Commercial Analysis: Social Expectation for Woman
(Quicker Ganoderma Drink)
Introduction
The main discussion of our commercial project in gender role expectation focuses on woman’s role. The commercial which will be discussed in the paper is one of the Greg nutrient products, the “Quicker Ganoderma Drink”. Before the main discussion, we would like to briefly introduce the commercial.
In the very beginning of the commercial clip, there is a scene of a mother’s back. she is busy putting the food in her children’s lunchbox, after that she eats the leftover. The little boy, her son, looks at her mother in sentiment. The second image of this film is the mother doing the laundry even after her children grow up. The tracing of the age appears on the woman’s face, after so many years, she is still carrying her responsibility as a mother. In the final shot of the film, her son wants to thank his mother in return for taking care of them and the family, so he bought “Quicker Ganoderma Drink” for his mother and wish that his mother can get the best nutrients for her health.
Directly we see the role of women as a mother through the images of this film. This image not only shows in the commercial, but also easily seen in the society. The discussion will be divided into the following three aspects. First, social expectation on women, it describes how people think that women should be or do in every day’s life. Second, we will discuss the division of responsibility in society. Third, based on the theory of the division of responsibility which provided, we will further discuss the evidence of the division formation. Moreover, a little survey will be done in class which would allow us to understand the phenomenon on the motherly role in general (this part will not be discussed in written form but oral presentation only.).
Social expectation
The image of the commercial reflects the traditional gender expectation on woman in our society. It reveals that woman is expected to be a good wife as well as a good mother. Even in the 21st century, women’s major responsibilities in society are still taking care of the family. Once a woman get married, she has to be a good wife to look after everything of her family such as cooking and cleaning house. She must have capability to solve all of the problems emerged from household and leave her husband carefree at work.
After having children, she needs to devote her time on being a good mother and a good wife at the same time. Motherly role is always expected as an endless love of children. She brings them up by devoting herself, take one of scene in the commercial for example, “She gave most of food in the lunch box of her children. Then she collected rest of the food.” In short, woman is expected to put children and family in the first place in her life and the duty is relieved till the day she pass away.
The division of responsibility in society
Apart from the expectation of society in woman’s role, we also believe that the division of responsibilities in society cause woman to be a good mother, and to take the more active role at home. In division of responsibility, two sexes are appointed different works such as men are responsible for hunting and women take charge of collecting food and taking care of infant in Stone Age. Different division of responsibilities occurred when the development of society changed, for instance, in agricultural society, men work on lands and women support men, thus women, once again, look after homes. The division system works much the same in industrial society. Mainly men work outside the homes in order to offer financial ad for the family, consequently, women take more care over household. In the mentioned examples, we can realize that different responsibilities naturally form the distinct expectations in gender roles. Man works outside and woman takes care of household chores seems to be the mainstream in every stage of human society. No matter how the society changed, the notion of the division of responsibilities didn’t seem to alter much.
The division system in society has been maintained by some of traditional values, take “Three obedience and four virtues”, a Chinese proverb, as an example, “three obedience” means a female should obey her father, husband and son. “Four virtues” stands for fine characters of being a good wife, acting properly which adapting customs, talking properly, dressing properly and being able to support husband and son. Women are considered the subordinate sex in ancient Chinese therefore they are expected to stay at home and take care of their children, husband, and house chore. Traditional value serves an important function in maintaining the division of responsibilities as well, even in nowadays; female is slightly influenced by the ancient proverb.
The evidence of social division of responsibility
The differences of characters of gender decide the social responsibility.
We can see the differences from two aspects: physical and mental point of views. In the era which people lived by labor work, male were responsible for the labor work to earn a living, and female were responsible for housework. These responsibilities dividing depend on the physiological difference. By psychological difference, female has exquisite sense in housework and performs better than male, so that the housework becomes female’s job eventually. Moreover, female tend to give, care and devote themselves to family. These behaviors are nature, and also the maternal instinct. Not only human beings, but also female animals have the same maternal instincts as female human beings. As a result, raising children and taking care of family are the responsibilities that women are expected to embraces and finally become the main expectation from the society.
Conclusion
In the commercial, we see the image of “good mother”, who makes sacrifices for her children; as well as the character of “good wife”, who looks after a family, no matter how old she is. To be “good mother” and “good wife” are parts of traditional expectations for women in our society. If we see the gender expectations in the context of society, the expectations may be the result of the division of responsibility in society since ancient time.
In order to survive in everyday life and develop the society, it is needed that everyone undertakes different works. Naturally, the division of responsibility depends on the gender, because of existing gender differences in physical and mental aspects. As time goes by, it is quite reasonable that people have a set of expectation for certain gender. Therefore, female are set for looking after a family, from manage a household to taking care of their children.
Actually, the gender expectations have varied continuously with the changes of society; as a result, our traditional gender expectations are not that conservative now. But, is gender the only way to divide the works? Certainly we don’t agree with that, because there are individual differences even within the same gender. In our views, the ideal way to divide the works should depend on individual competence and value; let everyone develop fully without any restriction and oppression from so-called social expectations.
Just like one woman’s saying in Barbara Ryan’s book, Feminism and the Women’s movement, “everybody should have the opportunity to be the best that they can be and we ought to have a world that encourage that.”
Work division of written paper and power point
Introduction: Constance
Body: (1) Social expectation: Ann
(2) The division of responsibility in society: Lisa
(3) The evidence of social division of responsibility: Connie
3. Conclusion: Wendy
Group 2 members
1094100001 Lisa
1094100003 Ann
1094100032 Connie
1094100044 Constance
1094100047 Wendy