Beyonce - Hold Up - Expectations of Gender

David Gauntlett believes gender roles are complex and that the media reflect this. He argues that our expectations of gender are flexible and culturally dependent and therefore will continue to change.

 Some gender roles may include:

• Women being seen as small built, thin, whereas men are seen as muscular and tall
• Men being seen as aggressive and confident, whereas women are seen as humble, emotional and accomodating

Gauntlett believes that in our modern age of web 2.0, "audiences can become their own producers", due to sites such as YouTube and Instagram. Through this, we can create our own 'online' identity and influence other people. As a consequence of trends and movements of the twentieth and twenty-first century such as feminism, the pressure of creating an identity that fits the 'traditional' understandings of gender has been relieved. This newfound freedom means there can be a lot more diversity and acceptance seen across the world, especially in more developed countries which have the most access to web 2.0 and are able to talk freely about gender and other LGBTQ+ topics.

If we were to compare role models from today, all the way back to the 1950s, the "ideal" woman to aspire to be would contrast greatly. All a generation of girls would look forward to is finding a good husband, settling down and becoming a house-wife - perhaps there would be a part-time job in between, but as soon as you have your first child, you're motherhood becomes your full-time priority. 

 In this day and age, we're lucky enough to have all kinds of careers to look forward to, and not have to give up once we become mothers. From soldiers to astronauts, from engineers to doctors, there is no job title too demanding for a female, nor a title too gentle for a man. 

 In the media today, this spectrum of gender identity and gender roles is portrayed interestingly, especially within artists, as they are so expressive. Within this essay I will be looking at Beyonce Knowles's representation in "Hold Up", as it is arguably contrasts well with the 'traditional' roles.

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lifestyle

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“Take one pint of water, add a half pound of sugar, the juice of eight lemons, the zest of half lemon. Pour the water into one, then to another several times. Strain through a clean napkin. Grandmother. The alchemist. You spun gold out of this hard life. Conjured beauty from the things left behind. Found healing where it did not live. Discovered the antidote in your own kitchen. Broke the curse with your own two hands. You past these instructions down to your daughter, who then passed them down to her daughter.”