women's representation

Women by Catalina Pallas

Task 1 – INTRODUCTION TASK

1- Warming-up Students brainstorm ideas about “Domestic violence” taking some newspaper headlines

as a reference. (Transparency #1) Teacher elicits comments and opinions.

Newspaper Headlines Eight women killed in domestic situations this

year in Hamilton County, OH - enquirer.com

Wife missing during bitter divorce - DailyNews.com Woman battered to death while trying to

divorce husband - NYPost.com

Wife left husband three days before her body was found - News-Press.com

Man to serve 12 years in wife’s murder - WSFA.com

2- Myths and Facts STUDENTS’ HANDOUT Here are some myths and facts about domestic violence. Match them in order to get the fact that breaks the existing myth.

FACTS MYTHS Domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women between ages 15 and 44 in the USA-more than car accidents, muggings, and rapes combined.

1 Battering is only a momentary loss of temper

Battering is the establishment of control and fear in a relationship through violence and other forms of abuse.

2 Domestic violence only occurs in poor, urban areas.

Women of all cultures, races, occupations, income levels, and ages are battered – by husbands, boyfriends, lovers and partners who are professional men who are well respected in their jobs and their communities.

3 Domestic violence does not affect many people

Battered women are often severely injured – 22 to 35% of women who visit medical emergency rooms are there for injuries related to ongoing partner abuse.

4 It is easy for battered women to leave their abuser

Women who leave their batterers are at a 75% greater risk of being killed by the batterer than those who stay. 50% of all homeless women and children are on the streets because of violence in the home.

5 Domestic violence is just a push, slap or punch – it does not produce serious injuries.

Women by Catalina Pallas Answer Key TEACHER’S HANDOUT Here are some myths and facts about domestic violence. Match them in order to get the fact that breaks the existing myth.

FACTS MYTHS Domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women between ages 15 and 44 in the USA-more than car accidents, muggings, and rapes combined.

1 2 Battering is only a momentary loss of temper

Battering is the establishment of control and fear in a relationship through violence and other forms of abuse.

2 3 Domestic violence only occurs in poor, urban areas.

Women of all cultures, races, occupations, income levels, and ages are battered – by husbands, boyfriends, lovers and partners who are professional men who are well respected in their jobs and their communities.

3 1 Domestic violence does not affect many people

Battered women are often severely injured – 22 to 35% of women who visit medical emergency rooms are there for injuries related to ongoing partner abuse.

4 5 It is easy for battered women to leave their abuser

Women who leave their batterers are at a 75% greater risk of being killed by the batterer than those who stay. 50% of all homeless women and children are on the streets because of violence in the home.

5 4 Domestic violence is just a push, slap or punch – it does not produce serious injuries.

- Which myths or facts were most surprising to you? - Do you think we have enough information about this topic? - Why, in your opinion, is it so difficult to leave the batterer? - Any ideas on what could be done about it?


Task 2 – INPUT TASK - Video

1- Pre-Watching task. Women’s image in the media (Transparency # 2). Describe the pictures and try to see the difference in representing men and women. 2- Watching task. Watch the video “Killing us Softly”. Meanwhile do the matching activity related to the video

1. An average American is exposed to 3000 ads every single day 2. The ads as you know are everywhere… bill boards, bumper stickers. 3. Advertising sales a great deal more than products. 4. Advertising surrounds us with ideal female beauty. 5. She never has any lines or wrinkles. 6. Women’s bodies continue to be dismembered in advertising. 7. Most often the focus is on breasts. 8. The best advertisement for fat she’d ever seen 9. In order to be acceptable we need to be painfully thin 10. Teenagers are hyper sexualized in our culture today 11. Lots of ads that trivialise and normalise battering


11 2 5 6

7 9 1 4

8 10 3

ANSWER KEY


3- Post-Watching task. Answer the following questions about the video “Killing us Softly”.

1. How does Jean Kilbourne consider we take advertising? a. It does not affect the majority of people b. We should take it seriously c. 180 billion Americans take advertising very seriously

2. Jean thinks that…. a. We all feel exempt from advertising influence b. People feels that ads have a strong effect on them c. People wearing GAP T-shirts are very influenced by ads

3. We must be aware that the primary objective of the mass media is… a. To make people buy things b. To sell products c. To make people enjoy life

4. What does advertising tell us today about women? a. The way women have to look b. Women have to be pretty c. To be ashamed to spend money to look beautiful

5. Can women achieve that ideal of beauty, in Jane’s opinion? a. Yes, they have time to do so b. No, the ideal is based on absolute floorless ness c. No, only a few women can get to that ideal

6. What is Jane’s opinion on the use of parts of women’s body to sell products? a. She thinks it is a good idea b. She thinks that they reinforce women’s beauty. c. She thinks it is the most dehumanizing thing that can be done.

