College Freshman Cycles: Article Analysis

As class has progressed, we have learned much more about society and how humans work. This week, the main topic is socialization, which is the process of learning one’s own culture. This process is how children begin to learn about themselves and their place in society. However, it is not perfect and often shows signs of bias. We see examples of these flaws in everyday life, with topics such as stereotyping, gender bias, racism etc. Similarly, this week’s articles demonstrate how the environment can change individuals and how they behave in society. In addition, these articles highlight the ideals we hold in society and how they are prevalent in many different situations.
The first article that I read was College Freshman Cycles Rapidly Through

Media, especially advertisements, depict women as sexual objects. These advertisements are basically selling sex; they often show an attractive woman dressed provocatively. Kilbourne says that even though sex is not that important in society, it is one of the only things that advertisements highlight. Not only do they depict women as sexual objects, they also describe “innocence” as “sexy.” Moreover, women are portrayed to be quiet and powerless. Many advertisements have images of women that have their faces or mouths covered and are positioned in ways that make them look weak. In contrast, when a man is placed in an advertisement, he is shown as being big and powerful. Men are pushed into the norm of being tough and powerful, just as women are portrayed as weak and passive. These advertisements are examples of how media has a very large influence on us as a culture. “But by the age of 5 or so, most children have developed a fair number of gender stereotypes (often incorrect) that they then use to guide their own perceptions and activities” (Newman 66). Once these views have been established, they are reinforced by media and society as a