Level(s): Grade 7 to 10
Overview
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In this lesson, students think critically about culturally inherited gender stereotypes, and explore how stereotypes about men and women are promoted and reinforced through the images and messages in alcohol ads. In the first half of the lesson, students discuss the nature of gender stereotypes, common male and female stereotypes, and where these stereotypes come from. Students also explore why adolescents are a particularly vulnerable group when it comes to stereotypes about gender and gender relationships. In the second half, students view and discuss alcohol ads that integrate gender stereotypes into messaging about drinking. Following this, students deconstruct alcohol ads from men's and women's magazines. In a final group activity, students create and administer surveys to other students in order to determine the awareness, exposure and influence of stereotypes in alcohol ads. Learning Outcomes
Students will demonstrate
an understanding of:
- what a gender stereotype is
- the limiting and often negative consequences of stereotyping, particularly as it relates to gender
an awareness of:
- stereotypes commonly associated with women and men and the sources of these perceptions and attitudes
- how alcohol companies integrate gender stereotypes into their ads in order to influence alcohol consumption
- how they may be influenced by gender messages
- how they may be influenced by messages about drinking in alcohol ads
Preparation and Materials
Procedure
Class Discussion
In today's class, we're going to look at messages in alcohol ads about gender and gender relationships. Before we begin, does anyone know what the word "gender" stands for? Gender is more than being male or female – it's the generally accepted characteristics or traits that are associated with being a man or a woman in our society.
Write the words "men are" and "women are" on the board.
- Can you give me some words that we associate with being a man or being a woman? (List answers under each.)
- Are any of these traits shared by both sexes?
- Are these words accurate for all men and for all women?
- Where do we get our ideas about how men and women behave? (Answers may include: from family, culture, religion, media, society and so on.)
Ask students to define the word "stereotype."
Stereotypes are "fixed" or "set" beliefs about a group of people. When we apply stereotypes, we assume that all members of a group are the same – like cookies cut with the same cookie cutter.
In the case of gender stereotypes, this means that if you are a girl or a boy, or a woman or a man, you must act a certain way. Why might this be a problem?
The main problem with stereotypes is that they usually give us an incomplete or misleading picture, based on generalizations about groups of people – but without taking into account the diverse characteristics of individuals. Believing stereotypes also limits our personal choices in determining our own interests and skills. For example, a boy who likes flower arranging might worry about being called a "wimp" if he does this. A girl who wants to become an engineer might not choose this career because it is considered a "male" profession.
Gender stereotypes don't only tell us how to act; they also tell us how we should look. When we unconsciously try to live up to the unattainable standards of stereotypes, we can do physical and emotional harm to ourselves.
- Can you think of any examples of this harm? (Impossible standards of attractiveness fuel feelings of insecurity and low self-esteem. Some people may be so desperate they turn to steroids or cosmetic surgery in an attempt to live up to them.)
From infancy, our culture teaches what it means to be a boy or a girl. From the colour of clothes to the toys we play with, the messages begin at a very early age. Young people in particular are influenced by a barrage of messages telling people to conform to a variety of expectations about how men and women look and behave.
Nowhere are these stereotypes reinforced more than in advertising.
- Take a guess. On average, how many commercials has the average person in North America seen by the time he or she is 18?
The average person sees about 20,000 commercials a year – this doesn't include other kinds of advertising such as logos on clothing, billboards, product placement, and so on. Of those 20,000 ads, nearly 2,000 are for alcoholic beverages.
Many child development experts and health practitioners have voiced concerns about the exposure by young people – especially adolescents – to alcohol ads. Why is this age group a particular concern? (Adolescents are at a time in their lives when they are experiencing rapid biological, psychological and social development. Young adolescents are also reaching out socially and experientially. During this phase, teens:
- may temporarily be disorganized and erratic in behaviour
- are less willing to accommodate the expectations of parents and other relatives
- may experience mood swings or periods of low self-confidence or insecurity
- seek approval of peers
- are acutely aware of trends in popular youth culture
- develop an interest in sex
- are focused on personal appearance
- shift from parental loyalty and obedience to peer loyalty and obedience
- are idealistic
- are open to new ideas and experiences
A large part of this phase consists of consciously moving towards "adult" lives, which involves trying out behaviour associated with being mature and independent. For many young teens, drinking is perceived as a right of passage into adulthood. Research has found that, overall, adolescents between the ages of 12 and 14 see drinking as a positive activity – a belief on which alcohol companies spend lots of money to reinforce.
