Second Outline: Women's Magazines | Sociology of Sexuality

Introduction

For college-age women, magazines like Cosmopolitan and Glamour claim to be the ultimate source for information on sex and romantic relationships. And such magazines are incredibly effective in reaching their target audience- over ?60% of college-aged women?read at least one issue per month (Kim and Ward 2004:49). While even a cursory glance at Cosmopolitan reveals its articles to support a view of sexuality that is exclusively heterosexual and based in notions about ?natural? differences between men?s and women?s romantic and sexual preferences, it is important to consider the ways in which readers interact with the models of sexuality presented in women?s magazines. The tools readers have to critically assess these concepts, however, are determined by the ways in which these magazines present information to their readers. Women?s magazines present monogamous, long-term relationships with men as the ultimate goal for women, but draw on pseudo-scientific sources, such as online surveys (Daly et al. 2012:105), ?sex experts,? and pop psychology, for their advice about sexuality. They present men as a homogenous group whose motivations are unknowable to women without the advice presented in magazines. Though readers may be critical of material presented in women?s magazines, it is difficult to be confident in those critiques when the information is attributed to experts. This process promotes the consumption of magazines to improve sexual and romantic relationships, rather than encouraging interpersonal communication to address problems.

Literature Review

While previous research on women?s magazines has found that, on the surface, they embrace a liberal attitude that presents sex as a fun and worthwhile activity for young women (Farvid and Braun 2006; Gupta, Zimmerman, and Fruhauf 2008; Kim and Ward 2004), they ultimately teach women to conform to men?s sexual desires and to pursue long-term, heterosexual, and monogamous relationships above all else (Farvid and Braun 2006; Gupta et al. 2008). They do so by drawing on a binary model of gender and sex, attributing certain ?natural? attitudes towards sex and relationships to men and women, with men not needing relationships with women, while women find men to be ?the underlying source of?fulfilment, security, and happiness? (Farvid and Braun 2006:299). Building on the depiction of men as ?primarily sex-focused and out of control? (Kim and Ward 2004:50), women are expected to monitor their behavior in order to both please their male partner sexually and to protect his ego (Farvid and Braun 2006; Gupta et al. 2008). Only through ?sexual upkeep? and emotional maneuvering can women ?keep men from ?straying?? (Farvid and Braun 2006:303).

As for magazine readers? responses to these messages, Farvid and Braun maintain that it is important to note that ?the portrayed ideas are not simply ?automatically? absorbed by the readers,? (2006:297), while Bielay and Herold?s analysis found that the most common information readers seek in women?s magazines is advice on ?improving one?s sex life? and ?what men like/want sexually,? perhaps confirming that magazines are successful in convincing readers that they need improvement in this area and in presenting themselves as the best source of such information (1995:254). In addition, Kim and Ward found that while readership of women?s magazines was associated with stronger support ?of women taking charge of their sexuality,? (2004:53), it was also ?associated with stronger endorsement of?the Stereotypical Male Sexual Role,? the idea that men are ?willing and able to engage in [sex] at any time? (Farvid and Braun 2006:301).

Moving Forward

I. Monogamous long-term relationships as the ultimate goal for women

A. Articles about finding and keeping a man

B. Concept of ?Mr. Right?, the perfect man for every woman

C. Work to prevent partner from ?straying?

1. Sexual and emotional work (protecting partner?s ego)

II. Idea of men?s sexuality as uniform and fundamentally different from women?s

A. Articles that make generalizations about ?what all men want?

B. Use of ?experts? to present material about how men and women are different

C. Use of stories from men and surveys of men to lend authority to claims

III. The idea of the reader as inadequate in relationships (always ?doing something wrong?)

A. Presenting relationships as following a specific progression (as in the ?4 Talks You Should Have Had with Him by Now? article in Cosmo from August 2012)

B. Presenting relationship advice from experts and men, but rarely other women

C. Emphasis on avoiding direct communication about problems with one?s partner

1. Encourages reader to turn to magazines over communication within the relationship

References

Bielay, George and Edward S. Herold. 1995. ?Popular Magazines as a Source of Sexual Information for University Women.? The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality 4(4):247-262.

Daly, Annie, Anna Davies, Casey Gueren, and Brittany Talarico. 2012. ?101 Things About Men.? Cosmopolitan, August 2012, pp. 105.

Farvid, Pante? and Virginia Braun. 2006. ??Most of Us Guys are Raring to Go Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere?: Male and Female Sexuality in Cleo and Cosmo.? Sex Roles 55(5/6):295-310.

Gupta, Antoinette E., Toni S. Zimmerman, and Christina A. Fruhauf. 2008. ?Relationship Advice in the Top-Selling Women?s Magazine, Cosmopolitan: A Content Analysis.? Journal of Couple & Relationship Therapy 7(3):248-266.

Kim, Janna L. and L. Monique Ward. 2004. ?Pleasure Reading: Associations between Young Women?s Sexual Attitudes and Their Reading of Contemporary Women?s Magazines.? Psychology of Women Quarterly 28(1):48-58.

Source: http://mkopas.net/courses/soc287/2012/07/23/second-outline-womens-magazines/

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