Exercise 5: Representations of Race and Gender
Analyze the portrayal of race and gender in advertising images.
- Choose three different images that advertise the same type of product. For example, three ads for skin care
products, three fast food ads, three car ads, etc. These should be still images, not videos. They can come from
print magazines or newspapers, or from the Internet. They can be from any time period. Each image should
include at least one person. Be sure to include the images and their sources! - For each image, write a paragraph that applies course concepts and makes an argument about how the
image portrays race and gender. You should discuss at least two concepts for each image. Identify the
demographic characteristics of the people in the images and think about what their representation suggests
about members of the groups they belong to. Some useful concepts include, but are not limited to:
Colorism (students often use this term incorrectly--make sure you understand what it means)
Racism
Institutional racism
Dominant group
Intersection theory
Pluralism
Segregation
Social construction of race
Stereotypes
White privilege
Biological determinism
Doing gender
Double standard
Gender roles
Gender socialization
Heterosexism/homophobia
Sexism
Sample Solution