ipl-logo

Theoretical Framework: Gender Schema Theory

1063 Words5 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Features of social cognitive theory

Theoretical Framework

Media of all kinds proliferate gender depictions; a number of theoretical frameworks can be employed in analyzing such mediated representations and their effects. The two main theories that will be used in this evaluative content analysis are social cognitive theory and gender schema theory.

Social Cognitive Theory (AKA Social Learning Theory)

Social cognitive theory provides a framework that can be applied to understanding how exposure to mediated interactions - through video games, for example - can convey gender lessons to gamers, influencing their beliefs about gender roles and their own gender-related self-construction. From the perspective of this theoretic framework, media content serves as a source of “gender-linked …show more content…

A schema is a stored foundation of cognitive knowledge that represents information about a topic, a concept, or a particular stimulus, including its attributes and the relations among the attributes (Fiske and Linville 1980). According to gender schema theory, gendered characteristics are conserved and transmitted to other members of a culture via schemata (Bem, 1993). Children form schemata of what behaviours, attitudes, and clothing are appropriately masculine or feminine through their accumulated experiences (Wroblewski & Huston, 1987). That is, gender schema are informed by and, more or less, mirror sociocultural definitions of masculinity and femininity. These sociocultural standard are largely defined by media. As such, video games are a source of information that depict what traits are masculine and …show more content…

The above-presented information, however, is necessary to include to understand the effects of sex and gender depictions in video games. More Specifically, the effects of sex and gender depictions can be better understood and explained with an understanding of demographics. For example, observed hypersexualization of men would impact the self-efficacy of men to a greater capacity than it would women. Given the large pool of research demonstrating that negative portrayals of gender are associated with various negative results in both the attitudes and behaviours of both men and women (e.g. Dietz, 1998; Beasley and Standley, 2002), a critical question to ask is whether similar findings of the portrayals of men and women are observed in video games. This study will look at the manner in which human male and female characters are portrayed in video games, specifically video game covers. I hypothesize that female characters are more likely to be depicted in a hyper-sexualized fashion than male characters. My interest in studying this topic stems from a strong belief that video games capture and sustain societal gender stereotypes and are responsible, in part, for the gender socialization of individuals (Dill and Thill, 2007). As such, I will discuss the consequences of sexualized gender portrayals

Show More
Related
215 Words | 1 Pages

In contrast to the ethos of the Chevrolet advertisement, Henry Jenkins masterfully employs logos to deconstruct myths centered around the idea that videogames are dangerous and are connected to youth violence. Jenkins says that there is a large gap, “between the public's perception of video games and what the research actually shows,” and many of those perceptions are based on an emotional response and the facts are meant to counter that. The audience of Jenkins’s endeavor would fall on the neutral side of things because they would be the ones who don’t necessarily have an already formed opinion on the subject and would be most willing to listen and allow themselves to be persuaded by statistics and information backed up by research. Throughout

Read More
817 Words | 4 Pages

This helps give the impression that not all hard-core gamers are male, though they still are the majority. The author also uses graphs periodically through the article to help relay information that is easier seen than read. One bar graph depicts the percentage of gamers in their respective age groups with 25% of gamers under age 18, 49% between the ages of 18 and 49, with the last 26% being over age 50 as of the year 2010. The graphs do their job well and are a nice addition to the article to make it more interesting and

Read More
692 Words | 3 Pages

Media Studies 120 Mr. C. Ball Shrek: Critical Lenses & Intertextuality assignments Feminist Ideology What are the stereotypical roles in the world today for men and women? Do we look back at TV shows and films and receive messages about “how it is supposed to be?” What do we think when we see strong, assertive women?

Read More
1846 Words | 8 Pages

Paolo Pedercini uses his video game Unmanned to deliver a social commentary on the normalization of bigotry that is present in the thought processes and behavior patterns of privileged cisgender, heterosexual, white men. The Western market for video games is designed around the concept that video games are for boys. Most games strive to allow the player to immerse themselves in the protagonist- and what better way for a man to immerse himself in a character than if the character displays the same bigoted traits as he does? In “A Series of Interesting Choices: The Building Blocks of Emotional Design”, Katherine Isbister says “The player moves through the game world taking actions as this person, adopting his or her concerns and struggling

Read More
1353 Words | 6 Pages

Typically a video game consists of the main character trying to fulfill some sort of purpose, at least in most AAA games. Action packed, male-driven, overly sexualized women is one type of games which most companies publish. This brand of games, AAA games such as GTA 5 and Temple Run contradicts indie games such as Papers, please and Even Cowgirls Bleed. Furthermore, their representations of the typical gender stereotypes are quite different as well. “Female characters rarely appear, and that when they do, they are mostly in a submissive, secondary role” (Jansz & Martis 2007).

