"Sex, Aggression, and Music Videos: A Content Analysis"
This exercise is adapted from Cheryl A. Rickabaugh, Sex and Gender: Student Projects and Exercises and the study guide to “DreamWorlds II: Desire, Sex and Power in Music Videos” produced by Sut Jhally. Rickabaugh’s exercise is a partial replication of a study conducted by Rita Sommers-Flanagan, John Sommers-Flanagan and Britta Davis “What’s Happening on Music Television? A Gender-Role Content Analysis.” Sex Roles, 11/12, 745-753 (1993). Sut Jhally’s film is worthwhile seeing. Even though you may feel it is dated, it still has relevance to the studying the concepts.
Instructions: Buy, rent or tape at least 30 minutes of music videos. Whatever you choose should have at least 5 songs. You’ll want to have a copy of the music videos you watch so that you can repeatedly review the contents. The action of the video moves quickly and sometimes the message is subtle and you miss it the first time. Remember that all media images and messages are crafted to convey a message. intent. Look closely at the appearance of media images: the colors, the editing, the camera angles, the appearance of the people, the location and the sound or text.( see “How to be a critical media viewer” Media Education Foundation)
Analysis: For each of the 5 songs, briefly summarize the story of the song.
Use the data sheet to analyze the content. (hand-out) Indicate the number of occurrences represented by each category. For each category, code the gender of the actor (the one who is initiating the action) and the gender of the recipient (the one who is receiving the action). Example: One person pushes another. The pusher is the actor; the person who is pushed is the recipient.
Dominance: Code the power relationships. Place a check under the appropriate column for each occurrence of men and women exercising power (actors) or being subservient (recipients)
Implicit Aggression: This category includes scenes suggestive of aggression or including pain and/or threat. The use of “before and after” scenes are commonly used to imply off-camera violence. Example, a room is shown in disarray or a victim might be shown crying.
Explicit Aggression: In contrast to off-camera aggression this category includes filmed acts such as slapping, pushing, etc. that are intended to harm another.
Aggression with Sexuality: This category includes aggression that is sexualized. For example, an instance where the recipient of the aggression responds in a sexual way or is seen to enjoy aggressive sex.
Objectification: Objectification involves focusing on body parts (e.g. legs, butts, only torsos). In objectification we don’t see the person who owns the body part. In contrast, Subjectivity allows us to see the actor as a person rather than an object. So head shots or shots of the upper body and the face would not be included in this category.
Implicit Sexuality: This category excludes explicit sexual activity but includes action that suggest sex might follow: licking lips, suggestive dancing, etc).
Explicit Sexuality: This category includes explicit sexual touch (touching breasts, genitals, butts) or simulated sexual activity.
Once you have coded your 5 videos, summarize the videos by answering the following questions:
Girls, Women and Music Videos:
Discuss the roles that the female actors are playing (bad girl, good girl, etc):
Discuss the plot (what is the story being told)
Discuss film techniques (examples: shooting through the legs, close-ups on lips) you notice being used to represent female sexuality.
How do you think music videos define “femininity”?
Boys, Men and Music Videos:
Discuss the roles that males play in the videos.
Discuss the plots
Discuss the film techniques you notice being used to represent male sexuality.
How do you think music videos define “masculinity?”
Researchers have found that men were more frequently engaged in dominant and aggressive behavior than were women. Compare and contrast your results with these findings.
Researchers found that women were more frequently depicted as recipients of implicit aggressive behavior, sexual behavior (both implicit and explicit) and sexually aggressive behavior. Compare and contrast your results with these findings.
How is sexuality paired with violence?
|
|
