GENDER IDENTITIES & MAGAZINES

Gender Identities & Magazines

[Date of Submission]

Introduction3

Discussion3

The Significant Creation of Identity3

The Magazines of Men3

Men, Women and Popular Feminism4

The Conflicting Components4

The Transformation5

The Construction of Gender Identities and Childhood6

The Teen Magazines and Gender6

Conclusion7

Gender Identities & Magazines

Introduction

A lot of both or a bit of both of the audience and media, are involved in the power relationship, I found it during the discussions in this reading and theory. A huge number of messages, regarding lifestyle, sexuality, gender, acceptable forms of self-expression and identity, are disseminated by the media, while, a set of diverse feelings on these issues is exhibited by the public, at the same time (Millard, 1997, pp. 31). The contrary feelings of the audience can never be simply overpowered by the suggestions of media that might be seductive. Powerful arguments are held by both the audience and the media.

Discussion

The Significant Creation of Identity

The construction of identity has become a known requirement. Even if, the preferred choices of individuals are limited due to lack of cultural or financial resources or are rather conventional and obvious ones, they are not left by the modern western societies in any doubt regarding their choices of lifestyle and identity. Every approach to life needs to be maintained, considered, nurtured and worked up, due to their risk in nature and since the social world is no longer confident regarding its traditions. Even if, the magazines partly undermine the self-confidence for some readers at the same time, still self-confidence is promoted by magazines that for a quick fix of glossy entertainment are brought on one level. They also provide a variety of uses and information about lifestyles, relationships and sex.

The Magazines of Men

Today, men are said to be confused and anxious regarding their roles since women increasingly have been successful and assertive apparently in all roles, therefore, the contemporary masculinity is considered to be in crisis. Signs regarding discovering the place in the modern world were exhibited by most of the magazines that were about men, in accordance to the analysis of magazines of men (Vigorito & Curry, 1998, pp. 135). In my point of view, an obsessive relationship with the socially constructed nature of manhood is displayed by the magazines of men. Messages that seem to be irrelevant, inappropriate of offensive were disregarded by the audience, and individual quirks were tolerated, according to the responses of the reader. Such traits are widely prominent is popular lifestyle magazines that are aimed at men, like, 'Maxim', and 'FHM'.

Men, Women and Popular Feminism

Even though, not able to actually answer to the label of feminist, the strong element of modern pop culture is the mainstream interpretation of feminism, which is also known, as popular feminism (Budgeon & Currie, 1995, pp. 173). The political affectivity of young women is less or more ignored, which is the result of the dynamic of generational antagonism which has been overlooked by the professional feminists. The culture of men, who do not feel emasculated or threatened by these emerging social changes, has been ignored by the ...