Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
REPRESENTATION
a documentary film by Jennifer Siebel Newsom
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Acknowledgements
Contributors:
Jennifer Siebel Newsom, Miss Representation, Writer, Director, Producer, and Founder and Chief
Executive Officer of MissRepresentation.org
Jessica Congdon, Miss Representation, Editor
Regina Kulik Scully, Miss Representation, Executive Producer
Sarah Johnson Redlich, Miss Representation, Executive Producer
Reneè Gasch, Miss Representation, Former Education and Outreach Coordinator
Imran Siddiquee, MissRepresentation.org, Social Media and Communications Manager
Amy Zucchero, MissRepresentation.org, Campaign Director
Miss Representation is pleased to be partnering with ro*co films educational to make this curricu-
lum available to schools and universities. ro*co films educational advocates for documentary film
as an educational tool, bringing these films to instructional environments around the country.
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Table of Contents
Overview.................................................................... page 1
Appendix.................................................................... page 54
i. Barbie and G.I. Joe Images
ii. U.S. Female Leaders
xviii.
Social Construction Handout
xix. Media Log Handout
xx. U.S. Women’s History Timeline
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Overview
Background
The average teenager spends more than 10 hours each day consuming media — more than
sleeping or attending school. Media is the messenger and an increasingly powerful one. Main-
stream media bombards children and adults alike with overwhelming messages that women
should be beautiful and sexy, while men should be powerful and often violent. These messages
limit children’s ideas of what is possible in the world and can have damaging effects on their
self-esteem, health, and the way they treat others.
The Miss Representation curriculum equips K-12 and University students with the critical think-
ing skills to question the messages they see in mainstream media daily. It also gives teachers
and parents the tools to spark a conversation with children and young adults about their media
consumption.
Approach
Following the release of the critically acclaimed 2011 documentary film Miss Representation,
director and filmmaker Jennifer Siebel Newsom teamed up with a diverse group of educators
to design a curriculum that gives media literacy a much needed gender focus. The curriculum
asks girls and boys alike to think about the effects of the images they see — particularly the
ways in which media affects women and girls’ ability to see themselves as leaders and be seen
as leaders by others in society.
The K-12 Miss Representation curriculum is divided into modules. Each module includes age
appropriate content, including film clips, definitions of relevant concepts, reflection exercises,
discussion questions, in-class activities, and homework suggestions. The modules are se-
quenced to build upon the outcomes of previous lessons. Educators also receive a copy of the
full-length film, which is more appropriate to use in the University setting.
Teachers can incorporate the curriculum into existing instruction or build upon it for a dedi-
cated media literacy class.
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Overview
MODULE
K-12 LEARNING OBJECTIVES
TARGET AUDIENCE K-3 GRADE 4-5 GRADE MIDDLE SCHOOL HIGH SCHOOL
Media Literacy Learn about different types of media. Recognize different types of media. Pay conscious attention to the way media Learn how media shapes individual beliefs and
presents women and men. cultural norms.
(NOTE: Understand that media communicates ideas Understand that media communicates ideas and
This module also and teaches individuals. teaches individuals. Define stereotype and identify stereotypes Pay conscious attention to media consumption.
references frequently seen in mainstream media.
Gender Socialization) Identify the ways media and advertisements Differentiate programming content from Define concepts such as representation, social
portray gender. advertising. Understand that when stereotypes are repeated construction, and objectification.
over and over, individuals begin to accept them
Begin to recognize that the way media Introduce examples of how media and advertising as normal or real. Recognize gender stereotypes and think about
portrays gender can limit the options influence the way individuals think and feel about their effects.
available for both girls and boys. themselves. Think about the ways stereotypes of femininity or
masculinity limit girls and boys. Identify positive and empowering representations
Identify the ways media and advertisements of women in the media.
portray gender.
Behind the Scenes Define diversity. Define diversity and think about the ways in which
more diversity behind the scenes might change
Recognize that there is a lack of diversity behind how women and girls are represented in media
the scenes of mainstream media and advertising. and advertising.
Understand how multiple perspectives can Understand that what we see in the media is
change a story. influenced by political and economic decisions.
Practice making entertaining media with a strong Comprehend that changes in the media and
social message. advertising industry have given companies more
power in determining what we see and hear.
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I was inspired to make Miss Representation when I came to realize that injustices towards women have
worsened over time with the advent of the 24/7 news cycle, infotainment and reality television. Today’s
media sends a dangerous message to young people — that a woman’s value lies in her youth, beauty,
and sexuality and not in her capacity as a leader.
At each Miss Representation screening, from the Sundance Film Festival to San Francisco high schools,
countless people approach me brimming with excitement about what they’ve just learned from the
film. Their enthusiasm is infectious, and it reenergizes me every time to know that the next generation
understands and is driven by the importance of respecting and empowering women and girls.
Thanks to its viewers, Miss Representation is no longer just a film — it is a full-fledged social action cam-
paign to empower women and girls to challenge limiting labels in order to realize their potential and
transform our culture for the betterment of all. Through the campaign, we will educate individuals to
use their power to champion and celebrate positive media and advertising and challenge negative media
and advertising; encourage corporations to alter their practices; and urge politicians to pass laws that
ensure equal opportunities for women and girls and promote women as leaders.
We need your help. Change begins with education, and that makes you — our educators — some of the
greatest change-makers in our society. We are asking instructors, mentors, administrators, youth group
leaders, and peer educators to become advocates for gender focused media literacy curriculums in their
schools and universities.
You’ve taken the first step by ordering the Miss Representation curriculum. With these tools and your
dedication, we will inspire youth to become their own advocates — seizing the opportunity to better
their world for themselves and for generations to follow.
Our campaign includes tips and support for educators. Stay connected with us:
• Learn more about the campaign by visiting www.missrepresentation.org
• Read our blog for ideas on how to spark conversation (missrepresentation.org/blog)
• Follow us on Facebook (facebook.com/MissRepresentationCampaign)
• Tweet your classroom’s progress using #MissRep (twitter.com/RepresentPledge)
As you use these resources, I hope you will share your feedback on how students respond to the film
clips, discussion topics, and activities. I look forward to hearing about your successes! We’ve included
an online survey for you to provide your feedback: surveymonkey.com/s/missrepresentationcurriculum.
Together, we can help our youth re-envision women as leaders in our society. The possibilities are end-
less!
Warmly,
Your child is beginning a media literacy unit in our classroom. Media literacy teaches students how to inter-
pret the messages they hear and see from advertising, films, television, magazines, video games, music, and
even Facebook.
If you have ever seen a Super Bowl commercial, watched a music video, or heard a Top 40 song, then you
know that mainstream media bombards children with messages that women should be beautiful and sexy,
while men should be powerful and often violent. Messages like these can limit your children’s ideas of what
is possible in the world, particularly the idea that women can be leaders. What your children learn from me-
dia can have damaging effects on their self-esteem and the way they treat others.
We look forward to partnering with you to raise awareness around media literacy. Please feel free to reach
out to us if you have any questions.
Thank you.
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Overview
The Kindergarten through 3rd Grade Curriculum introduces students to early concepts of
media literacy and gender socialization. Students are encouraged to explore ways in which
media is used to communicate ideas. Instructional clips from the documentary film Miss Rep-
resentation explain how media shapes ideas around what it means to be a girl or a boy. Sug-
gested discussion and activities help students understand how, as they grow, these ideas can
limit what is possible in the world, particularly in the realm of leadership.
