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Magazines are embodied in adolescents\u2019 regular routine.\u00a0 In order for adolescents to comprehend how magazines have impacted their identities my curriculum will force them to analyze and critically evaluate what is portrayed to our society in this type of popular culture literature.\u00a0 Magazines are created to generate consumers and through this gender stereotypes are reinforced.\u00a0 My students will understand how their gender is represented in this media outlet and they will explore the effect this has on our society.\u00a0 My curriculum will also analyze what makes magazines enticing and how they can create their own anti-glamour magazine called \u2018zines.\u2019<\/p>\n
The differences between men and women magazines are visible in appearance and in content.\u00a0 \u201cThe media contributes to the reinforcement of gender differences and inequalities in contemporary society,\u201d as stated by Gough-Yates (2003, p.7).\u00a0 In this perspective, this view conspires in the advancement of capitalism and patriarchy (Gough-Yates, 2003).\u00a0 The media\u2019s representations of women create the feminine identities and stereotypical roles we come to be familiar with.\u00a0 The recent covers of magazines create images of virtually flawless, beautiful, and content women.\u00a0 This happens to be the contrary to the existence of most women in the real world.\u00a0 Magazines such as\u00a0Cosmopolitan\u00a0and\u00a0Marie Clare\u00a0catalog articles on diet recipes, ways to keep your man happy, and how to handle bad hair days.\u00a0 The women magazine industry distributes magazines that contain messages and signs about the nature of femininity (Gough- Yates, 2003).\u00a0 This form of popular culture tells us how to act and what our roles in society should be.\u00a0 These promote and legitimize dominant interests.\u00a0 Gough-Yates (2003) exclaims:<\/p>\n
Women\u2019s magazines are seen as a powerful force for the construction and legitimation of gender inequalities.\u00a0 In these terms, women\u2019s magazines do not simply offer their readers innocent pleasures- they are a key site for the development of a self-identity that undermines women\u2019s essential, real feminine identities. (p.8)<\/p>\n
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Many magazine editors have now come to the point where they no longer target just one particular age or social class.\u00a0 They have come to believe that, \u201cthe difference between a reader ofCosmopolitan\u00a0and\u00a0Working Woman\u00a0is as much a function of attitude. (Gough- Yates, 2003, p. 95).\u201d\u00a0 The lines between all social and age grouping have become blurred to this media outlet.\u00a0 It has come down to the basic stereotypical gender when it comes to appealing to women.<\/p>\n
Men magazines are by far harder to market then women magazines.\u00a0 Men magazines did not capture an audience until the 1990\u2019s when it became the fastest growing consumer magazine market as commented by Benwell (2003).\u00a0 The first American periodical to call themselves an all male magazine was\u00a0Esquire\u00a0(Benwell, 2003).\u00a0 The release of\u00a0Esquire, thought to be a cultural industry, was said to have a negative impact on the audience.\u00a0 It continues to generate the same criticism today.\u00a0 It repressed differences and fashioned sameness and conformity.\u00a0 Men magazines are typically titled toward the social class and in terms of content and readership.\u00a0 For example,\u00a0GQ\u00a0is for the upmarket audience and\u00a0Maxim\u00a0is for the downmarket audience.\u00a0 They also tend to address the heterosexual readership with the exception of one or two magazines that are targeted for gay men.\u00a0 Men magazines speak to the reader as a friend by offering hints, pointing out downfalls, and giving helpful advice.\u00a0 Compared to a women\u2019s magazine the authors claim to be experts and provide their readers with factual information.\u00a0 A men\u2019s magazine uses familiar language that does not talk down to the audience.\u00a0 The overall mode of men magazines is friendly, ironic, and boyish.\u00a0 Men\u2019s magazines are about sex and booze presented with a beautiful half naked woman on the cover.\u00a0 This is displayed in a recent November issue for 2009 where Kate Beckinsale is on the cover of\u00a0Esquire.\u00a0 She appears in black underwear and barely holding up a sheet to cover her top section.\u00a0 In the background it reads, \u201cThe Sexiest Woman Alive\u201d with another article title that reads, \u201cHow to Curse.\u201d\u00a0 It is common for them to represent cigarette smoking, but homosexuality is rarely or never portrayed.\u00a0 It is essential to analyze the terms of masculinity in their representation.