Disney princesses perpetuate gender stereotypes

Almost all children grow up watching the Disney classics, Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid, the list goes on and on.  In each movie children are socialized and taught what men and women should be like in society.  But, the messages Disney is constantly drilling into children in our societies heads are sexist, narrow-minded, stereotypes we do not want to continue to perpetuate.

Almost all little girls emulate and mimic the Disney princesses they grow up watching.  These characters Disney creates are role models for young girls all over the globe. Girls grow up believing they must be like these princess they view as their role models.  What are these women like? What characteristics do they possess? All these women are beautiful, charming, and kind.  They are constantly seen cleaning, cooking, and caring for others.  And if they aren't any of these things they are often seen as outcasts or rebels such as Arielle and Belle.  But the one thing all these women have in common are a man.  All these women are rescued or swooped off their feet by their Prince Charming, a man who can rescue them from all their troubles in society.  This is the message we are sending out to the millions of little girls who watch these films religiously.  While watching these movies girls learn to be dependent on a man.  They learn to believe that finding a man can solve any of your problems and once you've found this Prince Charming you can sail off into "happily ever after".

Cinderella is one of the many perfect examples of Disney films that perpetuate gender stereotypes and send poor messages to young girls. We first see Cinderella cleaning and cooking, working as a servant for her evil stepmother.  Right away we see Cinderella conforming to the stereotype that a woman's duty is to clean, cook, and serve.  Cinderella is a stunning, yet obedient woman who follows instructions and is not willing to stand up for herself and defy her stepmother.  But, once Prince Charming comes along and falls in love with Cinderella after only a few hours because of her beautiful appearance, Cinderella is able to abandon her dreadful life as a servant and live happily ever after.  In this film we see a weak, typical woman who simply cleans and cooks and listens to what she is told.  But, once a man falls in love with her solely because of her looks she is able to abandon her problems.

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It is clear that Disney is not being held responsible for these messages as they continue to reappear in films again and again. When Disney's "The Princess and the Frog" came out audiences were thrilled to see Disney's first African American Princess hoping this film would be the first to defy these gender stereotypes Disney had perpetuated.  But, this film was met with much criticism stated it only further pushed other racist stereotypes. Disney continues to create films and princesses that portray the stereotypical women.  Some of their newer films include Mulan, The Princess and the Frog, and Tangled. At first one may believe the only solution to this problem is to hold Disney accountable for the media they are generating for the public viewing.  Someone should make Disney feel responsible for the messages they are giving out to our society.  Dr. Melissa Landa from the College of Education at the University of Maryland explains how this is simply unrealistic.  But if Disney cannot be held responsible for their messages how can we solve this problem?

To counter the messages Disney puts into society it is extremely important to expose children to other sources of media that show other role models and life styles they can take part in.  By no means is the defense against this messages is to censor Disney movies entirely.  These films are undoubtedly enjoyable for both children and adults.  But, is it important to have conversations with children after these movies.  These conversations can be used to explain that sometimes these stories and characters are unrealized.  Parents can also talk about how this is just one lifestyle for women to have.  It is important to expose children to many different choices and outlets of media so they can explore different identities through characters they see everyday.  Dr. Landa describes how important it is for children to be exposed to a variety of lifestyles to ensure balance in a child's life.  With a variety of messages and role models to look up to children can still chose to be a like a Disney princess, fall in love and live happily ever after. But with exposure, children can also follow in the footsteps of Hilary Clinton and pursue a career in politics and be extremely independent.  By showing children in society an assortment of media with different messages we are no longer limiting them to one stereotype lifestyle.

In society today it is crucial that we focus on the messages and media our youth are being exposed to. This media they are constantly being exposed to socializes them and shapes them into the adults they will be in the future.  Although Disney sends the message to girls that they should all be beautiful, obedient women who can be rescued by a man does not mean we should ban these films.  It just further pushes the necessity to expose the youth, especially youth girls, to other media that presents other women and other life style choices.

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Dr. Landa explaining Disney's responsibility to society

Dr. Landa's solution to the messages Disney puts into society

What messages do Disney princesses send to young girls?

listen to ‘What messages do Disney princesses send to young girls?’ on Audioboo

What messages do Disney princesses send to girls?

listen to ‘What messages do Disney princesses send to girls?’ on Audioboo

Gender Roles in Disney Films

            All of us have grown up watching the Disney classics, Snowhite, The Little Mermaid, Cinderella, and many more.  Every little girl grows up fantasying about being a princess who gets swept off her feet by her Prince Charming.  But why should every girl have to wait for a man? Why does Disney create this “damsel in distress” character that every little girl is dying to be? This is one of the many gender roles portrayed in Disney Films. 

            While kids are watching these films today they learn what women and men are supposed to be like in our society.  The gender roles in these films may not be messages we are comfortable showing our children.  For example, when watching Beauty and the Beast as an adult one may notice that Belle is in an abusive relationship.  Many little girls idolize Belle and her ability to tame this horrid creature and turn him into a handsome young man.  This movie teaches girls to remain in unhealthy, abusive relationships in the hope that they can change their partner into a loving, kind man.  This is just one example of the many gender roles created in Disney films. 

            For my final project I will study this topic and further investigate the messages Disney is putting out into society.  While identity the gender roles in these films, I will also being searching for a solution.  When interviewing an expert on this topic I will ask a variety of questions trying to develop more incite into this issue. Some questions include, “Do you think children truly absorb these messages?  Do you think Disney should be censored or banned from our society? If not, what do you suggest the solution to this problem is?”

