further research

Gender stereotypes in music: Current research findings

• Men engaged in significantly more aggresive and dominant behaviour.


• Men represented as independent, adventerous, unemotional and competent.


• Stereotypical gendered occupations apparent (i.e. Males as fire fighters/mechanics, women as cheerladers/Waitress).


• women engaged in significantly more explicit, sexual and passive behaviour.


• women represented as objects of sexual advances or as sexual objects


• Sex role stereotyping and negative attitudes towards females


• Women more likely to be presented in provocative or revealing clothing.


• Women portrayed as decorative objects that dance, pose and do not play instruments


• research findings NOT restricted to the Hip Hop genre.

Feminism ( 1960/70's)

• A movement in which women questioned their position within patriachal society and the "private sphere" of "home/children/domestic bliss".


• Serves to uncover, challenge and eliminate oppresion and dominant gender imagery


• women began to debate the narrow range of stereotypes present across all media;


• Women as virgins, mothers or promiscous


• Women as sex objects


• women are inferior to men


• Women as domestic/based in the home.

Sexual objectification and the Male Gaze (laura Mulvey 1975)

• definition of voyeurism: Erotic pleasures gained from looking at a sexual object (who is unaware of being watched)


• Presence of women solely for the purpose of display (rather than narrative function)


• female on display is passive and objectified for a male gaze regardless of viewers gender


• Voyeuristic treatment of female body in 'male' videos- use of dancers as adornments to the male ego


• the inclusion of women fr display is a staple element in music video's - across all genres


• Women connote to-be-looked-at-ness and are the object of the male gaze

Stereotypically 'female' occupations

• britney adheres to traditional gender stereotypes by taing on the roles of:


• secretary, Air hostess, waitress


• Each occupation emphasises highly sexualised costume and behavoiurs

Post-feminism and the female gaze (post-feminism (1980's))

• A re-appraisal of feminist values


• does not strive for 'equality' as this assumes men are the best - they wish to surpass male achievements


• Objected to theories which position them as objects of the 'male gaze'


• identifies a 'female gaze' - women actively desiring men


• Women began to assert their right to dress and be sexually attractive

Post-feminist readings

• Rihanna is not on show for the benifit of male audiences but is enjoying herself experiencing different identities.


• She is successful, independent and in control.


• connotes messages of empowerment/confidence/independence to female audience.