There are also concerns about exposure to alcohol ads because many kids begin drinking at a young age.
Given that young teens are at a vulnerable age and many do experiment with alcohol, you can understand concerns about promoting alcoholic beverages in ads. But what about messages in these ads about men and women? Should we be concerned?
(Write the following statement on the board:)
Media are a mirror and a model of society
What do you think this statement means? (Essentially, media provide us with models for behaviour. But at the same time, these messages or models are not created in a vacuum, but rather reflect and reinforce existing beliefs and attitudes.)
The world presented in advertising has a big effect on the viewer. (Remember, advertising is a billion-dollar industry designed solely to influence people.) Even in a beer ad, the underlying attitudes and messages communicate cultural values, which shape the way we think and the way we interact.
We're now going to take a look at some of these messages:
(Put Male Stereotypes in Alcohol Ads onto the overhead projector. Review each stereotype with students. Have them brainstorm traits and characteristics for each and record descriptions in their notebooks.)
The U.S. advocacy organization Children Now has identified the following stereotypes, which are commonly associated with men in ads. Alcohol ads also play on these stereotypes.
The Joker is a very popular character with boys, perhaps because laughter is part of their own "mask of masculinity." A potentially negative consequence of this stereotype is the assumption that boys and men should not be serious or emotional. However, researchers have also argued that humorous roles can be used to expand definitions of masculinity.
The Jock is always willing to "compromise his own long-term health; he must fight other men when necessary; he must avoid being soft; and he must be aggressive." By demonstrating his power and strength, the jock wins the approval of other men and the adoration of women.
The Strong Silent Type focuses on "being in charge, acting decisively, containing emotion, and succeeding with women." This stereotype reinforces the assumption that men and boys should always be in control, and that talking about one’s feelings is a sign of weakness.
The Big Shot is defined by his professional status. He is the "epitome of success, embodying the characteristics and acquiring the possessions that society deems valuable." This stereotype suggests that a real man must be economically powerful and socially successful.
The Action Hero is "strong, but not necessarily silent. He is often angry. Above all, he is aggressive in the extreme and, increasingly over the past several decades, he engages in violent behavior."
- Can you think of any stereotypes that are missing?
- What are the promises or myths about men and drinking that are promoted in each of these ads?
Another popular theme in alcohol advertising is the idea of "the buddy." (Put the second page of the Male Stereotypes in Alcohol Ads overhead, "The Buddy," onto the overhead projector.)
- What do these ads tell you about male relationships?
- What connections do alcohol advertisers want you to make about drinking and male relationships?
(Now repeat the process for Female Stereotypes in Alcohol Ads.)
The Sexpot/Bimbo is the sexualized "girl." Flirty, giggly and jiggly, this stereotype is young, usually blonde, and non-threatening.
The Man Eater is the sexually aggressive female. She has a harder edge than the sexpot and is usually a bit older. Glamorous rather than pretty, she gets what she wants from men by using her sexuality.
The Rebel asserts her independence by being a bit wild, in a cute and sexy way. Unlike her male counterpart, the action hero, female rebels are not portrayed as being angry or aggressive. Instead, they achieve liberation through drinking, smoking and partying.
The Prize is that "perfect woman" who can be yours if you consume the right beverage. Pretty, but not giggly, the prize smiles provocatively or remains emotionally aloof. This type of woman is more commonly portrayed in TV commercials in which there is time to develop a plot to explain how she is "won."
The Party Girl is stylish, sexy, glamorous and the "life of the party." Fun loving and confident, she is the centre of attention.
- Are any stereotypes missing?
- Which of these do you think is the most commonly used stereotype in ads for beer and alcohol? Why?
- What promises, or myths, about women and drinking are suggested in each of these ads?
- Judging by the ads we've looked at, who do you think is the major target audience of alcohol companies? (Young men.) How do you know?
(Place the second page of the Female Stereotypes in Alcohol Ads overhead, “Objectification and Dismemberment,” onto the projector.)