Objectives
• Learn about different types of media.
• Understand that media communicates ideas and teaches individuals.
• Identify the ways media and advertisements portray gender.
• Begin to recognize that the way media portrays gender can limit the options avail-
able for both girls and boys.
What you will Need
Miss Representation Curriculum DVD
Barbie and G.I. Joe Images (Appendix i)
Instructional Clips
Kindergarten - 3rd Grade Clip
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Key Concepts
Gender – the roles created by society for women/girl and men/boys (in comparison, sex refers
to an individual’s biology at birth)
Self Esteem – the way individuals think and feel about themselves
Role Model – a person who serves as an example, whose behavior is followed by others
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Before Viewing
• How do we learn things/where do we learn them from? Explain that we learn things from
a lot of places, such as parents, teachers, friends, etc. We also learn things from media (i.e.
books, magazines, the Internet, TV, video games, etc.)
• What is the difference between media and advertising? Explain that media is something
that is used to communicate ideas. Explain that advertising is a way to sell ideas, products or
services. Point out that advertisements are found in media.
• Ask students to shout out different forms of media and advertising as you write them on the
board. Help them identify media and advertising they may have missed: the Internet, cell
phones, billboards, TV, video games, magazines, radio, etc.
• Ask students to draw a picture of themselves. Put these pictures aside. Students will refer-
ence them again after they have viewed the instructional clip.
During Viewing
Be aware of students’ reactions to the content. Often students will react with discomfort if they
are asked to think about gender. Giggles, gasps, or side comments can create a disempower-
ing and uncomfortable environment. These types of responses, if they go unaddressed, hinder
honest and open dialogue about gender issues. Instructors may want to keep track of specific
film clips that elicit these types of responses. Immediately after the viewing, ask students to talk
about why they responded to these specific clips in a negative way.
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After Viewing
• Ask students to identify women and men in their lives who exhibit qualities that expand
upon the limitations of stereotypes — for example, a father who cooks and cares for them,
an uncle who sews, a mother who works in the yard, a mother who is an architect, etc.
• Ask students to identify women that they think are leaders and have them share why. Give
each student the opportunity to draw a picture or write a story about that leader. Have each
student share their picture or story with the class.
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Overview
The 4th and 5th Grade Curriculum introduces students to early concepts of media literacy and
gender socialization. Students are encouraged to explore ways in which media is used to com-
municate ideas. Instructional clips from the documentary film Miss Representation explain how
media shapes ideas around what it means to be a girl or a boy. Clips further explore how media
influences an individual’s self-perception. Discussions help students understand how these
ideas can limit what is possible in the world. Suggested activities introduce concepts of leader-
ship and teach students to identify female leaders.
Objectives
• Recognize different types of media.
• Understand that media communicates ideas and teaches individuals.
• Differentiate programming content from advertising.
• Introduce examples of how media and advertising influence the way individuals
think and feel about themselves.
• Identify the ways media and advertisements portray gender.
• Recognize that the way media portrays gender can limit the options available for
girls and boys.
• Expand ideas of leadership to include women.
What you will Need
Miss Representation Curriculum DVD
Magazines and Newspapers (1 per student)
Barbie and G.I. Joe images (Appendix i)
Female Leaders Images (Appendix ii)
Instructional Clips
Chapter 1: Media Literacy
Part 1: How does the media influence our culture?
Part 2: How does what we see shape our beliefs about ourselves and others?
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Key Concepts
Gender – the roles created by society for women/girls and men/boys (in comparison, sex re-
fers to an individual’s biology at birth)
Role Model – a person who serves as an example and whose behavior is followed by others
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Before Viewing
Large group discussion: Defining Media (10 min)
• How do we learn things/where do we learn them from? Explain that we learn things from
a lot of places, such as parents, teachers, friends, etc. We also learn things from media (i.e.
books, magazines, the Internet, TV, video games, etc.)
• What is the difference between media and advertising? Explain that media is something
that is used to communicate ideas. Explain that advertising is a way to sell ideas, products
or services. Point out that advertisements are found in media.
• Ask students to shout out different forms of media and advertising as you write them on
the board. Help them identify media and advertising they may have missed: the Internet,
cell phones, billboards, TV, video games, magazines, radio, etc.
• Ask students to draw a picture of themselves. Put these pictures aside. Students will refer-
ence them again after they have viewed the instructional clips.
During Viewing
Media Literacy, Women and Leadership Instructional Clips
Be aware of students’ reactions to the content. Often students will react with discomfort if
they are asked to think about gender. Giggles, gasps, or side comments can create a disem-
powering and uncomfortable environment. These types of responses, if they go unaddressed,
hinder honest and open dialogue about gender issues. Instructors may want to keep track of
specific film clips that elicit these types of responses. Immediately after the viewing, ask stu-
dents to talk about why they responded to these specific clips in a negative way.
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• Who are some examples of leaders in their community? For example, encourage students
to think of teachers, principals, or a fire chief as leaders.
• Pass out images of political female leaders to each student in the class. Read each wom-
an’s name and the short description aloud as you distribute these so that the students can
learn about each female leader.
• Give students the opportunity to research their assigned political woman leader in the
library or on the Internet. Ask them to write a paragraph about one of her accomplish-
ments. Ask each student to read his or her paragraph to the class.
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1. Organize students into groups of 2 to 3 depending on class size. Make sure there
are boys and girls in each group.
2. Have students work together to create their own advertisement for Barbie or G.I.
Joe that gives a different message about what it means to be pretty, handsome,
smart, successful, etc.
3. Encourage them to change what Barbie or G.I. Joe looks like and does. Emphasize
to students that THEY should use their own words and images to tell a different
story about gender.
4. Display the ads around the room for daily reminders about media messages and
how students can transcend them.
Homework (1 week)
1. Ask students to interview a woman they consider to be a leader and have them write a
short report on what makes that person a leader. OR
2. Ask students to identify a role model in their lives. Have each student write a report on
why he or she considers that person to be a role model.
Provide Feedback
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Middle School
Grades: 6th-8th
Overview
The Middle School Curriculum introduces students to concepts of media literacy and gender
socialization, as well as the ways in which media shapes our culture. Students are encouraged
to explore how media is used to communicate ideas. Instructional clips from the documen-
tary film Miss Representation explain how media shapes ideas around what it means to be a girl
or a boy. Suggested discussions and activities are provided to complement the film clips.
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Overview
The Media Literacy lesson introduces students to the ways mainstream media shape their be-
liefs and practices. Instructional clips from the documentary film Miss Representation explore
common portrayals of women and men in mainstream television, film, music, literature, radio,
and advertising. Students are asked to identify gender stereotypes repeated and enmeshed
in mainstream media and reflect on how these stereotypes influence their views of what it
means to be a girl or a boy.
Objectives
• Pay conscious attention to the way media presents women and men.
• Define stereotype and identify stereotypes frequently seen in mainstream media.
• Understand that when stereotypes are repeated over and over, individuals begin to
accept them as normal or real.
• Think about the ways stereotypes of femininity or masculinity limit girls and boys.
What you will Need
Miss Representation Curriculum DVD
Student journals
Popular magazines (approx. 2 for every 5 students)
Tag-board (approx. 1 for every 3 students)
Scissors
Glue
Markers
Instructional Clips
Media Literacy
Part 1: How does the media influence our culture?
