Subject: Guide: VAW (6/6): Pornography
INCORPORATING THE ISSUE OF PORNOGRAPHY
INTO AN INTRODUCTORY SOCIOLOGY COURSE
Katharine F. Burke
Course Overview
Sociology is the study of people and the ways in which they are
shaped by their society. The introductory course is designed to
help the student understand how the social structure (such as
norms, values and institutions) influences the individual's
experiences, attitudes, personality, and behaviors. This course
also places an emphasis on the influence of class, race and gender
on the dispersion of "rewards" and "resources" in society (Gill,
course syllabus, spring, 1993).
One of the goals of Introductory Sociology is to relay an
understanding of both the sociological viewpoint and the
fundamental sociological ideas. Furthermore, this course aids
students in the comprehension of relationships between personal and
public issues as well as developing the student's awareness of
social class, race and gender in regards to "resources," "life
chances" and "personality." By the end of the course the students
should be able to demonstrate how personality and self- image are
shaped by society through the socialization process. Hopefully, it
will also encourage them to realistically and imaginatively
confront possibilities for social change (Gill, spring, 1993).
Incorporating Material on Pornography
Pornography is an issue that cannot be ignored in today's society.
It affects or has an effect on just about everyone. Many believe
that pornography contributes to the ways in which people are shaped
and molded into society. Many also argue that pornography is a
deviant form of behavior which can be attributed to socialization.
Many also argue that pornography degrades women and denotes them as
sexual objects who are exploited by men. These issues are important
when discussing pornography and its relevance to sociology.
Therefore, this topic is worthy of being examined from a
sociological point of view.
There are many areas within an introductory course on Sociology
into which material on pornography can be incorporated. First of
all, there have been many sociological studies conducted on this
issue and these can be used to exemplify sociological theory and
methods. The professor can choose which of these articles to assign
to the students. The article by Donnerstein & Linz discusses how
influential aggressive behavior is on men's attitudes towards
women. (This article might also be useful to discuss within the
gender inequality section). Jeanette Norris' article attempts to
discover how much impact social influence had on sexual reactions
to sexually explicit material involving violence in men and women.
(This article might also be reflected on within the socialization
section because of its relevance to social influences). These
articles would be good sources to discuss methods and theory
because they both show how researchers present their work in a
format that includes the hypotheses, the sample used, the theories
involved, the data and results obtained, the analysis of the
results, and the conclusions stating whether or not the hypotheses
were supported.
Some suggestions for discussion might be to have the student take
the article apart bit by bit and explain how method and theory were
incorporated into the article. Because pornography is a somewhat
deviant topic, it might be interesting for the students to do a
sociological study in which they select a sample (perhaps including
their peers from the college community) to whom they ask questions
regarding the individual's background (socialization) and their
view of pornography. They could collect and analyze the data in
order to interpret and develop conclusions about their peers' views
on their research/study.
Pornography can also be used in the section concerning deviance, as
suggested earlier. It is at this point in the curriculum where the
movie "Not a Love Story" can be shown. This movie portrays
pornography as a typical. It's a documentary that educates a
pornographic dancer into the realization that pornography can be
very faulty, harmful and immoral. This woman had originally
believed that pornography was an acceptable form of behavior, it
was just another way to make money. She had obviously been
socialized into accepting pornography. The documentary changed her
views on this. She now found pornography, in most cases, very
degrading and deviant. The movie should not take up class time;
rather the students should watch it in their own time. (The best
way to handle this is to make it optional, since it is fairly
graphic, and to hold it on reserve in the library to make it easily
accessible). Discussion might involve how individuals regard the
norms and values of pornographic images. For instance, are some
forms of pornography more acceptable than others? Is pornography a
deviant form of behavior? If so, then why?
Questions relevant for discussion in regard to deviance might ask
how and/or why pornography is deviant. Are views on pornography
brought about through the socialization process? Is it immoral to
partake in pornography? What makes it deviant? Some may argue it is
not deviant. This question will hopefully start a small debate.
Students may feel that there is no difference between pornography
and erotica; the question of whether or not there is a difference
between the two may also trigger a debate. Deviant behavior ranges
from one extreme to the next. Discussion on Gloria Steinem's
article on distinguishing pornography from erotica is also an
excellent source for the student to read because it sees
pornography
from two angles; that it is deviant, and that is not bad at all.
Gender inequality is yet another section in the syllabus for which
pornography holds significant relevance. In the Henslin anthology,
Scully and Marolla's article, "Convicted Rapists Describe the
Rewards of Rape" discusses pornography briefly. It is important for
the students to learn about the different types of violence against
women. This article talks about both pornography and rape as
violence against women.
Excerpts from For Adult Users Only would be a good source for the
professor to read in regard to gender inequality. This source
defines pornography in a number of ways which helps determine its
relationship to violence against women. Furthermore Andrea
Dworkin's Pornography: Men Possessing Women, pp. 199- 202 defines
pornography in relation to men and women. The professor might want
to read more than what is assigned to the students. For instance,
the two excerpts from John Stoltenberg's Refusing to be a Man are
good sources. Each of these articles will give the professor an
idea of the gender inequality that exists within the pornography
industry.
