SOC 306 NIU Love Lessons in Disney Movies Discussion

Question 1: Martin & Kazyak examined G-rated movies to identify key themes. As they note, filmmakers work hard to get a “G” rating so they can attract young children and their families. These films are supposed to be devoid of sex and sexuality, but they are dripping with messages about beauty, desire, love, and relationships.

In a survey of 600 mothers, 99% said that their children had watched the movies analyzed in this study, and half had watched 13 or more. What lessons about love and romance do children learn from these movies? What examples stood out to you?

Question 2: Schaffner states, “The point cannot be overemphasized: Violence against women animates women’s violence” (p. 387). What do you think she means by this? How did the girls in this study describe their experiences with violence?

Question 3: In Doing Desire, Tolman offers portraits three girls. She argues, “Common threads of fear and joy, pleasure and danger, weave through the narratives about sexual desire in the study.” What stood out to you from this reading? Why do girls have conflicting emotions about their desires?

Please do not plagiarize. Do not copy-paste. Each response should be 150 words before citations.

Textbook: Taylor, Whittier, & Rupp (Eds.). (2020). Feminist Frontiers (10th edition). New York: McGraw- Hill.

Question 4: Adia Harvey Wingfield discusses how sex segregation continues to exist within the US labor force. How do the policies and practices she reveals maintain a gap in the incomes of women and men?

Question 5: Gary W. Evans et al. focus on how stress encountered at an early age can have long-lasting impacts on the ability to achieve in education. How does this study broaden your understanding of the continued achievement gap in the US? What are some ways of reducing this gap?

Textbook: Tracy E. Ore. 2019. The Social Construction of Difference and Inequality: Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality, Seventh edition. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. ISBN: 9780190647964 (pbk).

Respond to these discussion posts. Replies to peer posts should offer additional insight and should be around 50 words in length before citations

1. There is many lessons children learn about love and romance in G – rated movies for example in every princess movie they are animated to look skinny , beautiful and sometimes sexual .I think this is wrong because it leads children into thinking that if they aren’t shaped like these princess they aren’t pretty . The article states “films sexualize and racialize women’s bodies through the eyes of male characters”. I strongly agree with this statement because in majority of the films women are seeking validation and desire of a man and this message is disgusting to me because is not promoting self love .

What examples stood out to you? What stood out to me from presentation was when it mentions “ People celebrated the movie Frozen for breaking from this formula. In the film, the fatal spell is broken by love between sisters”. I think this is important because it breaks from traditional gender roles and gives a message to children who watch this movie that love from a family member / sibling is also very important. Elsa learned to control her power and emotions and was able to connect with her sister I think this is also a powerful message because it teaches children sisterhood.

2. Many lessons are taught regarding love and romance in Disney movies. For example, children are taught that hetero-romantic love is magical, exceptional, and transformative by surrounding characters with flowers, candles, magic, and music. Children are taught that love can break a spell, change your identity, or open new possibilities. What stood out to me was when it talked about how the movie Frozen broke the traditional storyline of princess movies within Disney by having love between two sisters break the spell rather than love between a male and a female. Growing up I did not watch many Disney princess movies; however, I do remember watching Shrek a lot and that movie was based on the female had to be rescued by her prince to live but it turns out the male was not your average expected person to save the princess. Shrek taught me that you should not judge someone by what you first see, and that love comes in all shapes and sizes.