7. The sentence: “The more you subtract, the more you add” means… a. The thinner you are the better b. the more perfume you put on the better c. the more you spend the better

8. What are eating disorders? a. Using bad manners when eating b. Having problems to eat c. Having a psychological problem that makes you stop eating.

9. Teenagers get messages from advertising that tell them… a. Black lace will make you look older b. Sex helps you to look prettier c. If you are 15 you can start having sex

10. The worst side of advertising is that ….. a. Makes people spend money in useless things b. Keeps people trapped in very rigid roles c. Makes people see life in a different way

Women by Catalina Pallas Task 3 – LANGUAGE REFLECTION TASK

1- Uses of the infinitive : The mass media primary objective is to make people enjoy life To be ashamed to spend money to look beautiful They have time to do so Having problems to eat 2- Comparisons: The thinner you are the better

The more perfume you put on the better The more you spend the better 3- Gerund: Using bad manners when eating

Having problems to eat Having a psychological problem makes you stop eating.

Task 4 – PRODUCTION TASK

A- In groups of four:

1- Decide what the main ideas from the video are and list them up. 2- Think of the degree in which they affect women’s image in today’s society and order

them. 3- Think of other ways to present women that you think could be as effective without

dehumanising them. 4- Appoint a speaker to tell your conclusions to the rest of the class.

B- Fill in the gaps with the missing words, use the words given in the box. Then, discuss the content of the essay against Jean Kilbourne’s video. This is meant to be a whole group activity, you can ask questions like:

- Is it for or against Jean Kilbourne’s opinions? - What are the supporting ideas the author uses? - Do you agree with them? - … etc

Reaction to Jean Kilbourne’s - Killing Us Softly

Absolute PROPAGANDA!! This video does nothing but pull at peoples ……….. She presents a good

argument that women are used as a sex ……… to sell products. NEWS FLASH!!! Sex and beautiful

women sell!! If the woman in the ad is overweight and old what male is going to go out of his way,

stop, and read the said product advertisement? Very, very few. Sad, yes, but …………... true. An

advertisement has to draw a viewer in and to do that many ………… use scandalous ……… that

involve thin, busty, scantly, clad women. You have surely stopped and read the advertisement,


perhaps out of sheer disgust but, you have READ the advertisement and associated that ad with the

company or advertisement. That is just what they ……….!!! The video criticizes the ad agencies for

………… women to lose weight or grow large, well you know! This guilt trip and the actions are evoked

by the women. The ads are not directly saying that women have to be ……. to be attractive that is just

certain women's perspectives on models. The ads that she used for examples showed ……… and

most of the writing was in foreign languages. She is using …….. examples from other countries and

trying to push this standard in ………. on women in America. Wake up Kilbourne, sex ……. Sex sales

and it goes against my own personal …….. but if something works then you …….. it!

Emotions use extreme thin tactics Want promoting nudity moral companies sales symbol Advertising unfortunately

ANSWER KEY Absolute PROPAGANDA!! This video does nothing but pull at peoples emotions. She presents a good argument that women are used as a sex symbol to sell products. NEWS FLASH!!! Sex and beautiful women sell!! If the woman in the ad is overweight and old what male is going to go out of his way, stop, and read the said product advertisement? Very, very few. Sad, yes, but unfortunately true. An advertisement has to draw a viewer in and to do that many companies use scandalous tactics that involve thin, busty, scantly, clad women. You have surely stopped and read the advertisement, perhaps out of sheer disgust but, you have READ the advertisement and associated that ad with the company or advertisement. That is just what they want!!! The video criticizes the ad agencies for promoting women to lose weight or grow large....., well you know! This guilt trip and the actions are evoked by the women. The ads are not directly saying that women have to be thin to be attractive that is just certain women's perspectives on models. The ads that she used for examples showed nudity and most of the writing was in foreign languages. She is using extreme examples from other countries and trying to push this standard in advertising on women in America. Wake up Kilborne, sex sales. Sex sales and it goes against my own personal morals but if something works then you use it!

C- Write an essay stating your point of view on the topic, use the ideas, opinions and vocabulary that you have learned in this unit.

women's representation

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