User:Lscgunn/sandbox

=Gender Advertisements=

Gender Advertisements is a book written by Erving Goffman during the 1970's. The book delves into topics of gender representation and limitations in the advertising world. Some of the major concepts and terms defined in this book include function ranking, feminine touch and relative size, to name a few. "Long awaited and densely argued, Goffman's monograph/album, reprinted from a professional journal, uses photographs--selected from random periodicals and "arranged with malice"--to illuminate how we recognize ourselves: what photographed gestures and postures signify about relationships and, more centrally, how they reflect learned gander expectations."

Relative Size
Relative size is one of the main terms defined in Goffman's book. This term refers to the often asymmetrical sizing of men and women in advertisements. Typically, men are pictured much larger in size than women are. This accounts for the assumption that women are the less important subjects of the advertisement and, therefor, do not need to be depicted as large as men.

Feminine Touch
This term refers to the way that women are often pictured holding objects or touching themselves in advertisements. Women are often shown grazing objects with a light touch, rather than firmly grasping them. This encompasses the way that women are seen holding perfume bottles, hats, watches, and even the way they touch their own bodies or clothing. The feminine touch is described as light, and non-deliberate.

Family
The concept of the family is defined in Goffman's book as the way that 'families' are positioned in print advertisements. This positioning is very deliberate and intentional, and often involves the father being placed standing, slightly away from the sitting family. Additionally, there is typically a clear bond between the father and son as well as between the mother and daughter. This depiction of 'perfect families' contributes to gender stereotypes.

Licensed Withdrawal
Licensed withdrawal refers to the way that women are often pictured withdrawing from their reality in advertisements. Specifically, this term encompasses the way that women are seen gazing away from the camera or from other models pictured in an ad, as well as laying down in vulnerable positions that the average person would find impractical. The result is that the women who are portrayed this way in advertising appear to have little depth or purpose.

Ritualization of Subordination
The ritualization of subordination occurs when a woman is pictured in a vulnerable position as compared to her male counterpart. Similar to licensed withdrawal, this term refers to women being seen as not having purpose. This can refer to both placement as well as body positioning; including a woman lounging, as compared to a man standing over her showing that she is submissive to him.

Function Ranking
Function ranking involves the placement of subjects in advertisements as well. This term refers to the importance placed on apparent class and social stature in advertisements. For example, someone who is portrayed as poor or working class will often be pictured smaller or placed in the backgrounds of images also featuring someone portrayed as being of a higher societal class.