Race and gender

    Exercise 5: Representations of Race and Gender Analyze the portrayal of race and gender in advertising images. 1. Choose three different images that advertise the same type of product. For example, three ads for skin care products, three fast food ads, three car ads, etc. These should be still images, not videos. They can come from print magazines or newspapers, or from the Internet. They can be from any time period. Each image should include at least one person. Be sure to include the images and their sources! 2. For each image, write a paragraph that applies course concepts and makes an argument about how the image portrays race and gender. You should discuss at least two concepts for each image. Identify the demographic characteristics of the people in the images and think about what their representation suggests about members of the groups they belong to. Some useful concepts include, but are not limited to: Colorism (students often use this term incorrectly--make sure you understand what it means) Racism Institutional racism Dominant group Intersection theory Pluralism Segregation Social construction of race Stereotypes White privilege Biological determinism Doing gender Double standard Gender roles Gender socialization Heterosexism/homophobia Sexism Social construction of gender/sexuality 3. Write a conclusion that synthesizes your analyses of the individual images. Discuss how men and women are portrayed, how racial/ethnic groups are portrayed, etc. Be sure to include a discussion about the implications of your findings—how might the way race and gender is represented in advertising be harmful? Could it be done in a way that leads to positive outcomes?