Visual Sociology Social Roles, Gender

Visual Sociology

Social roles, gender differences: Visual sociology on male-female dichotomy from pictures of human interest (current issues/affairs)

The scrapbook I used in discussing and interpreting visual sociology is composed of five pictures from different issues or subjects of human interest in the society at present. This set of pictures are similar on one specific attribute, which is centered on men and women embodying or depicting stereotypes of social roles that males and females are assigned by society in general. A general description and analysis of each picture is discussed in the texts that follow.

The first picture illustrates an obese woman, confined in a hospital in Alexandria, Egypt. The picture was taken in the context of a story that reported "70% of women and 50% of men living in the oil-rich Gulf Arab states are overweight or obese." The choice of a woman as the subject of this report meant to highlight how, true to the reports, more women than men have become obese in the Middle Eastern region countries. Taken from a different perspective, this picture demonstrated the negative connotation that obesity has over a woman (and females in general). This reflects society's bias against females, who are expected to adhere to the current standards of beauty and physical fitness -- that is, being physically attractive and thin. Males, however, are not imposed this strict standard of physical attractiveness.

Picture 2 captured an emotional moment of a soldier's mother. Rebecca Jones, mother to Spc. Kevin Jones, was shown crying after the burial of her son, who was killed by a roadside bombing in Iraq. This picture portrayed the role of women in general: grievers for men who engage in acts of patriotism though military service. Their role as "victims" of the tragic deaths of soldiers during war and conflict is an attempt to balance the roles that males and females take on in the society. Males, who are perceived to be physically able to engage in military duty, are given roles that take them to the forefront of conflict. Females, meanwhile, are expected to remain behind and provide emotional and moral support for the males. In effect, male roles are personified physically, while female roles are accomplished through emotional means.

The third picture reinforces the emotional pull demonstrated in Picture 2. In the third picture, a family was shown hugging each other amidst the burial of their loved-one, who was also a soldier stationed in Iraq. In it, the picture of the soldier's mother, wife, and children once again illustrated how the stereotype of women and children being weak are perpetuated. With the death of the male member of the family, this family is forced to be together, and it is through their unity that they are only able to make themselves stronger individually. The image of a grieving family demonstrated the strength of the dead soldier (male) as an individual and the helplessness of each member of the family (specifically, women and children) he has left behind.

Picture 4, meanwhile, highlighted a common stereotype associated against males as more dangerous and suspicious in character than females. This picture of Iraqi males being searched by soldiers serves to reinforce the concept of males being inherently physically threatening to society. They are thereby discriminated against and are met with greater caution and scrutiny in the society. Though it demonstrated male physical strength, it also portrayed society's inherent hostility and antagonism towards males.

The last picture evoked a similar effect as was shown in Picture 4. Capturing images of soldiers walking in the dusty and bare streets of western Iraq, the picture invokes a feeling of fear and danger for the soldiers. The dusty and bare look of Iraq's physical environs helped promote the Spartan-like life soldiers are forced to live on, a sacrifice they have to make in order to ensure the security of the country (United States, as well as Iraq). The setting, subjects, and mood of the picture help establish the thinking that indeed, males are physically strong than females. Hence, it is just fitting that males, who make the physical sacrifice, be given moral support from the females (who give emotional sacrifice for the males and the sake of the country).