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GPS receivers and satellites work together to calculate your exact location

            Today, many people cannot even read a map because we are so dependent on our GPS system.  Everyone who has a smartphone has their GPS with them at all times because they are conveniently built into our phones.  But does anyone actually know how a GPS works? I was unaware of what GPS stood for before doing a little research.  The GPS, or Global Positioning System, was originally created by the United States military to use as a navigation system.  The Global Positioning System is composed of 29 satellites orbiting the Earth at an altitude of 20,000 kilometers.  These 3,000 to 4,000 pound solar-powered satellites make two complete rotations around the Earth per day.   It only takes 24 satellites to cover the Earth, but there are five spare satellites to improve accuracy in calculating one’s location. No matter where you are on earth at any given time there are four satellites 'visible' to you and your location. 

            A GPS receiver uses a process called trilateration to locate itself.  

Trying to understand this process is simpler by first examining it from a two dimensional perspective.  If someone were to say, "You are 216 miles from Boston, Massachusetts do you know exactly where you are?" No, because you could be 216 miles from Boston in any direction, north, south, east, or west.  But, if someone says, "You are 216 miles away from Boston, 81 miles from New Haven, Connecticut, and 229 miles from Washington, DC," you can figure out where you are by calculating where all the radiuses overlap.  This is exactly how GPS satellites locate a GPS receiver.  Each satellite creates a sphere indicating where the GPS receiver could possibly be.  The four satellites that are “visible” from your location create four spheres.  Where these spheres overlap is where your exact location is.  For the best results, including altitude as well as latitude and longitude, more than four satellites are necessary. Technically, the Earth can act as the fourth sphere but usually receivers search for four satellites. But even though we have 29 satellites, sometimes they cannot locate the receivers.  Have you ever turned on your navigation system and the message “Searching For Satellites” appears?  This is because the receiver cannot locate enough satellites to determine your location. Usually trees or buildings block the transmissions from the receiver to the satellites making them unable to send signals to each other. 

            In order for your navigation system to locate exactly where you are we have already established receivers need at least three satellites that are ‘visible’.  But, your navigation system must also know the distance between you and each of those satellites. 

Your GPS receiver does this by analyzing high-frequency, low-power radio signals from each of the GPS satellites.  These radio waves are classified as electromagnetic energy because they travel at 186,000 miles per second, or the speed of light.  The GPS receiver can derive how far away the signal has travelled by timing how long it took for the signal to reach itself.

            The process in which your GPS receiver calculates the distance to the GPS satellite is extremely complex.  

At a certain time the GPS satellite will begin to transmit a pseudo-random code, or a long, digital pattern. The GPS receiver also begins transmitting the same pseudo-random code at the time.  When the satellite’s signal reaches the receiver on earth, the code created by the satellite will lag behind the receiver’s code.  The length of the delay between the two codes is believed to be the signal’s travel time.  The receiver on earth multiplies the travel time by the speed of light to calculate how far the signal has travelled.  With this, the receiver has now determined its distance to the satellite in orbit.

            In order to do these calculations both the receiver and satellites need clocks that are exact to the nanosecond.  

Both the satellites and receiver need to have atomic clocks to ensure they are in sync.  But, atomic clocks cost about $50,000 to $100,000, which is too expensive to place in consumer products.  To solve this problem, the Global Positioning System planted the expensive atomic clocks in each of the GPS satellites.  In each receiver is a typical quartz clock, which is consistently resetting.  The receiver compensates for this by determining it’s own inaccuracies as it is analyzing incoming signals from the satellites.

            Technology today not only allows you to find your stationary location but you can now track your movement by constant communication with the satellites. 

Today GPS receivers can calculate how far you’ve traveled, how long you’ve traveled, your current speed, your average speed, a map of exactly where you have traveled, and the estimated time of arrival at your destination.  Who knows what else GPS receivers will be able to do in another five years.  

Digital media shifting towards independent, democratic control

         Digital media is something that is not going away anytime soon.  Digital media is growing more and more popular in many aspects such a books, magazines, newspapers, and audio.  If organizations are trying to appeal to youth audiences then they must have a website or social media outlet or they are irreverent. Large companies struggle to stay on top due to the changes within media and commercial forces.  Due to these battles, digital media is shifting towards open, independent and democratic control where individuals can broadcast and compete with these larger corporations.

         Digital audio is the portion of media that struggles the most with the enlarging digital world.  

MP3 format is a smaller version of CD-quality audio that can be shared easily on the Internet.  Who would rather spend $1.99 on a song from iTunes when you can convert a YouTube video into MP3 or have a friend send it to you for free?  The recording industry and major labels have been crushed by this revelation.  They have lost control of the industry while individuals have gained the power.  Although this process is illegal and the recording companies are not afraid to push back with lawsuits, individuals still find ways around this and continue pirating. Not only has the distribution of music been altered completely, but recording of it as well.  The digital age has reduced the price of recording, producing, and distributing music thus allowing individuals to do so on their own eliminating the need for recording companies and music labels.  Digital media is only growing. Now it is the norm for people to be sharing hundreds of millions of files at any point in the day.  It is apparent the power is now in hands of the individuals allowing them to control the digital audio world.

         
Commercial forces in the digital world are entirely different to what the media industry is accustomed it. 
Typically, to create and support a media enterprise massive amounts of capital are necessary to succeed.  But, with the new digital age less capital is needed, opening up doors for anyone to create websites and compete with large companies.  This phenomenon explains why websites such as Google, Yahoo!, and Craigslist have thrived.  Also large companies have struggled to find the key in succeeded in this digital world.  The Internet today is heavily commercial, but at its roots the Web is based on nonmarket principles. While these corporations struggle to hang on in the digital world, these new rules open up doors for the individual to create a democratic web.  Anyone can start a website, post news, and share their opinion. Anyone can share music or promote themselves as music sensation.  Control of the digital world is shifting towards the individual creating a more democratic, diverse web.