Discussion questions regarding gender inequality in pornography
could revolve around the issue of how men maintain power over
women. Do all men benefit from pornography? Do women benefit from
pornography? The professor might bring in a "Playboy" and a
"Playgirl" for the students to compare. How are women portrayed in
pornography compared to men? This might create problems of sexual
harassment for women in the class so it would be best to handle
this diplomatically as well as objectively. It's important to point
out to the students that this discussion is not a debate; it is
merely a comparison of the two publications. Instead of a
discussion on it, it might be better for the students to do a small
writing assignment describing the differences and/or similarities
between the two different magazines. The relevance this has to
sociology is that it is important to see how men and women are
either portrayed similarly or differently in today's society. If
they are portrayed differently we want to know why. The differences
and similarities exist from both the personal and public
perspectives. How is the self-image shaped for men and women
through pornography?
At some point in discussion during the section on socialization,
the professor might want to emphasize pornography and the early
ages at which one starts viewing pornographic magazines and how
this might attribute to certain levels of aggression. In the
Henslin anthology "Sexuality and Gender in Children's Daily
Worlds," by Thorne and Luria, touches on this. There are two other
good sources for the student to read. The first is from Take Back
the Night; it's an article entitled "Child Pornography." This will
tie in nicely with what has already been assigned. The second
source is the Hevener research article on attitudes towards
censorship.
A good question regarding socialization and pornography may include
whether or not children start at a young age and are conditioned to
accept pornography from the beginning. Can one be socialized into
and/or out of accepting pornography and what it stands for?
Furthermore, is pornography more prevalent in certain classes?
Also, does personality play a role in the individual's perception
and/or involvement in or with pornography?
Finally, there has been a lot of material published on this issue
of pornography concerning what, if anything, should be done about
it. The student should read Susan Brownmiller's "Excerpt from
Against Our Will: Men, Women and Rape." She discusses social
movements and what actions feminists and liberals feel should be
taken against pornography.
Discussion involving social movements may include whether or not
Brownmiller's suggestions on taking action are reasonable or not.
And if so, how does this affect the individual in society?
It's important to keep in mind that obviously not everything that
has been discussed can be included in an Introductory Sociology.
These are merely suggestions on how to incorporate this topic into
this class.
Suggested Readings for Students
Brownmiller, Susan. "Excerpt on Pornography from Against Our Will:
Men, Women and Rape. In Laura Lederer (Ed.), Take Back the Night,
New York: William Morrow and Couglne, 1975.
This excerpt discusses what both feminists and liberals
feel should be done about pornography. She discusses
pornography as an issue relevant to gender inequality.
Pornography affects individuals in society and these
feminists feel that something should be done about it.
Donnerstein, Edward and Daniel Linz. "Mass-Media Sexual Violence
and Male Viewers." In Michael S. Kimmel (Ed.), Changing Men: New
Directions in Research on Men and Masculinity, Newbury Park,
California: Sage Publications, 1987, pp. 198-215.
This theory and research article showed evidence of how
influential aggressive pornography in mass media is on
men's attitudes and behaviors toward women. It is a good
example to discuss methods and theory because the article
shows how the researchers present their work. It has a
format that includes their hypotheses, the sample used,
the theories involved, the data and results obtained, the
analysis of the results, and the conclusions stating
whether or not the hypotheses were supported.
Dworkin, Andrea. Pornography: Men Possessing Women. New York: G.P.
Putnum's Sons, 1971, pp. 13-47.
Dworkin discusses men and their powers to produce and
consume women through pornography. Pornography is not
seen as the symbolic reality of the photograph in which
there is a relationship between two women; it is the
symbolic reality expressed in which women are exposed
purposefully to excite a male viewer. By reading this the
students can see pornography from a public perspective
and whether or not self-image is shaped by society (norms
and values). 68.
Resource Guide
Dworkin, Andrea. Pornography: Men Possessing Women. New York: G.P.
Putnam's Sons, 1971, pp. 199-202.
This chapter entitled "Pornography" defines pornography in
a literal sense. This can be used for general knowledge
on the subject and the students can relate the definition
to individuals (both in a personal sense and a public
sense). Is pornography defined in relation to the social
sphere?
Henslin, James M. (ed.) Down to Earth Sociology. New York: Free
Press, 1993.
This is an introductory anthology used in Dr. Sandra
Gill's spring semester, 1993, Introductory Sociology
class. The chapter on deviance is especially relevant.
The two relevant articles include "Convicted Rapists
Describe the Rewards of Rape" by Diana Scully and Joseph
Marolla, pp. 46 61; and "Sexuality and Gender in
Children's Daily Worlds" by Barrie Thorne and Zella
Luria, pp. 133-144.
Hevener, Fillmer, "College Students' Attitudes Toward Censorship of
Sexual Explicitness," College Student Journal, June, 1990, pp.
167-172.