Part 2: What do we see in mainstream media?
Part 3: How does what we see shape our beliefs about ourselves and others?
Part 4: How do we overcome the media’s negative messages?
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Key Vocabulary
Gender – the roles created by society for women/girls and men/boys (In comparison, sex refers
to an individual’s biology at birth)
Social construction – a school of thought pertaining to the ways social phenomena are created,
institutionalized, and made into tradition by humans
Stereotype – a fixed conception about someone or something. Also, a generalization usually ex-
aggerated or oversimplified and often offensive, that is used to describe or distinguish a group
Depression – a mental health condition characterized by a continued state of low mood and
low energy
Self-injury – the act of purposely harming oneself through cutting, burning, or other physical
abuse
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Before Viewing
Journaling Activity: Drawing Ideals (15 min)
1. Ask students to draw the “ideal” woman in their notebooks and write adjectives that de-
scribe her. This may or may not be what they or their families and friends think is ideal,
but rather what society or outside influences encourage for women. What does her body
shape, skin color, or hair look like? How would she act or speak and what does she care
about? Who does she resemble — for example, a Super Model, Barbie, etc.?
2. Ask students to repeat the exercise to draw the “ideal” man in their notebooks. What ad-
jectives describe him? Who does he resemble — for example, a body builder, super hero,
etc.?
3. Ask students what the differences are between popular perceptions of men and women?
How do these perceptions compare to reality?
During Viewing
Middle School Curriculum: Instructional Clips 1-4 (12 min)
Be aware of students’ reactions to the content. Often students will react with discomfort if
they are asked to think about gender. Giggles, gasps, or side comments can create a disem-
powering and uncomfortable environment. These types of responses, if they go unaddressed,
may hinder honest and open dialogue about gender issues. Instructors may want to keep
track of specific film clips that elicit these types of responses. Immediately after the viewing,
ask students to talk about why they responded to these specific clips in a negative way.
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• What new things did you learn from the film clips? What spoke to you?
• What is a stereotype?
• Where did you see stereotypes in the clips that were shown?
• Have you seen other media recently that had stereotypes?
1. Organize students into small groups of three to five depending on the class size (if
you are teaching a co-ed class, make sure there are boys and girls in each group).
2. Give each group a piece of tag-board, a few magazines, scissors, glue, and markers.
3. Ask students to divide their tag-board into two sections or boxes: one for female
stereotypes and one for male stereotypes.
4. Ask students to cut out images of women and men from advertising and editorials
and paste them into the corresponding sections.
5. When they are complete, display the tag-boards around the room.
6. Ask each group to present on the stereotypes they found. Help them identify ste-
reotypes that they may not have recognized.
• How do you think seeing these images over and over again affects how you think about
yourself?
• How do you think they influence the way you think about others?
• How do your drawings of the “ideal” woman and man in your journals compare to the im-
ages you cut out?
• What contradictions do you see between the real women around you and what you see in
the media?
• How can you change the way these images affect you or people around you?
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Overview
The Women and Leadership lesson helps students connect the dots between the media’s mes-
sages about women and the underrepresentation of real women in influential leadership po-
sitions. Instructional clips from the documentary film Miss Representation feature prominent
women sharing personal stories about the ways in which they are represented and treated dif-
ferently than their male counterparts. Discussion questions and activities encourage students
to re-envision women in their communities as leaders.
Objectives
• Learn the facts about how women are underrepresented in the political and business
sectors.
• Identify ways in which women leaders are treated differently in media.
• Understand the ways negative treatment in the media can affect a woman’s ability to
see herself as a leader and to obtain leadership positions.
• Expand ideas of leadership to include all types of women.
What you will need
Miss Representation Education Curriculum DVD
Student journals
Instructional Clips
Women and Leadership
Part 1: How does media and advertising messaging affect women in leadership?
Part 2: Why is women’s leadership important in our world?
Part 3: What unique challenges do female leaders experience?
Part 4: How do we get more women into leadership?
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Key Vocabulary
Political efficacy – the idea that your voice matters in political affairs or that you can bring
about change in politics
Sexism – systematic unequal treatment based on gender that negatively affects women
Title IX – a Federal law stating that “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex,
be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination
under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.” The passage of
Title IX provided significant opportunities for women’s sports programs in schools and univer-
sities
Paid Family Leave – financial compensation to cover individuals who take time off of work to
care for a seriously ill child, spouse, parent, a registered domestic partner, or a new child
Living Wage – term used to describe the minimum hourly wage necessary for an individual to
meet basic needs, including shelter (housing) and other incidentals such as clothing and nutri-
tion, for an extended period of time
Domestic Abuse – a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate rela-
tionship such as marriage, dating, family, friends, or cohabitation
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Before Viewing
Journaling Activity: Leaders in the Making (10 min)
1. Ask students to journal about their definition of leadership. What is leadership? What
adjectives would you use to describe a great leader? Who are great leaders you know? What
does it take to become a leader?
2. Ask students to share their ideas. Have them shout out the names of leaders they wrote
down. How many of the leaders that came to mind are women? How do the students ad-
jectives for men and women in the first lesson compare to the adjectives for leaders in this
lesson?
During Viewing
Women and Leadership Instructional Clips 1-4: (10 min)
Be aware of students’ reactions to the content. Often students will react with discomfort if they
are asked to think about gender. Giggles, gasps, or side comments can create a disempower-
ing and uncomfortable environment. These types of responses, if they go unaddressed, could
hinder honest and open dialogue about gender issues. Instructors may want to keep track of
specific film clips that elicit these types of responses. Immediately after the viewing, ask stu-
dents to talk about why they responded to these specific clips in a negative way.
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• Draw a pie chart on the board to review the statistics. What percentage of the U.S. popula-
tion are women? (51%?) What percent of Congress are women? (17%) How many women
have served as governor? (34) How many men have served as governor (2319). How many
women presidents have we had? (0)
• Do these statistics concern you? Why or why not?
• Why do you think the numbers of women in leadership are so low?
• How are women leaders treated differently than male leaders?
• What is sexism? Help students understand that sexism has historically given men/boys
an advantage and woman/girls a disadvantage. Point out that statistically the problem still
persists. For example, if a woman makes a negative gender comment towards a man, it will
not have the same harmful effects as a negative comment towards a woman. Why? Because
the man already has a historical advantage of having greater access to powerful positions in
society. In a sense, he has greater immunity to unequal gender treatment.
1. Organize students into small groups of 3 to 5 depending on your class size. If you
are teaching in a co-ed school, make sure there are boys and girls in each group.
2. Ask students to make a list of examples of small and large acts of sexism. What
words, actions, gestures, etc. are used? Encourage them to think of explicit and
subtle examples of sexism.
3. Ask students to share examples with the class. Brainstorm as a group about how
individuals could change these acts to decrease or stop sexism. Encourage answers
that involve the students standing up for each other. Ensure you have a boy stand-
ing up for a female classmate, vice versa, and then each standing up for their own
sex.
• Ask students to brainstorm women leaders in their family or community. Encourage them
to think outside of the common definition of leadership—such as a mother, grandmother,
librarian, doctor, police officer, teacher, Girl Scout leader, etc.
• Have students choose one woman to interview.
• Ask students to ask their interviewee at least five questions about leadership.
