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The Socialization Effects
of Seventeen
on Young Women, Page 2
However,
there are also peer narratives that go beyond superficial embarrassments and
carry social importance. Seventeen's article "Raped!" allows
a real life rape victim to share her story with teenage women (p. 98). Although
it is an emotional and disturbing testimony, the story raises awareness about
the reality of rape and its consequences. The article also conveys important
values to young women: the importance of being aware of one's surroundings;
and the importance of maintaining control in an atmosphere where there is
alcohol. These are positive and worthwhile values that can help prevent young
women from getting into dangerous situations.
However, a negative norm in the "Raped!" article concerns stereotyping
people of different ethnicity. The rapist in this article is Mexican, and
the authorities who misplace the rape file are Mexican. Judging from the descriptions
of the rapist and the authorities, it would be easy to assume that all Mexicans
have no respect for women. It would also be easy to assume that, since all
Mexican men had no respect for women, they are all rapists. It is not the
norm that all Mexican men are rapists, however, and they should not be categorized.
Advertisements are yet another way Seventeen conveys accepted values,
beliefs and norms. A majority of the ads deal with beauty and fashion. In
fact, out of all the ads in Seventeen, only 14 did not advertise for
beauty and fashion products. Even in those ads that did not promote beauty
and fashion products, there were still images of acceptable body types, acceptable
clothes and acceptable behavior. For example, on page 100, there is an ad
for a new television series. Although the ad is not promoting any brand of
clothing or any brand of beauty products, it is promoting an accepted type
of behavior. In the ad, the men look stern and intimidating, while the women
look seductive and sexy. This tells a young female that is the norm for women
to appear desirable and seduce men; it is the norm for a man to dominate and
be in control. Even without the image of style and beauty, behavior norms
can be expressed.
But the majority of the ads promote beauty, fashion and an accepted body image.
In almost every ad, there is a thin female model in stylish clothes. Is this
telling teenagers that only thin people can wear these clothes? Or is it telling
them that if they buy the clothes, they will be thin and appealing like a
model? On page 95, for instance, there is an ad for Wal-Mart that shows a
picture of a model dressed in trendy clothes typing on her laptop. Although
the young woman in the ad at first appears to be pretty average, she is still
much more skinny than most of the females I have even seen at Wal-Mart. Also,
the theme of the ad is "time to re-boot." Is this telling young
women it is time to get a new laptop? Or is the ad telling them to buy a particular
brand of clothes and lose some weight? Since Wal-Mart does not normally sell
laptops and the female seems to be happy is the clothes, young females can
assume that it is time they looked more like the model. This ad is conveying
the belief that all women are a particular size and that, to be considered
cool, women must buy a particular brand.
To really promote a product, a few ads include a muscular, athletic male in
the picture. This further reinforces the belief that if the young women buy
the brand, then they will be cool. Therefore, attractive men will desire them.
For example, on page 125, a department store ad shows five attractive members
of a homecoming court. The ad not only shows attractive teenage girls in the
store's clothes, but it also shows the excitement of five male football players.
Are the football players excited because of the game or because there are
five beautiful women in front of them? If a teenage reader understands the
players to be excited because the women are attractive, then she can assume
that when she wears those clothes she can get the attention of men, too. Furthermore
all the young women in the ad are thin. By showing thin women in particular
clothes being pursued by men, the ad is telling readers the social importance
of being skinny. In other words, if a female is thin, she is more likely to
attract men.
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