Feminist theories and media studies

Abstract

This essay discusses the assumptions that ground radical, liberal, and socialist feminist theoretical frameworks, and reviews and critiques feminist media research. I argue that liberal feminism, which characterizes much U.S. mainstream media research, speaks only to white, heterosexual, middle and upper class women and is incapable of addressing most women's concerns. Radical and structuralist feminist communication scholars, however, tend to focus exclusively on texts and often ignore important contextual considerations. I conclude that socialist feminism offers the greatest potential for a comprehensive framework to address women's devaluation in communication but that much more theoretical and empirical work still needs to be done. Finally, I encourage the recent tendency among feminist communication scholars to ignore disciplinary boundaries and draw freely on literary, film, and speech studies, as well as mass communication and feminist theory.

The qualitative study of media audiences

“…Marxist-influenced feminism has added a concern with the economic determination of gender inequity (see Steeves, 1987). In media studies, most varieties of feminism try to explain how the production of media content, and the development of "spectator" styles, reveals fundamental assumptions about gender.…”

De la féminisation des relations publiques : un discours en rupture de l’histoire des femmes relationnistes

“…Dans un excellent article sur les études féministes en communication, Steeves (1987:100) explique que le féminisme libéral américain repose sur les théories libérales selon lesquelles le raisonnement rationnel constitue l'idéal ultime du déve-loppement humain et que l'État se doit d'assurer à ses citoyens et citoyennes des chances égales dans la poursuite de cet idéal, tout en protégeant l'autonomie individuelle, au coeur même de l'économie capitaliste. Pour les féministes libérales, la différence au féminin est redevable aux processus de socialisation, à l'apprentissage des rôles et à l'influence du modèle comportemental.…”

News Narratives About the HPV Vaccine for Adolescent Males

“…However, when Councilwoman Mark-Viverito explained her health problem, she was criticized. This is also a good example of what feminist media theorists point out when explaining how power and gender come together in mass communication to reinforce common beliefs (Steeves, 1987;van Zoonen, 1994;Gallagher, 2003;Vliegenhart & van Zoonen, 2011;Fortner & Foster, 2015). In this case, our society still believes it is acceptable for men to have multiple sexual partners, but women are not afforded the same opportunity.…”

“…An important part of feminist media theory explains how gender and power in our culture come together in mass communication to reinforce common beliefs (Steeves, 1987;van Zoonen, 1994;Gallagher, 2003;Vliegenhart & van Zoonen, 2011;Fortner & Forster, 2015). In 1994, van Zoonen wrote that the senders of most mass communication are "almost all (rich) men" who are incented to depict a capitalistic and patriarchal system as the most acceptable worldview while simultaneously working to convince those out of power, such as women and gay males, that the limitations in their lives are inevitable (p. 29).…”

“…Several studies have looked at how the media has portrayed the HPV vaccine, first for girls and women but few have looked at portrayals of boys and men. This research will examine representations in the American news of adolescent males through the lens of feminist theory, feminist media theory, and the concept of hegemonic masculinity -an offshoot of the theory of hegemony -to examine how the news portrayed gender roles and expectations in U.S. society in relation to the HPV vaccine (Carrigan, Connell, & Lee, 1985;Steeves, 1987;Urbanati, 1998;van Zoonen, 1994;Connell, 2002;Connell & Messerschmidt, 2005;Wedgwood, 2009). Within this theoretical framework, this research will also examine if journalists have framed U.S. society's heteronormative belief (i.e., the idea exclusive heterosexuality is the only "normal" sexual orientation instead of being one of many possibilities) in the news stories reporting on the HPV vaccine for males, potentially excluding males who do not fit this model, including MSM, (Warner, 1991;Kitsinger, 2005, Jackson, 2006.…”