1990). The study by Courtney and Lockeretz( 1971) also found that advertisements rarely showed women in working roles, but rather they were used as mere attractive decorations( p. 93). This degrading portrayal of females in the media influences the way men perceive and treat women: as mere objects. Social learning theorists argue that the constant exposure to media’ s sexual depiction of women might actually make the society find it more acceptable and standard, which will consequently allow the advertising agencies to alter moral and cultural values( Zimmerman & Dahlberg, 2008). Thus, men will commence to perceive women just like they’ re portrayed in the media, and this representation largely affects how women are seen and treated, particularly in the workplace. In her article about female discrimination in the workplace, Taub( 1980) argued that“ to make a woman’ s advancement on the job depend on her sexual acquiescence is to continue her status as a man’ s property or plaything”( p. 369). This statement emphasizes the direct imprints that media’ s constant objectification of women has left behind, making women seem less like people and more like property. Men perceived women as inferior to them, both intellectually and professionally and they treated women likewise. Back then, sexual harassment of women was not unusual in the workplace, and if the women refused, they were at risk of getting fired. This aspect reflected the“ stereotypic assumption concerning malefemale power relations and woman’ s proper place,” implying that women did not belong in the workplace, and thus, they were harassed by certain males( p. 370).
Nowadays, the inferior and powerless portrayal of women is almost absent, but women are still being objectified in the media in terms of their sex appeal. Sexual objectification of women is absolutely degrading and dehumanizes them as they are not seen as people, but as sexual objects. Advertisements are incredibly influential as they’ re able to reach a mass audience, and nowadays they depict women in a very sexual manner by revealing great amount
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