• Ask students to write a one-page news article about their female leader based on the inter-
view.
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Overview
The Behind the Scenes lesson introduces students to the idea of diversity. Instructional clips
from the documentary film Miss Representation offer a glimpse into the lack of diversity behind
the scenes of mainstream media. Discussion questions ask students to think about how media
might look different if the writers and directors came from a wider variety of backgrounds and
experiences. Activities ask students to be creative and use their own diverse experiences to cre-
ate a piece of entertaining media.
Objectives
• Define diversity.
• Recognize that there is a lack of diversity behind the scenes of mainstream media
and advertising.
• Understand how multiple perspectives can change a story.
• Practice making entertaining media with a strong social message.
Instructional Clips
Behind the Scenes
Part 1: Could more diversity behind the scenes of media change what we see?
Part 2: How can we change the culture?
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Key Vocabulary
Diversity – a variety of experiences influenced by culture, history, religion, race, gender, sexual-
ity, nationality, language, financial background, ability, etc.
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Before Viewing
Journaling Activity: Multiplying Perspectives (15 min)
1. Ask students to write a creative story from two perspectives. For example, The Tale of the
Fly and the Fly Swatter (substitute other examples, or have students think of their own).
First ask them to write in first person from the position of the fly swatter. What is the fly
swatter thinking, doing, feeling, etc.?
2. Next have students write the same story but from the perspective of the fly. They should
write in first person from the position of the fly. What is the fly thinking, doing, feeling, etc.?
3. Ask students to reflect on how their stories changed when the perspective changed.
During Viewing
Behind the Scenes Instructional Clips 1 & 2: (7 min)
Be aware of students’ reactions to the content. Often students will react with discomfort if they
are asked to think about gender. Giggles, gasps, or side comments can create a disempowering
and uncomfortable environment. These types of responses, if they go unaddressed, could hin-
der honest and open dialogue about gender issues. Instructors may want to keep track of spe-
cific film clips that elicit these types of responses. Immediately after the viewing, ask students
to talk about why they responded to these specific clips in a negative way.
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After Viewing
• What new things did you learn from the film clips? What spoke to you?
• What is diversity? Discuss diversity as seen in the film or the lack thereof.
• How does diversity relate to the stories you wrote in your journals?
• Why is it important to hear stories from multiple perspectives?
• If we had more perspectives in the media, how would it change the news, films, television
shows, magazines, and other media we see?
• Is it important to have diverse perspectives in decision making? Why or why not?
1. Organize students into small groups of 3 to 5 depending on the class size (if you are
teaching a co-ed class, make sure there are boys and girls in each group).
2. Ask students to make a creative piece of entertainment about what they have
learned. For example, a music video, a magazine cover, comic strip, a short skit, a
science fiction story, a commercial, etc.
3. Somewhere in their creative piece they should represent the idea of diversity with
either a woman or a man in a non-traditional role.
4. If resources are available, ask students to record their work, make a short film, and
upload it online for others to view. [Recommended: 2 weeks]
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10 x 10 x 10
10 seconds: Text and tweet about the film. Dedicate your Facebook status update to the film.
10 minutes: Make a short video to creatively share your perspective on how women and girls
should be represented in media and advertising. Post it online and share it with your friends
and family.
10 hours: Organize a consumer boycott of a magazine, movie, radio or television show that ob-
jectifies and degrades women.
10 days: Research and write an article for a magazine or blog. Start or contribute to a blog that
addresses the issues in the film.
10 weeks: Write your own story and create your own media about powerful women in non-
traditional roles.
10 months: Participate in a mentorship program and share what you’ve learned about media
literacy with others in the program.
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Next Steps
Provide Feedback
Educators, please help MissRepresentation.org continue to improve upon this curriculum.
Please use the link below to share your feedback on how students responded to the film clips,
discussion topics, and activities. Please also provide us your thoughts on how to improve the
curriculum and send us your suggestions for activities that you supplemented with the curricu-
lum. Your insight is invaluable. Thank you.
missrepresentation.org 28
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Grades: 9-12
Overview
The High School Curriculum introduces students to the ways media shapes our culture. Stu-
dents are encouraged to explore ways in which media is used to communicate ideas. Instruction-
al clips from the documentary film Miss Representation explain how media shapes ideas around
what it means to be a woman or a man. Suggested discussions and activities are provided to
complement the film clips.
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Overview
The Media Literacy lesson includes instructional clips from the documentary film Miss Repre-
sentation. They explore common portrayals of women and men in mainstream television, film,
music, radio, and advertising. Film discussions help students understand important concepts
such as representation, stereotypes, social construction, and objectification as they relate to
gender. Suggested activities encourage students to take these concepts home with them and
think about how media messages affect their own beliefs about what it means to be a woman or
man. Students are encouraged to adopt a more critical lens when watching mainstream media.
They are tasked with seeking out alternative messages that more accurately reflect girls and
women and encourage them to live up to their full potential.
Objectives
• Learn how media shapes individual beliefs and cultural norms.
• Pay conscious attention to media consumption.
• Define concepts such as representation, social construction, and objectification.
• Recognize gender stereotypes and think about their effects.
• Identify positive and empowering representations of women in the media.
Instructional Clips
Media Literacy
Part 1: How does the media influence our culture?
Part 2: What do we see in mainstream media?
Part 3: How does what we see shape our beliefs about ourselves and others?
Part 4: How do we overcome the media’s negative messaging?
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Key Vocabulary
Gender – the roles created by society for women/girls and men/boys (in comparison, sex refers
to an individual’s biology at birth)
Social construction – a school of thought pertaining to the ways social phenomena are created,
institutionalized, and made into tradition by humans
Stereotype – a fixed conception about someone or something. Also, a generalization usually ex-
aggerated or oversimplified and often offensive, that is used to describe or distinguish a group
Depression – a mental health condition characterized by a continued state of low mood and
low energy
Self-injury – the act of purposely harming oneself through cutting, burning, or other self-in-
flicted physical abuse
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Before Viewing
Large Group Discussion: Representation Nation (15 min)
1. Review the definition of a representation with your class. Draw or write examples of repre-
sentations such as symbols, adjectives, similes, metaphors, or images.
2. Discuss how representation can be distorted. Ask your students to think of examples of
when representation is not accurate. For example the use of a mirror can distort your shape
or a camera can change the way you look with a wide-angle lens or a filter effect.
During Viewing
Media Literacy Instructional Clips 1-4: (12 min)
Be aware of students’ reactions to the content. Often students will react with discomfort if they
are asked to think about gender. Giggles, gasps, or side comments can create a disempower-
ing and uncomfortable environment. These types of responses, if they go unaddressed, hinder
honest and open dialogue about gender issues. Instructors may want to keep track of specific
film clips that elicit these types of responses. Immediately after the viewing, ask students to talk
about why they responded to these specific clips in a negative way.
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After Viewing
• What new things did you learn from what you watched? What stood out to you?
• What contradictions do you see between the real girls/women around you and the way they
are represented in the media?
• What about the contradictions between real boys/men and the way they are represented in
the media?
• What effects do you think media representation has on real people? Especially young girls
and boys?
• What is objectification? To help students think about the definition, analyze the “male gaze”
(i.e., Men look at women. Women look at themselves being looked at by men).
