Examine the ways in which females are represented in the mass media.

Representation refers to stereotypes or dominant images of particular groups found in the media. Women are found mainly in domestic settings and are portrayed in a narrower range of social roles than men. Cumberbatch’s 1990 study of advertising found that men were twice as likely to be shown in advertising concerning paid employment and that women were twice as likely to carry out household chores.

Women are often depicted as sex objects on television, as physical looks, sexual allure, docility and youth seem to be necessary social attributes for women. These are less important for male film stars and television presenters. Most women on television and in films seem to be aged les...