What do women look for in a man?, The Chronicle


Date: January 1, 1970
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When choosing a mate, men and women look for different qualities, many of which focus on outward appearance.
When choosing a mate, men and women look for different qualities, many of which focus on outward appearance.

This article may be used to:
  •  Illustrate subtle gender stereotypes.

Trainer’s notes

Gender includes stereotypes about women and men, and the media plays a role in perpetuating both. Journalists and editors need to be re-trained to not just present stereotypes as the norm, but to challenge representations which do not reflect the complex and diverse roles and lives of women and men.

In her article, ‘Taking Gender out of the Ghetto’, Karen Williams gives the following pointers on how to make reporting gender sensitive:

  • Fairness and accuracy is one of the greatest guarantees for better, more gender-sensitive copy. While every reporter comes to a story with their own baggage and assumptions, that shouldn’t detract from aiming for clear writing and overall excellence in journalism;
  • When covering gender-specific crimes (like rape, sexual harassment and child abuse) the principles of basic crime reporting apply. Imputations of blame towards the victim should be removed from all copy – as should questioning the veracity of the victim’s story. Ask yourself: would you put the same questions to somebody who’s been hijacked, or whose house has been burgled?
  • News journalism is about writing the story straight, without unnecessary adjectives or descriptions. News reporting on women that is riddled with adjectives and descriptions pertaining to the body and appearance, and notions of “good behaviour” is a violation of this norm;
  •  Journalists often prefer to seek comment and analysis from their male subordinates, rather than senior women. This is simply not professional. Also, to the extent that there is a dearth of women sources, reporters should be encouraged to cultivate such contacts;
  • Gender should form part of the ethical code, editorial guidelines, and style guide of organisations. It should not be left up to the goodwill of individuals.

Training tip:  Put up these pointers on a flipchart or board. Refer to the pointers which apply to the case study when discussing its weaknesses and the stereotypes it conveys. When summarising the pointers on how to avoid subtle gender stereotypes in reporting, give to trainees a copy of ‘Taking Gender out of the Ghetto’, p. 38 in the gender in media training, a southern African toolkit.

 Analysis of case study ‘What do women look for in a man?’

This story is told through the voices of four men and four women. The tone and line of questioning which the reporter took reflect the biases and views of the journalist on the subject. Several stereotypes about women and men emerge in the story:

  • Women’s sole purpose in life is to look for a man(this message is first conveyed in the headline and then followed through in the story);
     

  • Women want men who are financially well-off because they like the finer things of life(in other words women are shallow );
     

  • Men look for women who are physically attractive;
     

  • Women look for physically attractive men;
     

  • Men do not take rejection well.
In the story, what women want in a man is told more from a male’s perspective than that of the women interviewed. The perspectives of both the women and men accessed focus on the external and physical characteristics. The reporter reveals her own bias when she states that ‘definitely somebody who appears to be elegantly dressed with good shoes and remarkable watch on his wrist will be an obvious choice for a lady’.
 
The story does not interrogate or challenge the gender roles/stereotypes that emerge through the voices and perspectives of the sources, nor does it challenge the myth that emerges from one female source who says women should be wary of men with “red lips” due to HIV/AIDS. This statement promotes the stigma that men with “red lips” are HIV infected which is not true.

There also is a subtle racial stigma in the story when one female source refers to not being attractive to someone “who is very dark”. The article is filled with adjectives and descriptive phrases which pertain to the body, appearances and notions of “good behaviour” which moves the piece from balance and fair reporting to subtle comment which displays biases and promotes stigma.

Training exercises

Exercise one: Identify examples of how gender stereotypes are conveyed in society then identify how they can be challenged under the following themes:

  1. Proverbs, idioms and sayings;
     

  2. Songs(sing a few lyrics from well known songs);
     

  3. Soap operas, drama and popular culture (act out a scene);
     

  4. Custom, culture, religion;
     

  5. Education.
Exercise two: Read the case study, ‘What do women look for in a man?’ and discuss the following: 
  1. What stereotypes of women emerge in the article?
     

  2. What are the stereotypes of men?
     

  3. Who are the sources in the article?
     

  4. From whose perspective does the reader find out what women want in a man?
     

  5. What stereotype is conveyed by the headline?
     

  6. Should the media publish articles like this case study? Why or why not?

 


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