1. As a large group, ask students to define what they think social construction means.
2. Organize students into small groups and hand each group the attached Social
Construction handout (if you are teaching in a co-ed school, make sure there are
boys and girls in each group).
3. Ask each group to identify which statements are social constructions and which
ones are natural.
1. Hand each student the attached Media Log handout and ask them to log their media con-
sumption for one week.
2. Have students bring in one or more examples of positive representation of girls/women that
they found to share with the class. Have them bring in one or more examples of images of
boys/men that contradicts macho stereotypes.
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Overview
The Women and Leadership lesson helps students understand how women’s objectification in
mainstream media contributes to the under-representation of women in influential leadership
positions. Instructional clips from the documentary film Miss Representation feature prominent
U.S. women leaders sharing personal stories about the ways they are represented and treated
differently than male leaders. Through discussion, students are encouraged to think about the
implications of unequal representation in a democracy. Activities will help students identify
media bias and think about the ways in which mainstream media undermines women’s leader-
ship potential. Students are given the task to present on important events in women’s history.
Objectives
• Make the connection between media objectification and the low numbers of women
in influential leadership positions.
• Recognize media bias and understand how it undermines women’s leadership.
• Define democracy and think about how disparities in women’s leadership undermine
U.S. democracy.
• Learn about important events from the women’s movement and practice teaching
others about women’s history.
Instructional Clips
Women and Leadership
Part 1: How does media and advertising messaging affect women in leadership?
Part 2: Why is women’s leadership important in our world?
Part 3: What unique challenges do female leaders experience?
Part 4: How do we get more women into leadership?
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Key Vocabulary
Political efficacy – the idea that your voice matters in political affairs or that you can bring
about change in politics
Sexism – systematic unequal treatment based on gender that negatively affects women
Title IX – a Federal law stating that “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex,
be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination
under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.” The passage of
Title IX provided significant opportunities for women’s sports programs in schools and univer-
sities
Paid Family Leave – financial compensation to cover individuals who take time off of work to
care for a seriously ill child, spouse, parent, registered domestic partner, or a new child
Living Wage – term used to describe the minimum hourly wage necessary for an individual to
meet basic needs, including shelter (housing) and other incidentals such as clothing and nutri-
tion, for an extended period of time or a lifetime
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Before Viewing
Large Group Discussion: Claim to Fame (5 min)
1. For one minute, ask students to rapidly name off famous people that come to mind.
2. When complete, analyze the list with your class to determine:
• How many men came to mind?
• How many women came to mind?
• What are they famous for?
• How many of the women are celebrities?
• How many of the men are well-known leaders?
During Viewing
Women and Leadership Instructional Clips 1-4: (10 min)
Be aware of students’ reactions to the content. Often students will react with discomfort if they
are asked to think about gender. Giggles, gasps, or side comments can create a disempower-
ing and uncomfortable environment. These types of responses, if they go unaddressed, hinder
honest and open dialogue about gender issues. Instructors may want to keep track of specific
film clips that elicit these types of responses. Immediately after the viewing, ask students to talk
about why they responded to these specific clips in a negative way.
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After Viewing
1. Bring in political newspapers and magazines and ask students to identify media bias.
(It can be in the text, images, or lack of representation.)
2. Have students report on one example they find.
3. Ask them to explain how each example of bias undermines the woman in the article?
4. How do these representations affect the reader?
5. How would they change the representation?
1. Pass out the women’s history timeline attached to this curriculum to each student.
2. Have each student select one timeline event to present to the class.
3. Ask each student to prepare a 3-minute presentation for the class on their women’s history
event.
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Overview
The Behind the Scenes lesson introduces students to the political economy of mainstream me-
dia. Instructional clips from the documentary film Miss Representation give students a glimpse
into the political and business decisions that determine what we see. Students are encour-
aged to reflect on the implications of a profit-driven media and deregulation by policy makers.
Activities help students contemplate how to hold the media market accountable for harmful
representations of women and imagine how media might look differently with more diversity
and social responsibility behind the scenes.
Objectives
• Define diversity and think about the ways in which more diversity behind the scenes
might change how women and girls are represented in media and advertising.
• Understand that what we see in the media is influenced by political and economic
decisions.
• Comprehend that changes in the media and advertising industry have given compa-
nies more power in determining what we see and hear.
• Reflect on the dangerous effects of solely profit-driven media and advertising indus-
tries, the impact they have on our culture, and the news/information we are given ac-
cess to.
• Identify ways individuals can influence positive change in the media, news, and adver-
tising industries.
What you will need
Miss Representation Curriculum DVD
Magazines and/or Internet access
Envelopes & postage (approx. 1 per every 3 students)
Instructional Clips
Behind the Scenes
Part 1: Could more diversity behind the scenes of media change what we see?
Part 2: How do political and economic decisions affect media?
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Key Vocabulary
Diversity – a variety of experiences influenced by culture, history, religion, race, gender, sexual-
ity, nationality, language, financial background, ability, etc
Political Economy – the relation between business practices and government policies
Public Interest – policies and practices that take into account the concerns of citizens
Telecommunication Act – a 1996 policy that deregulated or decreased the rules for telecom-
munications/media companies acquiring other telecommunications/media companies
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Before Viewing
Journaling Activity: Understanding Desire (10 min)
1. Have students quickly journal about what products they desire or would like to buy.
2. Next ask students to try to remember where they first learned about these products.
What prompted them to want that particular product? What is it about that product that
they especially desire?
3. Finally, ask students to journal about how they think advertising influences their desires.
What do they feel or think when they see an advertisement?
During Viewing
Behind the Scenes Instructional Clips 1-2: (15-30 min)
Be aware of students’ reactions to the content. Often students will react with discomfort if they
are asked to think about gender. Giggles, gasps, or side comments can create a disempower-
ing and uncomfortable environment. These types of responses, if they go unaddressed, hinder
honest and open dialogue about gender issues. Instructors may want to keep track of specific
film clips that elicit these types of responses. Immediately after the viewing, ask students to talk
about why they responded to these specific clips in a negative way.
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After Viewing
Group Discussion: The Race to the Bottom Line (15-20 min)
• What is diversity?
• How different would media and advertising look if there were more diversity behind the
scenes?
• Who benefits/profits from the way women are represented in the media? Who loses?
• Does it concern you that only a few companies own almost all of mainstream media? Why
or why not?
• Why do you think media corporations use stereotypes to sell their products?
• Do you think the government should create more rules for media companies? Why or why
not?
• How can you change the way media does business?
1. Organize students into groups of 3 to 5 depending on class size (if you are teaching in a
co-ed class, make sure there are boys and girls in each group).
2. Pass out magazines and ask students to search for an advertisement that objectifies
women or promotes harmful stereotypes that they would like to change. Students may
also find a commercial online or on television.
3. Have students work together to create a new advertisement that cleverly sells the prod-
uct without using harmful stereotypes or disparaging representations of women.
4. Ask students to write a letter to the company responsible for the advertisement. Have
them explain why they think the representation is irresponsible. Encourage them to
include a copy of their new advertisement with an explanation of why they think theirs
is a better representation.
1. Ask students to write an opinion editorial that spotlights their dissatisfaction with the way
in which women and/or men are represented in one of the following: movie, television
show, music video, video game, or advertisement. Ask students to include specific sugges-
tions concerning how to more accurately represent women or men to the creators of the
chosen media or advertisement.
