GENDER CODES DISPLAYED THROUGH MAGAZINE COVERS

Gender is nothing but the cultural definitions given to biological characteristics one acquires at birth. There is nothing natural or biological about gender identities. Examples of transsexuals bring to light the fact that the “two sex-two gender distinction” is a socially created one. This distinction is the norm and its consequences downplays the variability within each sex. It eliminates the differences in the ways of being a man, and the differences in the ways of being a woman, highlighting just ONE dominant way of being masculine/feminine.

An interesting concept here is gender display wherein we perform the roles expected by us through social convention. This has a lot to do with the underlined gender codes that are displayed all around us through popular media and advertising.

Deconstructing details of magazine covers

In various magazine covers, women are shown self-touching (on the shoulder, face and neck). This is often used to depict vulnerability and openness.

The postures used by women in these magazine covers, such as the “knee bend”, “cross leg”, “bent torso”, “tilted heads” all contribute to display gender codes depicting defenselessness and being off balance.

Women have also been depicted as dependent on the surroundings, powerless and submissive. There are certain representations of women being related with young girls/children, wherein there is emphasis on ideas like “women never leave their childhood behind”.

The idea is not to question the impact these advertisements can have, but rather why do we not find such depictions strange?

References

Warren, S. M. a. K., n.d. The Codes of Gender. In: Media Education Foundation Study Guide. s.l.:s.n.

Keskin, E., 2016. Medium. [Online] Available at: https:/medium.com/@eliflik/the-codes-of-gender-fa62a4a245e7 [Accessed December 2017].

Frantz, O., 2012. Good Men Project. [Online]

Available at: https:/goodmenproject.com/noseriouslywhatabouttehmenz/the-codes-of-gender/ [Accessed December 2017].