001).
· Television commercials
Television commercials are in the limelight due to the possible gender construction. In different television commercial firms in the United States intends to use symbolism and practical values, and it is different from other countries. However, beyond corporate benefits, a television commercial shape gender roles and ensures gender enculturation. In these commercials, the active mastery is quite visible, and it belongs to American culture. It makes people, including males and females. Ads usually show external experiences, which create an impact on adaptability. Males and females can perceive their roles by aligning these external experiences shown in commercials (Ji & McNeal 2001). It is a fact that ads are made for people to contain the perceptions about the product or services. Gender stereotypes can be eliminated by depicting women’s contribution to the announcement. The new immigrant in the United States may see TV commercials, designed by brands in the country, to derive gender roles, equality, and value of both males and females. Brand, advertising women fashion apparel, usually endorse female celebrities to remove stereotypes. Interestingly, when removing stereotypes, these celebrities or television commercials usually teach ethics and norms, which can be aligned with the culture.
· Films
The film is a crucial media item that can ensure gender enculturation. A film can also streamline the roles of genders in different societies. A film can show male and females with particular functions. The director of the movie may intend to integrate with the cultural values and accordingly define functions in the firm. Male, a playing a Heroic role in the film, may provide and protect a girl from enemies.
Conversely, women can be associated with and affection. However, other cultures are also depicted along with gender roles. The purpose of these films is to teach and observe cultural values and derive the difference. Stratification in a movie can indicate meanings. Gender equality can be discussed after watching the movie. Thus, the firm is a good source of gender enculturation (Mallinger & Rossy 2003).
· Television Shows
Television shows also enable gender construction and enculturation. It looks a direct way, which has been practiced successfully in the United States and many other countries. People hold talk shows on TV channels and talk about cultural issues broadly. Debates among human rights and cultural experts are usual to eliminate random or controversial cultural values and norms and rescue pertinent ones. Thus, the television show is a game changer media item that creates a direct impact on people. Typically, television shows on national TV channels are positive and constructive for people. In conservative societies, television shows can talk about feminism. In developed and liberal societies, experts can talk about men’s roles in society. The purpose is to define gender roles, reduce stereotypes, and enable equality (Fuenzalida & Sjöberg 2012).
· Social Media
Youth needs gender enculturation in this contemporary era. People are living in a diverse culture, and it seems harsh to embrace values, norms, and traditions. Social media is a perfect platform for people, especially youth or young adults, to perceive their roles and enhance effective interactions with other people. Social media has played a role in the elimination of gender stratification.
Interestingly, in every country or society, a social media channel ignores stratifications. It looks possible to redefine gender roles, which are to be combined. It seems new media channels or platform that emphasized on combined social contribution or males and females (Wankel 2016).
Conclusion
In the end, it is to conclude that gender enculturation is a need of the contemporary era. In the United States, gender roles are different as compared to other countries. However, media items create an influence on both genders to adopt culture and norms. The study emphasized gender enculturation along with key concepts such as gender roles, gender stereotypes, and gender stratification. The purpose of media has been illustrated along with some examples.
References Cited
Fuenzalida, V., & Sjöberg, U
2012 A response to “The Cultural Opportunity of Children’s TV: Public Policies in Digital Television”. Communication Research Trends, 31(3): 4-22
Ji, M. F., & McNeal, J. U
2001 How Chinese children’s commercials differ from those of the United States: A content analysis. Journal of Advertising, 30(3): 78-92
Mallinger, M., & Rossy, G
2003 Film as a lens for teaching culture: Balancing concepts, ambiguity, and paradox. Journal of Management Education; Thousand Oaks, 27(5), 608-624
Schiffauer, W
2006 Civil Enculturation: Nation-state, Schools and Ethnic Difference in Four European Countries. Berghahn Books.
Sheppard, M., & Mayo, J. B
2013 The Social Construction of Gender and Sexuality: Learning from Two Spirit Traditions. The Social Studies, 104(6): 259-270
Updegraff, K. A., Mchale, S. M., Zeiders, K. H., Umaña-taylor, A. J., Perez-brena, N. J., Wheeler, L. A., & Rodríguez De Jesús, S. A
2014) Mexican-American Adolescents’ Gender Role Attitude Development: The Role of Adolescents’ Gender and Nativity and Parents’ Gender Role Attitudes. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 43(12): 2041-2053
Wang, C. L., & Chan, A. K
2001 A content analysis of connectedness vs. separateness themes used in US and PRC print advertisements. International Marketing Review, 18(2): 145-160
Wankel, C
2016 Developing cross-cultural managerial skills through social media. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 29(1): 116-124
+447462439809