2. Have students vote on the top two editorials to submit to the school newspaper for publica-
tion. Work with your school newspaper to publish both submissions.
3. Ask students to submit their editorials to their local community newspaper for extra credit.
4. As the teacher, create a blog featuring your students’ work to share with others.
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10 x 10 x 10
10 seconds: Text and tweet about the film. Dedicate your Facebook status update to the film.
10 minutes: Make a short video to creatively share your perspective on how women and girls
should be represented in media and advertising. Post it online and share it with your friends
and family.
10 hours: Organize a consumer boycott of a magazine, movie, radio or television show that ob-
jectifies and degrades women.
10 days: Research and write an article for a magazine or blog. Start or contribute to a blog
that addresses the issues in the film.
10 weeks: Write your own story and create your own media about powerful women in non-
traditional roles.
10 months: Participate in a mentorship program and share what you’ve learned about media
literacy with others in the program.
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Next Steps
Provide Feedback
Educators, please help Miss Representation continue to improve upon this curriculum. Please
use the link below to share your feedback on how students responded to the film clips, discus-
sion topics, and activities. Please also provide your thoughts on how to improve the curriculum
and send us your suggestions for activities that you supplemented with the curriculum. Your
insight is invaluable. Thank you.
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Like drawing back a curtain to let bright light stream in, Miss Representation uncovers a glaring
reality we live with every day but fail to see. Directed by Jennifer Siebel Newsom, the film ex-
plores how mainstream media contributes to the under-representation of women in influential
positions in America and challenges the media’s limiting and often disparaging portrayals of
women, which make it difficult for the average girl to see herself as powerful.
In a society where media is the most persuasive force shaping cultural norms, the collective
message that our young women and men overwhelmingly receive is that a woman’s value and
power lie in her youth, beauty, and sexuality and not in her capacity as a leader. While women
have made strides in leadership over the past few decades, the United States still ranks 90th in
the world for women in national legislatures; depression rates have doubled among teenage girls;
and cosmetic surgery on minors has more than tripled in the last ten years.
Stories from teenagers and provocative interviews with politicians, journalists, entertainers,
activists and academics, like Condoleezza Rice, Nancy Pelosi, Katie Couric, Rachel Maddow,
Margaret Cho, Rosario Dawson and Gloria Steinem build momentum as Miss Representation ac-
cumulates startling facts and statistics that will leave the audience shaken and armed with a new
perspective.
Key Points:
• The way in which individuals are represented in the media shapes our cultural norms and
attitudes.
• Mainstream media reinforces gender stereotypes and normalizes sexism.
• Objectifying women in the media reinforces a culture of violence against women.
• Current gender norms limit women and girls socially, economically, and politically and harm
their self-esteem.
• There is an under-representation of women in positions of power and influence in America.
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Objectives
When used in conjunction with a facilitated discussion, the documentary film Miss Representation
helps students:
• Recognize the complex ways mainstream media and advertising influence gender norms in
U.S. culture, particularly as it relates to women’s leadership.
• Identify increasingly subtle forms of sexism and bias in the media and recognize the ways in
which these biases spill into our everyday experiences.
• Understand that more diversity behind the scenes can change the types of images and stories
shared through media outlets.
• Connect personal experiences to the political and economic influences of media and adver-
tising.
• Realize and harness consumer power to champion good media and challenge bad media and
advocate for the eradication of gender stereotypes in all aspects of our society.
For Educators
• Incorporate the film and study guide into your political science, sociology, mass communica-
tion, or women’s studies course.
• Watch the film and lead a discussion over one to two course periods.
• Encourage students to talk about their personal experiences while using “I” statements.
Highlight and respect student’s different perspectives.
• Assign a service-learning project and ask students to report on the results (we’ve included a
list of suggestions on page 52).
For Students
• Host a screening of Miss Representation at campus women’s centers, sororities and fraternities,
advocacy groups, and academic conferences.
• Use the curriculum to lead a discussion on how the issues in the film affect women and men
as well as girls and boys. Discuss the impact the issues raised in the film may have on campus
life.
• Ask students to participate in the service-learning activities included in this curriculum and
brainstorm other ways you can take action on campus or in your community.
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Women’s Leadership
In the United States:
• In the 2010-midterm elections, women lost seats in Congress for the first time in 30 years
(O’Keefe, 2010).
• Women make up 51% of the population and only 17% of Congress (“Women in National Par-
liament”, 2011).
• The U.S. ranks 90th in the world for women in national legislatures (“Women in National
Parliament”, 2011).
• Women are merely 3% of Fortune 500 CEOs (“Women CEOs”, 2010).
• Women hold only 3% of clout positions in the mainstream media (telecommunications, enter-
tainment, publishing, and advertising) (“Research & Stats”, 2009).
• Women comprise 7% of directors and 13% of film writers in the top 250 grossing films
(Lauzen, 2003).
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For Everyone
What most surprised you about the film?
How much media do you (and your family and friends) consume in a day and what is this media
telling you about what it means to be a girl (woman) or a boy (man)?
Miss Representation director, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, and many of the interviewees, such as Mar-
garet Cho, Jane Fonda, Jennifer Lawless, and Devanshi Patel, talk candidly about their experi-
ences with sexism. What connections or empathy did you feel with the experiences presented in
the film? What are your unique experiences?
Dr. Martha Lauzen disagrees with a journalist who published an article claiming the ‘glass ceil-
ing’ no longer exists for women in entertainment. Others argue that the successes of Nancy Pe-
losi, Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin indicates that sexism is a thing of our past, not our present.
What do you think?
The opening title sequence shows real iconic women throughout history, such as Hattie Caraway
and Dr. Condoleezza Rice, and the popular celebrity faces we see on-screen. What contradictions
do you see between the real women around you and what you see in the media?
Dr. M. Gigi Durham and Lindy DeKoven argue that harmful representations of women persist
because the media uses hyper-sexualized images to sell products/ideas/services. Who or what
benefits from the misrepresentations of women in the media? Who holds responsibility?
How does a lack of diversity in decision-making roles impact what we see in mainstream media
and advertising? What impact does this have on us as consumers?
What power do we have as a consumer? How can we change the way media portrays women and
girls and the ways in which women and girls view themselves?
What strategies are working to promote more women to leadership positions and make sure they
are respected when they arrive?
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What does power “look” like in the television shows, advertisements, movies, and music videos
you watch? How do you think these images have affected the way you view yourself?
Dr. Jean Kilbourne claims that computer-enhanced advertisements encourage women to hold
themselves to impossible standards. Jennifer Pozner adds that women are expected to “look like
Miss USA, have sex like Samantha on Sex and the City, and think like June Cleaver.” How do you
hold yourself to impossible standards promoted by media? How do you hold other women to
these standards?
In what ways have you been and are you a leader? When in a leadership position, have you been
treated the same or different as the male leaders around you?
Journalists Katie Couric and Jan Yanehiro talk in the film about their role models. Rachel Mad-
dow says there is an expectation for her to be a mentor to other women who enter her field.
Have you identified role models? If so, who are they? Is it important to have women role models
and mentors? How can you mentor another woman or girl?
Barbara Berg says that throughout history, the word ‘feminist’ has been given a bad name in or-
der to discredit the women’s movement. What is your relationship to feminism? Is there value in
identifying with the feminist movement?