\u00a0 Men after all are believed to be stereotypically masculine.\u00a0 Since birth men are told they should portray an image of being strong yet emotionless.\u00a0 Sociological and cultural understandings of these representations have stayed constant.\u00a0 Men magazines have always been, past or present, for men but rarely about men.\u00a0 A man being interested in clothing and consumption, like a woman, is an uneasy tension.\u00a0 Men can only be interested in consumerism and style if they were heterosexually promiscuous and violent enough.\u00a0 For example a member of the mafia or a gang is permitted to be interested in style simply because they are thought to have these qualities.\u00a0 These stereotypes hinder our society from truly developing and this will be more apparent to my students.\u00a0 (Benwell, 2003).<\/p>\n
Magazines no matter which gender they are targeted towards have always had a way to entice readers to purchase them.\u00a0 In my curriculum we will also analyze what makes each magazine unique.\u00a0 As technology moves at a fast pace, magazines are being reinvented every two or three years to keep the audience\u2019s attention (Rothstein, 2007).\u00a0 There are many critical questions to take into account when trying to analyze magazines.\u00a0 To name a few: the evolution of a magazine, the current competition, current readership, the effect of the website on the print edition, and the design of the magazine.\u00a0 The type of paper stock, color, and texture are often taken for granted.\u00a0 It makes an overall difference on the exterior and the general feeling.\u00a0 Being a smaller size can be a characteristic that makes the magazine unique.\u00a0 There are also many basic design elements that are meant to intrigue audiences.\u00a0 The logo, cover, departments and features, and table of contents all play a part in creating a magazine made to lure readers. (Rothstein, 2007).<\/p>\n
Using the elements that make magazines intriguing my students will be asked to make their own self-published magazine called a \u201czine\u201d on a stereotypical gender topic presented in our society that interests them.\u00a0 Zines is term used as an abbreviation for fanzine.\u00a0 They are the underground, anti-glamour magazines that may run for one issue or for many years (Congdon & Blandy, 2003).\u00a0 They are compared to being a cross between a personal letter and a magazine.\u00a0 According to Congdon and Blandy \u201czinesters combine iconography and text to create publications that can be chaotic, disturbing, uncomfortable, sensual, complex, loud, confrontive, and often a social critique of contemporary life (2003, p. 45).\u201d\u00a0 In zines many historical issues are celebrated instead of being pushed to the wayside.\u00a0 Gender roles, religion, familial relationships, politics, sexual orientation, the environment, academic disciplines, the arts, class structure, ethnicity, generational differences, economics, and pop culture have all been distinguished and illuminated by many zinesters (Congdon & Blandy, 2003).\u00a0 Zines redesign the relationship between popular culture and art.\u00a0 They unearth radical and utopist thought in their viewers and creators.\u00a0 According to Bott (2002) using zines in a lesson plan is the hope that students will write poems, stories, memoirs, represent bits and pieces of their lives, and combine these elements to create their own magazine.\u00a0 Zines are meant to look homemade and odd so students are able to display their imagination and creativity.\u00a0 The cover, table of contents, and theme are all part of the success of any magazine either a small zine or a large publication.\u00a0 The zine should be evaluated on the content of creativity, thoughtfulness, and completeness of thought (Bott, 2003).\u00a0 Zines are used as a strategy to encourage the development and distribution of ideas and social critique through images and text (Congdon & Blandy, 2003). It would be amiss if e-zines were not mentioned.\u00a0 With our new technological age many adolescents are familiar with what the Internet has to offer.\u00a0 E-zines are the new way publishers and zinesters can reach a larger audience (Gill, 2000).\u00a0 The website Fool.com which is an online investing and personal finance site is designed for the novice investor (Gill, 2000). It started off as a very small zine that was photocopied to a few family and friends, which branched out to the Internet and has become a multimillion-dollar company (Gill, 2000).\u00a0 Zines in any form will allow my students to explore the sometimes misogynistic and stereotypical gender role popular culture portrays in our society.<\/p>\n
