Women & Gender Representation

 

How are women represented in the media? 

Women have historically been underrepresented and misrepresented in stereotypical roles within mainstream media. Representations of women are often defined by how men see women (termed the 'male gaze'), or by how society expects women to look and behave. Many representations of women concentrate on sexuality and emotions. Others focus on their relationships with their children or romantic partners. Gaye Tuchman (1978) developed the concept of 'Symbolic Annihilation' to refer to the under-representation of women in a narrow range of social roles, while men were represented in a full range of social and occupational roles. Tuchman also argued that women’s achievements were often not reported or celebrated and often seen as less important than those of men. 

Through my magazine, I am to tackle this unfortunate reality. In an effort to bring awareness and educate my audience on the lifestyle of Black women. Being not only an African American minority, but also a woman is almost like a double edged sword. The "Symbolic Annihilation' phenomena needs to be torn down, and allow our black queens to shine. I chose to make my title 'Black is Queen' to highlight the true beauty in our culture. Additionally, after reviewing my survey results, my audience is in favor of focusing on Women in my magazine to educate and emphasize our power.