SOSC 200Y Gender and Society

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SOSC 200Y Gender and Society

• Lecture 7 Femininity and media

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Femininity

• Appearance

• Conduct
• The three obediences
• To the father when young
• To the husband when married
• To the son when widowed
• The four Virtues
• Behave according to the ethical codes
• Dont talk too much
• Clean in person and adorn herself with a view to
  pleasing the opposite sex
• Good housekeeper

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Masculinity

• Appearance

• Conduct
• Proper conducts for men
• Love the country, loyal to the emperor
• Be a kind father or a filial son
• Be a friendly elder brother or a respectful
  younger brother
• The three cardinal virtues
• Wisdom
• Benevolence
• Courage

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Ideas about Femininity and Masculinity in modern
day HK

• Women are capable of and suitable for looking
  after children.
• In divorce, usually it would be better for young
  children to live with the father.
• Married daughters should be responsible for their
  parents daily living.
• Views from our secondary school students
• Are they traditional or untraditional?

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• It would be good to have a partner who can
  support me financially after marriage.
• If my spouse can earn enough money to support the
  family, I will prefer not to work.
• If I have children, I will stay home to take care
  of them.
• The old saying of men being head of external
  affairs and women head of internal affairs is
  still true.

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• Women should consider having less ambitious
  career goals in view of the need to care for
  their family members.
• Women are better than men in taking up leadership
  position.
• Its OK for girls to take initiative in courtship
  and dating.

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Media and Gender Relations

• Cultural Images - Gender relations
• Sex objects?
• Housekeeper?
• Beautiful girl?

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Gender Relations

• Role of media
• Selling feminine
• Sending ideology and dominant gender relations
• The production and reception of signs Male in
  Control
• Representation or Distortion?

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• Suggested Readings
• Walters, S. D. (1995) Material Girls Making
  Sense of Feminist Cultural Theory. California
  University of California Press, ch.1