Magazines tend to portray an image to our society that there is a clear division between what it means to be masculine and what it means to be feminine.\u00a0 Through my curriculum my students will investigate and evaluate what our society has told us is the message behind their portrayals.\u00a0 It is important for adolescents to understand how their identity is formed and to know that what makes them individuals should be celebrated.\u00a0 Once they understand the important elements that make magazines successful they will be able to create their own zine.\u00a0 Publishing their own zines will allow them to express themselves in ways they will begin to understand themselves.\u00a0 It will not only help with their artistic expression they will also begin to help build their self- esteem.<\/p>\n
References<\/p>\n
Benwell, B. (Eds.). (2003).\u00a0Masculinity and Men\u2019s Lifestyle Magazines.\u00a0 Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing.<\/p>\n
Bott, C. (2002).\u00a0 Zines- The Ultimate Creative Writing Project.\u00a0\u00a0National Council of Teachers of English, 92(2), 27-33.<\/p>\n
Congdon, K. G. & Blandy D. (2003).\u00a0 Zinesters in the Classroom: Using Zines to Teach about Post modernism and the Communication of Ideas.\u00a0\u00a0National Art Education Association, 56(3), 44-52.<\/p>\n
Gill, M. (2000).\u00a0\u00a0\/\/Webworks E-zines.\u00a0 Massachusetts: Rockport Publishers.<\/p>\n
Gough- Yates, A. (2003).\u00a0\u00a0Understanding Women\u2019s Magazines: Publishing, Markets and Readerships.\u00a0 New York: Routledge Taylor & Francis Group.<\/p>\n
Rothstein, J. (2007).\u00a0\u00a0Designing Magazines: Inside Periodical Design, Redesign, and Branding.\u00a0\u00a0New York: Allworth Press.<\/p>\n
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Curriculum Theme:\u00a0\u00a0Using Magazine and Zines to Understand the Gender Stereotypical Roles<\/p>\n
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Teacher:\u00a0Joane R. Laguitan<\/p>\n
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Grade Level:\u00a0High School level\/ Grades 9-12<\/p>\n
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State Fine Art Goals:\u00a0I. A.B., II. A.B.C., III. A.B., IV. A., V. A.B.C., VI. A.B.<\/p>\n
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General goals for the curriculum (describe in 2-5 sentences):\u00a0In order for adolescents to comprehend how magazines have impacted their identities my curriculum will force them to analyze and critically evaluate what is portrayed to our society in this type of popular culture literature.\u00a0 Magazines are created to generate consumers and through this gender stereotypes are reinforced.\u00a0 My students will understand how their gender is represented in this media outlet and they will explore the effect this has on our society.\u00a0 My curriculum will also analyze what makes magazines enticing and how they can create their own anti-glamour magazine called \u2018zines.\u2019<\/p>\n
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| Lesson<\/p>\n title<\/p>\n (name each lesson to reflect a general unit theme)<\/td>\n | Visual Exemplars<\/p>\n (list specific images and artists, TV shows, and\/or books that you plan to use for each lesson)<\/td>\n | Motivation \/ dialogue<\/p>\n (list basic issues and questions to be explored during classroom dialogue and any other motivational strategies that you plan to use for each lesson)<\/p>\n <\/td>\n | Media \/ process<\/p>\n (list artistic processes that your students will engage in during each lesson)<\/td>\n | Concepts and\/or design principles\u00a0to be learned during each lesson<\/p>\n <\/td>\n | Closure<\/p>\n (list \u00a0an assessment strategy that can be used at the end of each lesson)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Lesson (class period) 1<\/td>\n | I will bring in magazines that represent the male and female viewers.\u00a0 I will also bring in a magazine that has a counter magazine towards another gender, such as Men\u2019s Health and Women\u2019s Health.<\/td>\n | Part I:\u00a0Questions that I will ask to form discussions will be the following: Do you see visual differences on the covers or content of the magazines?\u00a0 What do you think the magazines are trying to portray about gender stereotypes?\u00a0 Do you think the specific audiences are looking into this for pleasure or insight?\u00a0 What do you think the underlying messages are?<\/p>\n Part II:\u00a0Questions that I will ask to form discussions will be the following:\u00a0 What do you think stands out about magazines in general?\u00a0 Is there a specific characteristic, like size, that makes this magazine stand out?\u00a0 Does this characteristic make you more intrigued?\u00a0 Does the design of the magazine make sense for the overall feeling?\u00a0 What do you think about the elements like logo, cover, departments and features, and table of contents?<\/td>\n | Part I:\u00a0Lesson 1 is just a critical analysis day on the aesthetics of magazines.