Read More
740 Words | 3 Pages

In Carmen Tieu’s “Why Violent Video Games Are Good for Girls” she argues that playing violent, first person-shooter (FPS) games, typically played only by boys, can be beneficial for girls. FPS games, in her view, allow girls to “beat guys at their own games” (83). They also allow girls the freedom to play privately (without an adult, visual audience) heckling them about girls playing boys’ games. They can give girls a unique way of bonding with males, feeling like any other player instead of singling them out as a “girl.” Tieu also claims that playing FPS games gives girls the inside scoop on how guys act and what they think and talk about.

Read More
1631 Words | 7 Pages

Therefore the portrayal of women as over-sexualised, objectified and subordinate to males depicts an inaccurate representation of female gender behaviour within video games. This can have serious implications within society as video games have become an agent within the development of identities in its players (Miller & Summers, 2007:734). Lande (1993), argues that individuals exposure to violence within video games may result in negative outcomes in relation to a small percentage of individuals who are deemed to be more impressionable and also vulnerable (Lande, 1993). Although it is only a small percentage of individuals in which this relates to, there can be significant consequences. Further action will have to be taken in the future with regards to the reduction or exclusion of gender norms such as the over-sexualisation,

Read More
469 Words | 2 Pages

The author showed new observations by realizing when a girl and guy both play video games it can lead to a different type of relationship. Carmen concludes by explaining when she beats a boy, he feels even more defeated because the opponent is a girl. One of Carmen’s main points is the visual uniqueness between boys

Read More
1174 Words | 5 Pages

Video games create relational abnormalities and reality

Read More
905 Words | 4 Pages

Are video-games a sport? In recent years a pressing topic that has surfaced, especially among parents to children involved in such activities. I am of the belief that they are as real of a sport as football and hockey and that professional gamers should for all intents and purposes be considered athletes. And I write this in hopes of convincing even the most stubborn of reader that video games are, in fact, a sport.

Read More
326 Words | 2 Pages

How men are represented in video games – and how does this affect to young men? Nowadays when you google about how people are presented in media, in video games the first, second and third article will be about how women are pictured in different games. However there is too little text about men and how the male characters are setting their standards wrong.

Read More
957 Words | 4 Pages

ideo games have been a popular past time among boys for many years. However, most recently a major change has occurred; the number of females in a virtual world previously dominated by the opposite gender has increased 6% since 2006 ( ). With this, many difficulties ranging from discrimination to threats have been brought to the world’s attention by means such as Brooke Ross’ “Game Changer,” an article that focuses mainly on the characters in these games. She also comments on other dilemmas that girls might face as they venture into the world of gaming. Ross makes her points by using statistics, praise, and “hot button” phrases in an effort to persuade us that these problems are real and should not be ignored any longer.

Read More
1920 Words | 8 Pages

Displays that often are faulty, untrue or contain false premises about women. Often these stereotypes are seen as tropes, neither good nor bad in their use but often used for storytelling mechanisms. As animations reflect the current cultural aesthetics each trope comes with their own flaws and disclaimers. Currently sociology scholars recognize gender is fluid and a

Read More
1205 Words | 5 Pages

Video games education is a method of teaching by using electronic games as the learning material. Teenagers from fifteen to eighteen, who have been called as “K-20 students” [1] or Net Generation since mid-1990s, playing video games as pastime leisure and expose to digital multimedia more often compare to the older generation. The issues of implementing video games education has been the subject of debate within education and sociology communities due to its appeal to contemporary students. Discussion among sociology scholars focus on the aggressive behaviour and hostility of youngsters who are involved in a video game in a great length of time and a specific type of games [2]. However, some academics argue that video game becomes an interactive learning platform of social education, especially with players verses players (PVP) games.

Read More
1031 Words | 5 Pages

In our time, technology has become one of our essential things in life; specifically video games. Video games are electronic system used to run games. They involve human interaction specially teenagers. Many researches have been done on the effects of video games showing that there is positive and negative impacts. As we know not all video games contain violent contents, but most of them are violent and mentally dangerous.

Read More

More about Theoretical Framework: Gender Schema Theory

Related Topics

Open Document