Another concern about how women are represented in alcohol ads is the way in which women's bodies are used to sell products. Techniques such as objectification (where someone is presented as a commodity, rather than a person) and dismemberment (where the ad focuses on sexualized body parts) leave the impression that women are not complete human beings.
- How are the women in each of these images objectified?
- What was your initial reaction to each of these ads?
- Who do you think these ads are intended for? Why?
Alcohol ads also contain implicit messages about gender relationships between men and women. (Place What Alcohol Ads Say about Relationships onto the overhead projector and discuss messaging with students.)
- The Skyy Blue ad represents an idealized image of relationships. In the world of this ad, people are beautiful, young, wealthy and fun loving – the promise here is that Skyy vodka will transform your boring life and relationships into this.
- The second Skyy ad reinforces the idea that women are angels and men are devils – that, in a relationship, women should be sweet, pure and meek, while men are naughty, active and "devilishly" charming.
- This Coors ad plays on the image of the girlfriend or wife as "the old ball and chain" men need to escape from. "On the town. Off the hook" implies that when the girlfriend's not around, anything goes – and your buddies won't tell (“What happens here stays here”).
- This Bud Light ad portrays casual sex with a stranger as something to be desired. In the bar scene of "names optional," there is no date rape, sexual assault, sexual regret or sexually transmitted disease.
(Show the second page of the What Alcohol Ads Say about Relationships overhead.)
Alcohol ads typically use only the most attractive female models. When "normal" or "less than perfect" women are depicted, it's almost always in a negative way.
- Can you spot the double standard in this Scotch ad? (The man in the ad is not exactly attractive either, but he needs "a double" to face the woman at the bar.)
- Generally, are unattractive men treated the same way as unattractive women are in ads like these?
- The second ad, "Here's to the Wingman," is a toast to the guy who entertains the less attractive girlfriend of the "babe" his friend is busy trying to pick up. Is the girl shown here really unattractive? How have they made her look less desirable?
- Why are there concerns about these kinds of stereotypes – especially when it comes to young people?
- Why do alcohol ads almost always feature attractive people?
(Experts have found that alcohol advertising influences the attitudes and behaviours of young people through role modeling. The physical attractiveness and youthfulness of drinkers in ads are calculated to encourage teens to identify with them. The idea is to present a drinking behaviour and then reinforce that behaviour with characters who are more socially desirable than the intended audience, but who also resemble them. Alcohol companies hope that when adolescents continually see characters they identify with in their ads, they will see real-world drinkers in the same way.
By using exceptional-looking men and women in their ads, alcohol advertisers target females' – and males' – concerns about their appearance, reinforcing unhealthy standards of thinness, muscularity and sex appeal.)
As we talked about earlier, these stereotypes don't come out of thin air. In order for stereotypes to resonate with consumers, we have to understand them to begin with.
(Put He Says, She Says onto the overhead projector.) Here's a humorous advertising campaign that was created by Molson. One of these ads appeared in magazines for women and the other in magazines for men. Can you tell which appeared in each magazine?
- What stereotypes about men and women are promoted in each of these campaigns?
- What are the stereotypes about what men want and what women want?
- Do you think any of these stereotypes is accurate?
Assignment
Distribute Alcohol Advertising in Women's Magazines and Alcohol Advertising in Men's Magazines. Just to make it interesting – have some boys complete the women's magazine work sheet, and have some girls complete the men's magazine work sheet. Compare answers as a class.
Group Assignment
Divide the class into four groups.
We know that gender stereotypes exist, but how do kids your age feel about them? Your group assignment is to create a survey about "Gender Stereotypes in Alcohol Advertising." The survey will have between 8 and 10 questions, and you will be responsible for creating the questions, administering the survey to at least 50 other students, and analysing and compiling the data you collect. Each group is to collect data from a different grade.
You want to find out:
- How often do kids see alcohol ads?
- What stereotypes do kids see most often in alcohol ads?
- Is gender stereotyping an issue we should be concerned about?
- Do we think we're influenced?
- Are we influenced, even if we think we're not?
- Are some kids more influenced than others? Girls or boys? Younger or older?
- What do these stereotypes imply about drinking?
Once you've collected and analysed your data, each group will present its findings to the rest of the class.
Evaluation
- Completed magazine assignments
- Group survey and presentation
