Influence of Media Representation on Our Perceptions of Gender

Foreword
“representation
is vital
otherwise the butterfly
surrounded by a group of moths
unable to see itself
will keep trying to become the moth
- representation”

― Rupi Kaur, The Sun and Her Flowers

1.0 Introduction (100 words)

Media is a powerful tool that can be used to shape societies in the modern age. With more than
half the population owning television sets and 80% Malaysians above 15 having access to the
internet, the influence of media on Malaysians cannot be understated. For most of the part
however, it can be said that the portrayal of gender in media that Malaysians are exposed to is
biased. Such portrayals, be it from Malaysian, Western, Japanese or other media, tend to fall
back on tired stereotypes.

2.0 Literature Review (200 words)

- Portrayal of Women’s Images in Television Dramas: A Malaysian Case
- The Media’s Role In Portraying Women And Building Negative Stereotypes
- Analysis Of A Malaysian Edition Of Foreign Magazines In Portraying Women’s
Issue
- Gendered Media: Influence of Media on Views of Gender

3.0 Limitations of Study (100 words)

- not such a diverse pool of respondents
- larger respondent pool would be beneficial also
o geographical limitations
- not studying intersectionality of gender and race
4.0 Demographic Analysis (100 words)
- based on survey of about 150 respondents
o race, nationality, gender

5.0 Findings (tie this in to stats of respondents i.e. women prefer western media more
than men do etc.) (300 words)
5.1 Why are our perceptions of gender skewed?
- Types of media Malaysians watch
- Types of stereotypes they are exposed to
- Portrayal of men vs women
- Skewed advertisements

5.2 What are the effects of such skewed perceptions?

- Loss of confidence
- Harm to young children’s psyche
- Creates biased expectations of people
- Can foster harmful opinions

6.0 How do we overcome such an issue? (200 words)

- Vote with your money
- Actively create spaces for equal representation
- “Inclusion rider” clauses
- Parents must sit down and have a frank discussion with their children

7.0 Conclusion (100)

- Identify how the changing media that has increasing inclusion and diversity has
affected people
o Re: star wars new series, increasing diversity in tv shows, Wonder Woman
o People are increasingly demanding for such things, #OscarsSoWhite has
caused severe backlash, #MeToo movement
o There is still a need for this, as there is pushback from some areas of the
industry