How does the objectification of women described as “raunch culture” shape your attitudes to-
ward yourself, men, and other women? How does this influence the way women leaders are
portrayed in the media and how does this impact their success or willingness to pursue positions
of leadership?
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Calvin talked about the pressure he feels to conform to the images of masculinity promoted in
the media and by his peers. How is masculinity represented in the media you watch, read, and
listen to? How do these images affect the way you view yourself and other men?
Cory Booker describes men as “emotionally constipated” and Jane Fonda says its important for
young boys not to separate their heart from their head. Do you feel it is important for men to
show emotion? What is at stake if they do? How can we encourage a world where it is okay for
men and boys to fully express their emotions?
Dr. Jackson Katz says that sexism is learned behavior and Paul Haggis talks about ways men may
subconsciously encourage sexism in the entertainment industry. Do you believe that sexism is a
learned behavior? Do you find yourself repeating sexist behaviors you’ve learned from the me-
dia? How do you refuse the teachings of sexism? How can you empower yourself and your male
peers to refuse it even more?
How can you support women and girls in becoming leaders and rising to positions of power and
influence?
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Berg, Dr. Barbara J. Sexism in America: Alive, Well, and Ruining Our Future. Chicago: Lawrence Hill
Books, 2009. Print.
Durham, M. Gigi. The Lolita Effect: The Media Sexualization of Young Girls and What We Can Do
About It. New York: The Overlook Press, 2008. Print.
Katz, Dr. Jackson. The Macho Paradox: Why Some Men Hurt Women And How All Men Can Help.
Naperville: Sourcebooks, Inc., 2006. Print.
Kilbourne, Dr. Jean. Can’t Buy My Love: How Advertising Changes The Way We Think And Feel. New
York: Simon & Schuster, 1999. 17-32. Print.
Kornblut, Anne E. Notes from the Cracked Ceiling: Hillary Clinton, Sarah Palin, and What It Will
Take for A Woman to Win. New York: Crown Publishers, 2009. Print.
Lauzen, Dr. Martha. The Celluloid Ceiling: Behind-the-Scenes and On-Screen Employment of Women
in the Top 250 Films of 2002. Films 42, 2003. 26 Jul 2011. <http://www.films42.com/chats/chats_
lauzen.asp>.
Levy, Ariel. Female Chauvinist Pigs: Women and the Rise of Raunch Culture. New York: Free Press,
2005. 7-45. Print.
Pozner, Jennifer L. Reality Bites Back: The Troubling Truth About Guilty Pleasure TV. Berkeley: Avalon
Publishing Group, 2010. Print.
Steyer, James P. The Other Parent: The Inside Effect of the Media’s Effect on Our Children. New York:
Atria Books, 2002. Print.
Wilson, Marie C. Closing the Leadership Gap: Add Women, Change Everything. New York: Penguin
Group, 2004. Print.
Women in America: Indicators of Social and Economic Well-Being. White House.gov, March 2011. 26
Jul 2011. <http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/rss_viewer/Women_in_A_erica.pdf>.
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10 seconds: Text and tweet about the film. Dedicate your Facebook status update to the film.
10 minutes: Make an impromptu and short video to creatively share your perspective on how
women and girls should be represented in advertising and the media. Post it online and share it
with your friends.
10 hours: Organize a boycott of a magazine, movie, or television show that objectifies and de-
grades women.
10 days: Research and write an article for your university’s newspaper or magazine. Start or con-
tribute to a blog that addresses the issues in the film.
10 months: Participate in a mentorship program and share what you’ve learned about media
literacy with others in the program.
Host a Screening
Spark additional conversations and action by hosting a Miss Representation screening at your
school for family members and friends. Contact Miss Representation (www.missrepresentation.org)
to start organizing a screening today.
Provide Feedback
Please help MissRepresentation.org continue to improve upon this study guide. Please use the
link below to share your feedback on how students responded to the film clips, discussion topics,
and activities. Please also provide us your thoughts on improvements and send us your sugges-
tions for activities that you supplemented with the study guide. Your insight is invaluable. Thank
you.
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University References
“Depression.” National Institute of Mental Health, 2010. 26 Jul 2011.
<www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publcations/depression/complete- index.shtm>.
“Fact Sheet: Women and Eating Disorders.” Love Your Body. National Organization of Women,
2011. 26 Jul 2011. <www.loveyourbody.nowfoundation.org/factsheet_2.html>.
O’Keefe, Bonnie. “Women and Politics: Lessons from the Midterm Elections.” Women and Poli-
tics. AAUW, Fall 2010. 3 Aug 2011.
<www.aauw.org/learn/publications/outlook/outlookFall2010_preview.cfm>.
Rideout, Victoria, Ulla Foehr, and Donal Roberts. “Generation M2 in the Lives of 8 to 18-Year
Olds.” Kaiser Family Foundation, Jan 010. 3 Aug 2011. <www.kff.org/entmedia/upload/8010.pdf>.
Sweeny, Camille. “Seeking Self-Esteem Through Surgery.” New York Times 15 Jan 2009.
Whitlock, Janis. “The Cutting Edge: Non-Suicidal Self-Injury in Adolescents.” ACT for Youth
Center of Excellence, Dec 2009. 26 Jul 2011.
<www.teensuicidestatistics.com/statistics-facts.html>.
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APPENDIX
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missrepresentation.org i
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Female Leaders
Barbara Lee
Democratic U.S. Representative for California, serving since 1998
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Female Leaders
Condoleezza Rice
Served as the 66th United States Secretary of State for President George W. Bush, first
African American woman to hold the position
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Female Leaders
Debbie Matsui
Democratic U.S. Representative for California, serving since 2005
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Female Leaders
Donna Brazile
First African American to direct a major presidential campaign (for Al Gore in 2000),
author, political analyst
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Female Leaders
Diane Feinstein
Served as the 38th Mayor of San Francisco for 10 years, serving as a Democratic U.S.
Senator for California since 1992
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Female Leaders
Hillary Clinton
Serving as the 67th U.S. Secretary of State for President Barack Obama
Served as U.S. Senator for New York for 8 years
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Female Leaders
Kirsten Gillibrand
Serving as the Democratic junior U.S. Senator for New York since 2009,
elected twice as a U.S. Representative for New York
missrepresentation.org viii
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REPRESENTATION
CURRICULUM
Female Leaders
Serving as the 25th U.S. Secretary of Labor for President Barack Obama
missrepresentation.org ix
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REPRESENTATION
CURRICULUM
Female Leaders
missrepresentation.org x
MISS
REPRESENTATION
CURRICULUM
Female Leaders
missrepresentation.org xi
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REPRESENTATION
CURRICULUM
Female Leaders
Nancy Pelosi
First female Speaker of the House for the U.S. House of Representatives (2007-2011)
current Democratic Minority Leader of the U.S. House of Representatives,
highest ranking female elected politician in American history
missrepresentation.org xii
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REPRESENTATION
CURRICULUM
Female Leaders
missrepresentation.org xiii
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REPRESENTATION
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Female Leaders
Susan Rice
missrepresentation.org xiv
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REPRESENTATION
CURRICULUM
Female Leaders
Olympia Snowe
missrepresentation.org xv
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REPRESENTATION
CURRICULUM
Female Leaders
The third female Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, serving since 2009
missrepresentation.org xvi
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REPRESENTATION
CURRICULUM
Female Leaders
Susana Martinez
missrepresentation.org xvii
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REPRESENTATION
CURRICULUM
Social Constructions
Circle the statements that represent a social construction.