\u00a0 Students will discuss how they see the gender stereotypical roles portrayed in these types of magazines and how this affects our culture.<\/p>\n Part II:\u00a0Students will then analyze the basic elements that make the principles of design.\u00a0 Logos, the cover, the features, and the table of contents will all be part of discussion.<\/td>\n | The concept that will be learned is that magazines help our society reinforce stereotypical gender roles.\u00a0 Students will learn where magazines display the emphasis, the balance, the harmony and the unity.<\/td>\n | Through discussion my students will begin to investigate, understand and recall the concepts and ideas portrayed by popular culture by listening, asking questions, and recognizing symbolism.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Lesson<\/p>\n (class period) 2<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/td>\n | I will bring in fanzines or zines that have been created by self- productions.\u00a0 I will also show them e-zines on the Internet.\u00a0 I will bring in the previous magazines for comparisons.<\/td>\n | Part I:\u00a0Questions that I will ask to form discussions will be the following:\u00a0 Do you already notice a huge difference between the two types of magazines?\u00a0 Which are you more inclined to read?\u00a0 How do you feel like when you look at a zine?\u00a0 Do you feel like each magazine has the same amount of expression?\u00a0 Can you think of anything on this mass-produced magazine that has been hindered?<\/p>\n Part II:\u00a0Questions that I will ask to form discussions will be the following:\u00a0 What topics are you interested in towards gender stereotypes?\u00a0 Do you think you\u2019ll be able to express this in your own zine?\u00a0 What are things you want to express?\u00a0 How do you want your logo, cover, features, and table of contents displayed?<\/td>\n | Part I:\u00a0Students will interpret the symbolism used in zines and how the elements used makes them intriguing.\u00a0 They will also compare and contrast the two genres of magazines.<\/p>\n Part II:\u00a0The second part of this lesson is to start brainstorming on ways they want to create their own zine by sketching ideas.\u00a0 The students will come up with ideas that deal with gender stereotypes within the guidelines for zines (See last page for guidelines).\u00a0 They will begin to think of themes, poems, and pieces of themselves they want to represent.<\/p>\n <\/td>\n | Concept learned in Lesson 2 will be that zines are the anti-glamour version of magazines.\u00a0 They are meant to evoke thoughts and emotions.\u00a0 Students will learn how to compare and contrast the two genres. They will also learn how to brainstorm their concepts of cultural issues through symbolism in art.\u00a0 Students will learn where zines display the emphasis, the balance, the harmony and the unity.<\/td>\n | Part I:\u00a0Through discussion my students again will investigate, remember and recall the concepts portrayed through zines by listening, asking questions, and recognizing symbolism.<\/p>\n Part II:\u00a0My students will apply the concepts they have learned by sketching ideas.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Lesson (class period) 3<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/td>\n | Students will be asked to bring in their sketches on their ideas for their zines.<\/td>\n | Questions that I will ask will be the following:\u00a0 Is there anything you can improve on your zine?\u00a0 Does your logo set the tone of the magazine?\u00a0 Does the cover relate to the content of the magazine?\u00a0 Is your zine well organized?\u00a0 Does the table of content lead the reader to the correct locations?<\/td>\n | Lesson 3 will be the start of putting their ideas on paper.\u00a0 They will use the media of their choice.\u00a0 They can paste images on paper or draw each image.\u00a0 They will make personal choices that will interpret their ideas on stereotypical gender roles.<\/td>\n | Using the media of their choice each student will have to take into consideration the following design principles in their work:\u00a0 Emphasis, Balance, Harmony, Variety, Movement, Rhythm, Proportion, and Unity.<\/td>\n | Students will begin to create a new product from the concepts they have learned.\u00a0 They will express the new ways they view gender roles.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Lesson \u00a0(class period) 4<\/p>\n <\/td>\n | Students will be asked to bring in the zines they have started and work they\u2019ve done outside of class.<\/td>\n | Questions that I will ask will be the following:\u00a0 Does your zine seem complete?\u00a0 Does it symbolize what you want to portray?\u00a0 Is there anything you think can be improved?<\/td>\n | Students will continue to complete their zines.\u00a0 They will use any method they prefer to create a zine using their creativity.