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Dominique Lopez
Dr. Price
Sociology 001
9/27/2015
Project 1: Video/DVD Analysis
A documentary called, Miss Representation shows how women are under represented by
social media. Not only does social media depict women to be and look a certain way, for women
are also associated in a negative connotation. As a culture women are brought up to be insecure
due to the dangerous information that is put out by the social media. According to Jane Fonda, an
academy award winning actor and activist, Media creates consciousness, if what gets out there
that creates our consciousness is determined by men, were not going to make it any progress.
Women make up 51% of the American population yet only 17% of congress. If women are not
fighting for what they believe then it is a huge loss for women. The people in congress,
government and politics exclude women in general. This show's that the people in power have
the ability to control what is put out in the media. This film challenges the medias limited
portrayal of what it means to be a powerful woman.
Karl Marx explains the human society of capitalism when it comes to understanding the
exchange value and of labor. Found on an online webpage I quote, By accepting money as the
universal equivalent, capitalism eventually manages to exploit the laborer upon whom all value
ultimately inheres, according to Marx (). Meaning that the more labor it takes to produce a
product, the greater its value. Money allows for capitalism to happen and in a commodity
exchange, one exchanges commodity for money, which one then exchanges for some other
commodity. For example, if I were to buy a bag that was made with cheap labor and I put a name

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brand on it lets say like, Loui Vuitton, I would then sell this bag at a higher price. In the end
profit is made and the rules of how this is done are limitless. Karl Marx ideas help with the
understanding of how women are transformed on to being sexual commodities. Men create the
demand and women are the supply. Women in turn are viewed in the media as sex objects for
men. When it comes to the government, politics, social media, advertising, and so on most men
are managing everything that goes in between making it hard for women to fight for their rights
and beliefs.
There are three sociological perspective views by sociologist which are; functionalist,
conflict, and interactionist theories. The main focus is on the conflict theory in which is
characterized by tension and struggle between groups. In chapter 3, the dominant ideology is
described as a "set of cultural beliefs and practices that legitimate existing powerful social,
economic, and political interest" (62). The documentary is the perfect example of this ideology.
Karl Marx argued that dominant ideas in society help maintain the interest of the ruling class.
The elite have the power to control and shape the way people think through religion, education,
and the media. For example, feminists would argue that if the elite send out the message that
women need to obey the man and do everything for the man then women will just be looked
down upon. As described already, societys most powerful groups and institutions (banks,
pharmaceutical companies etc.) control wealth and property. Through dominant ideology these
big companies can shape beliefs, about reality through religion, education, and the media (Witt,
2014). For example, if the men who run societys most important institutions send the message
that women have to be submissive to men, this dominant ideology will control women.

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Works Cited
Felluga, Dino. "Modules on Marx: On Capital." Introductory Guide to Critical Theory. January
31, 2011. Purdue U. September 27, 2015.
<http://www.purdue.edu/guidetotheory/marxism/modules/marxcapitalism.html>.
Witt, Jon. SOC. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2015. Print.