2. Little girls are gentle and timid; boys are tough and adventurous.
4. Women can breastfeed babies; men need a bottle for feeding babies.
10. There are fewer women Presidents, Governors, members of Congress and managers than men.
__________________________________________________________
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__________________________________________________________
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missrepresentation.org xviii
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REPRESENTATION
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Media Log
Track how many hours a day you spend watching or reading media.
Draw a pie chart of your average daily media consumption: Tally how many protagonists you see in a week.
Women/Girls:
Men/Boys:
Unidentified/Other:
missrepresentation.org xix
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REPRESENTATION
CURRICULUM
1826
First public high schools for girls open in New York and Boston
1837
First co-educational college opens in Oberlin, Ohio
Susan B. Anthony first asks for equal pay for female teachers
1848
First Women’s Rights Convention is held in Seneca Falls, New York
1850
First National Women’s Rights Convention is held in Worcester, Massachusetts
1868
The first issue of The Revolution is published
1869
The National and American Woman Suffrage Associations each form
Women are given the right to vote in Wyoming
1872
Victoria Woodhull is the first woman to run for president for the Equal Rights Party, also known as the
National Radical Reformers
Susan B. Anthony attempts to “illegally” vote and is arrested
1887
Susanna Medora Salter is the first woman elected mayor in Argonia, Kansas
1896
Alice Guy Blaché is the first woman to direct a movie
1900
The first women compete in the Olympics – 19 in all
1913
National suffrage march takes place in Washington, D.C.
1916
Jeannette Rankin is the first woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives
missrepresentation.org xx
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REPRESENTATION
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1920
Women earn the right to vote in the U.S.
1921
American novelist, Edith Wharton wins the Pulitzer Prize for The Age of Innocence
1923
The Equal Rights Amendment, first proposed in 1923 to affirm that women and men have equal
rights under the law, is still not part of the U.S. Constitution
1924
Nellie Ross of Wyoming becomes the first female governor in the U.S.
1930
Anne Morrow Lindbergh is the first woman to receive a glider pilot’s license
1932
Hattie Wyatt Caraway becomes the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate
1933
Frances Perkins is appointed Secretary of Labor by President Franklin D. Roosevelt
1934
Lettie Pate Whitehead serves as the first female director of a major corporation – The Coca-Cola
Company
1936
Sally Stearns becomes the first female coxwain for a male rowing team at Rollins College
1941-45
Six million women join the workforce during World War II
In 1942, the U.S. Military creates new braches in every division for women
1949
French philosopher Simone de Beauvoir publishes the The Second Sex
missrepresentation.org xxi
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1955
The first Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Championship is held
1959
Ella Fitzgerald is the first woman to win a Grammy Award
1960
Oral contraceptive birth control is approved
1961
Wilma Rudolph sets a new world record in the 100-meter dash of 11.2 seconds
1962
Biologist Rachel Carson publishes Silent Spring
1963
Writer, Activist, and Feminist Betty Friedan publishes her book The Feminine Mystique
Ellen Ash Peters is the first female professor to be granted tenure at Yale Law School
1964
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act bans sex-discrimination in the workplace
1966
Betty Friedan, Rev. Pauli Murray, and Shirley Chisholm help found the National Organization
for Women (NOW)
1967
Muriel Siebert becomes the first woman to own a seat on the New York Stock Exchange
1968
Women’s liberation organizers disrupt a live telecast of the Miss America Pageant in Atlantic
City
missrepresentation.org xxii
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REPRESENTATION
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1971
Ms. Magazine is published
1972
Shirley Chisholm runs for the Democratic Party presidential nomination
The passage of Title IX opens up significant opportunities for women’s sports programs in
schools and universities
1973
Roe v. Wade upholds a person’s right to privacy with respect to abortion
Female tennis star Billie Jean King defeats male tennis champion Bobby Riggs in a “Battle of the
Sexes” match
1974
Ella Grasso of Connecticut becomes the first female to be elected governor in the United States
without her husband’s incumbency when she is elected
The Coalition of Labor Union Women is formed
The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy becomes the first military service to allow women to enroll
1975
Women are no longer allowed to be discriminated from juries (Taylor v. Louisiana)
1976
Barbara Walters becomes the first female evening news co-anchor
Barbra Jordan becomes the first woman to give the keynote address at the Democratic National
Convention
Helen Hayes becomes the first woman to win an Emmy, Grammy, Tony, and an Oscar in a lifetime
1978
The Pregnancy Discrimination Act is passed
missrepresentation.org xxiii
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REPRESENTATION
CURRICULUM
1981
Sandra Day O’Connor is the first woman appointed Supreme Court Justice
1984
Geraldine Ferraro is the Democratic Party nominee for Vice President
Kathryn Sullivan is the first female U.S. astronaut to walk in space
Billie Jean King is appointed commissioner of World Team Tennis, becoming the first woman to
be the head of a professional athletic league
1.8 million girls participate in high school sports
1986
Oprah Winfrey’s show becomes the highest rated talk show in history
1988
The Civil Rights Restoration Act restores full coverage to Title IX in every educational institu-
tion’s programs when the institution receives any kind of federal funding
1989
Barbara Clementine Harris becomes the first female Episcopal Bishop
1991
Anita Hill accuses Clarence Thomas (United States Supreme Court nominee and Justice) of
sexual harassment
1992
Four women are elected to the U.S. Senate coining the term “Year of the Woman”
1993
The Federal Family and Medical Leave Act is enacted
Janet Reno is the first woman to be Attorney General of the United States
missrepresentation.org xxiv
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REPRESENTATION
CURRICULUM
1996
Madeleine Albright becomes the first female Secretary of State
1997
American Activist Jody Williams receives the Noble Peace Prize
Claudia Kennedy becomes the first female three-star general in the U.S. Army
The WNBA begins with 8 teams
Pat Henry becomes the first American woman to sail solo around the world
1998
At the winter Olympics in Nagano, the first time women are allowed to play ice hockey in the
Olympics, the U.S. Women’s Olympic Ice Hockey Team wins the gold medal
1999
Mia Hamm leads the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team to win the FIFA Women’s World Cup. Final
match is attended by 90,000 people (the most-watched women’s sporting event to date)
2003
Nancy Pelosi becomes the first woman to serve as the Democratic Minority leader in the U.S.
House of Representatives
2004
Condoleezza Rice is listed as the most powerful woman in the world by Forbes Magazine
2005
Condoleezza Rice is re-named the most powerful woman in the world by Forbes Magazine
2006
Katie Couric becomes the first solo female anchor of a weekday evening news program on one
of the three traditional U.S. broadcast networks
missrepresentation.org xxv
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REPRESENTATION
CURRICULUM
2008
Sarah Palin is the first woman to be listed on the national G.O.P. ticket
Ann Dunwoody is the first woman to serve as a four-star general in the U.S. Army
2010
Kathryn Bigelow is the first female to win an Academy Award for Best Director for her film
The Hurt Locker (2009)
The University of Connecticut’s Women’s Basketball team holds the longest winning streak in
college basketball history with 90 consecutive wins
2011
Christine Lagarde becomes the first woman to head the International Monetary Fund
Oprah Winfrey launches the OWN: the Oprah Winfrey Network
missrepresentation.org xxvi