The Codes of Gender

[Multimodal reading/multimedia piece followed by questions (on the same page):]

Sut Jhally

[documentary film clip]

Sut Jhally is a professor of communication at the University of Massachusetts–Amherst and Executive Director of the Media Education Foundation, which produces and distributes films that discuss topics related to the influence of mass media. Among other films, Jhally produced and narrates The Codes of Gender, an exploration of media’s role in shaping and reinforcing norms of gender expression, from which this clip is taken. Much of the structure and content of The Codes of Gender is influenced by the work of sociologist Erving Goffman, particularly his 1979 book Gender Advertisements, in which he pioneered arguments that advertisements are coded with instructions on masculine and feminine gender performance. In this clip, Jhally attempts to separate the concepts of sex and gender. As you watch this clip, consider how it complements the arguments about gender expression put forth by Aaron Devor (p. 504) and Deborah Blum (p. 511).

Source: Media Education Foundation, www.mediaed.org

Media Education Foundation, www.mediaed.org

Download the transcript.

<<insert codes.mov>>

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Reading the Signs

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