<\/td>\n | Using the media of their choice each student will have to take into consideration the following design principles in their work:\u00a0 Emphasis, Balance, Harmony, Variety, Movement, Rhythm, Proportion, and Unity.<\/td>\n | Students will continue to create their products.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Lesson (class period) 5<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/td>\n | Students will be asked to bring in the zines they have started and what they\u2019ve done outside of class.<\/td>\n | Students are completing their project.\u00a0 Same questions as the Lesson 4.<\/td>\n | Lesson 5 is another day to allow students to continue work on their zines.<\/td>\n | Using the media of their choice each student will have to take into consideration the following design principles in their work:\u00a0 Emphasis, Balance, Harmony, Variety, Movement, Rhythm, Proportion, and Unity.<\/td>\n | Students will continue to create their products.<\/p>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Lesson (class period) 6<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/td>\n | Students will bring completed zines.<\/td>\n | Questions that I will ask will be the following on each student\u2019s personal zine: What do you think of this person\u2019s underlying message?\u00a0 Do you have any questions for this person?\u00a0 How many of you would read each other\u2019s zine?<\/td>\n | Lesson 6 is a sharing day.\u00a0 Students will present their zine to the class.\u00a0 They will share their concepts and what they wanted to portray through their zine.\u00a0 Everyone will pass around their zines so everyone can see their work.<\/td>\n | Students will have to evaluate and interpret each other\u2019s concept on their zines.\u00a0 The following design principles are considered: Emphasis, Balance, Harmony, Variety, Movement, Rhythm, Proportion, and Unity.<\/td>\n | Everyone\u2019s zine will be evaluated through oral critiques.\u00a0 I will provide them with a written critique from me.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Lesson#1 Magazines: Catalyst for Gender Stereotyping<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Grade: 9-12th<\/p>\n Teacher: Joane Laguitan<\/p>\n Teaching Date: December 3, 2009<\/p>\n Length: 40-45 min.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n State fine arts goals met by the lesson objectives:<\/p>\n I. A.B., II. A.B.C., III. A.B., IV. A., V. A.B.C., VI. A.B.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Objectives:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Creative\/productive objectives:<\/p>\n In groups of four my students will discuss the following magazines: Two magazines representing women and two magazines representing men.\u00a0 One pair of magazines will be the counter gender of one another, such as Women\u2019s health and Men\u2019s health.\u00a0 In their groups I will ask them to write down the differences they notice between the men and women magazines and gender stereotypes they find.\u00a0 Then they will analyze each magazine on the basic design elements such as logo, features, cover and table of contents.\u00a0 After gathering insight we will discuss these topics as a class.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Multicultural\/historical objectives:<\/p>\n Adolescents will discuss the role magazines have on reinforcing gender stereotypes in our culture and how it affects our society.\u00a0 They will use examples of two men and two women magazines as examples.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Affective\/expressive:<\/p>\n Students will use experiences from their own life and what they see in our popular culture as an insight into gender stereotypes.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Concepts and vocabulary:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Creative\/productive:<\/p>\n Logo- Sets the tone of the magazine and should inspire the design of both the cover and the interior.<\/p>\n Features- Magazines should have consistent openers and dedicated layouts for columns and departments that distinguish features.<\/p>\n Cover- It is the front of the magazine that has a strong focal point expressing the main feature article or the overall theme of the issue.<\/p>\n Table of Contents-\u00a0Readers should be able to easily locate everything they are looking for in the table of contents.<\/p>\n Multicultural\/historical:<\/p>\n Gender stereotype- Conforming genders to a fixed or general pattern.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Affective\/expressive:<\/p>\n Popular culture- Mainstream of a given culture.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Teacher materials:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
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