media language
Background Information
- Weekly magazine
- In 2001 merged with Woman's Weekly
- Created to relieve printing pressure from Woman Magazine
- Fiction mixed with domestic advice
- By 1960, domestic advice dominated the magazine
- First published by IPC in 1958
- Price = 6d (6 old pennies)
Target Audience
- Housewives
- Middle aged women
- Normal, everyday people
Main Articles/Features
Features
- Readers letters
- Shopping guide
- Bargain holidays
- Language of flowers
- Man about the house
- Baby circle
- Your stars
- Crossword
- Children's realm
- Doctor Phillip Lawson
- Clare Shepherd's page
Cookery
- The sunday cook
- Cake of the week
Knitting
- Mixed doubles
- Machone knitting
Fashion
- Spring is just around the corner
- Come rain, come shine
Beauty
- Bottled beauty
Fiction
- Game of hazard
- The Return
- Edge of nowhere
This suggests that the target audience is mainly women who need help domestically but also in general family life. Also, the fact such a small section of the magazine is dedicated to fiction suggests the publishers believe actual stimulating content is not that important to the readership, reflecting the sexist time is was written.
- Weekly magazine
- In 2001 merged with Woman's Weekly
- Created to relieve printing pressure from Woman Magazine
- Fiction mixed with domestic advice
- By 1960, domestic advice dominated the magazine
- First published by IPC in 1958
- Price = 6d (6 old pennies)
Target Audience
- Housewives
- Middle aged women
- Normal, everyday people
Main Articles/Features
Features
- Readers letters
- Shopping guide
- Bargain holidays
- Language of flowers
- Man about the house
- Baby circle
- Your stars
- Crossword
- Children's realm
- Doctor Phillip Lawson
- Clare Shepherd's page
Cookery
- The sunday cook
- Cake of the week
Knitting
- Mixed doubles
- Machone knitting
Fashion
- Spring is just around the corner
- Come rain, come shine
Beauty
- Bottled beauty
Fiction
- Game of hazard
- The Return
- Edge of nowhere
This suggests that the target audience is mainly women who need help domestically but also in general family life. Also, the fact such a small section of the magazine is dedicated to fiction suggests the publishers believe actual stimulating content is not that important to the readership, reflecting the sexist time is was written.
representation
Analysis of advertisements
- Woman in red swimming costume top left of image – objectified but confident, in dominant position
- Male hand holding up plate in foreground – dominant position - viewing female through his eyes, reinforced by the phallic symbolism of the food on the plate - Female surfing and holding up plate elegantly – with perfectly styled hair – sense of ‘perfection’, aspirational - Connotations of the language ‘sweet things in life….’ – relates to the food, but also, potentially, the female |
- Female ‘keeps everything clean, spotless, shining, bright’ – domestic, place in the home, purpose is to make it clean and bright – by implication for her husband and children
- Female has a less active role than her husband who is painting – and making a mess that needs to be cleaned up - Female’s hands shown in full, manicured nails-conforming to notions of female beauty - Female wearing wedding ring, male is not- inequality, sense that woman is more dependent - ‘Perfect marriage’ is one where gender roles are clearly defined |
Women in the 1960s
Highlight the points that relate to social/ historical context in yellow; Highlight construction of female stereotypes in blue; Highlight points relating to the audience/ mode of address in green
Feminism
david gauntlett- theory of identity
The idea that the media provide us with ‘tools’ or resources that we use to construct our identities.
The idea that whilst in the past the media tended to convey singular, straightforward messages about ideal types of male and female identities, the media today offer us a more diverse range of stars, icons and characters from whom we may pick and mix different ideas.
The idea that whilst in the past the media tended to convey singular, straightforward messages about ideal types of male and female identities, the media today offer us a more diverse range of stars, icons and characters from whom we may pick and mix different ideas.
industry
Integration
Magazine houses combined to become an IPC empire (International Publishing Corporation)
The 'Teenager'
The teenager was recognized and became the publisher's dream.
Satire
Supermarkets
Magazine houses combined to become an IPC empire (International Publishing Corporation)
The 'Teenager'
The teenager was recognized and became the publisher's dream.
Satire
Supermarkets
revision questions
How does Woman’s Realm reflect the context in which it was made?
Through the representation/stereotyping of women throughout the magazine, it is evident that this was created within a time period when it was acceptable to portray women in such ways. For example, within the hand cream advertisement, the roles of the husband and wife were very evident- the female is the one seen cleaning the mess that her husband has made through conducting more laborious jobs.
The contents page further supports this point, as the pages within the magazine revolve around domesticity, beauty and marriage/family. This represents what women were 'supposed' to find interesting to read and what their lives would essentially revolve around.
How does Woman’s Realm use media language to create meaning? Refer to Barthes and Strauss in your response.
Levi-Strauss' theory of Structuralism and his ideal of binary oppositions is predominantly shown throughout Women's Realm- with the main binary opposition being male and female. The magazine presents the clear indifference in power between men and women, as it is solely aimed at women. This is supported through the title of the magazine being 'Women's Realm', the word 'Realm' alludes to the idea that it is a 'world' exclusive for women.
Furthermore, Barthes' theory of Semiotics can be used when discussing the context of the advertisements. For example, in the advertisement promoting hand cream, the male is predominantly shown as being 'manly' by completing the laborious tasks, whilst the women must simply clean up after him and ensure she looks good for her husband. Initially the audience would believe that the product is to improve the lives of the female; however it is seen as in fact beneficial for the husband, as the wife must keep her hands 'soft' for her husband rather than herself.
What are some of the key representations in Woman’s Realm? Refer to Hall, Gauntlett and any Feminist theory.
The main representation of women in this is that they have a clear role in society, which revolves around domesticity, the family and looking good for their male counterpart. Women within the period when this magazine was released, had limited rights and power within society; thus meaning that their main role within society was being a housewife. This evidently represents the inequality in power between men and women in this era. Through the use of the cover lines on the front page, as well as through the contents page, it is clear that stereotypes have been created as to what women are 'supposed' to like. For example, knitting, cooking, childcare and their beauty. This suggestion does not completely conform with Van Zoonen's theory.
Explain the ownership of Woman’s Realm. Refer to Curran and Seaton, and use lots of terminology in your response.
Women's Realm is an integrated company as it combined Women's magazine and Weekly magazine.
How does Woman’s Realm address its audience? Refer to Gerbner and Hall in your response.