This research article discusses how much freedom an
individual should have in choosing what he/she reads and
views in terms of sexual explicitness. This is also
another good example that could be used in explaining
methods and theories through sociological journal
articles.
Klein, Bonnie Sherr. "Not a Love Story." New York: National Film
Board of Canada, 1983.
This is a documentary film on pornography. It is explicit
in its meaning and uses theories in discussing
pornography.
Norris, Jeanette, "Social Influence Effects on Responses to
Sexually Explicit Material Containing Violence," Journal of Sex
Research, Feb., 1991, pp. 67-76.
This sociological study was conducted in order to
discover how much impact social influence had on sexual
and affective reactions to sexually explicit material
involving violence in men and women.
Rush, Florence. "Child Pornography." In Laura Lederer (Ed.), Take
Back the Night, New York: William Morrow and Couglne, 1979.
This article discusses children's involvement with
pornography. Children are placed in the same category as
women; they are objects to be degraded. She also
discusses why children have been a target for the
pornography issue.
Steinem, Gloria. "Erotica and Pornography: A Clear and Present
Difference." In Laura Lederer (Ed.), Take Back the Night, New York:
William Morrow and Couglne, 1979.
This article, originally published in Ms. magazine,
discusses how to distinguish pornography from erotica.
This article can be used in discussion of deviance
because it discusses pornography as deviant. Society makes
it that way unless you see it from a different angle; one
that is a form of erotica. It is all in the eye of the
beholder. And the individual's eye is shaped by society.
So why are some people shaped to think these images are
erotic while others are shaped to think that these images
are deviant (pornographic)?
Stoltenberg, John. Refusing to be a Man. Portland, Oregon:
Breitenbush Books Inc., 1989, pp. 123-136.
This excerpt confronts and combines pornography with a
variety of other aspects including freedom, male
supremacy, homophobia, men as well as freedom and
equality. Stoltenberg is not in agreement with pornography
and all the violence that goes with it.
Stoltenberg, John. Refusing to be a Man. Portland, Oregon:
Breitenbush Books Inc., 1989, pp. 146-159.
This excerpt discusses the four causes of action that can
be taken if an individual were to have a complaint
regarding violation in pornography. It describes the
instances when the ordinances will allow a person to
obtain access to the local human-rights commission. This
just gives a quick overview as to how people assess
pornography. Society defines pornography in a certain
manner and therefore it can claim what is and what can
not be pornography. All individuals in society are
considered including race and class, etc.
Resources for Faculty
Baird, Robert M. and Stuart E. Rosenbaum (editors). Pornography:
Private Right or Public Menace. Buffalo, New York: Prometheus
Books, 1975.
This book covers the spectrum of controversy about
Pornography: conflicting commission reports; feminist
concerns about pornography; concerns of those opposed to
censorship and/or committed to freedom of speech;
religious perspectives. They all tie nicely together and
with a little knowledge from each section, a well-rounded
idea will be provided about the issue of pornography.
Davis, Murray. Smut, Erotic Reality/Obscene Ideology. Chicago:
University of Chicago Press, 1983.
This is a book on the study of sexual behavior in
relation to sexual experience. Pornography is used as the
remain objective resource for the study. He examines
"soft core" pornography using the sexual "experience"
rather than "hard core" pornography which focuses on the
sexual "behavior."
Gubar, Susan and Joan Hoff (editors). For Adult Users Only: The
Dilemma of Violent Pornography. Indianapolis: Indiana University
Press, 1989.
This defines pornography in a number of ways to determine
its relationship to violence against women. The first
half of the book focuses on pornography in contemporary
society while the second half focuses on resolving some
of these divisions.
Hawkins, Gordon and F.E. Zimring. Pornography in a Free Society.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1988.
This book examines the relationship of pornography and
the public law in Western democracy. lt also provides
perspectives on problems that have taken on meaning since
the increased availability of sexually explicit material
in the 1960's and 70's such as pornography and status of
women; policies towards children; and on social control
of pornography without the use of censorship.
Kimmel, Michael S. (editor). Men Confront Pornography. New York:
Crown Publishers, Inc., 1990.
This book views pornography from a male's perspective. It
confronts the issue of pornography in men's lives. It
delves further into men's perception about their
sexuality, women's sexuality, and about relations between
men and women.
Williams, Linda. Hard Core, Power, Pleasure and the "Frenzy of the
Visible." Berkeley: University of California Press, 1989, pp. 184-
228.
The chapter entitled "Power, Pleasure and Perversion"
expands on certain movies that target the woman or women
as the victim(s) of either men or other women. It focuses
on violent pornography such as S/M.
Lesson Plans
Sociological Theory and Methods
Donnerstein and Linz, "Mass-Media Sexual Violence and Male
Viewers," pp. 198-215.
(or) Norris, "Social Influence Effects on Responses to
Sexually Explicit Material Containing Violence," pp. 67-76.
Deviance
Nein, "Not a Love Story" (movie optional). Steinem, "Erotica
and Pornography: A Clear and Present Difference."
Gender Inequality
Scully and Marolla, "Convicted Rapists Describe the Rewards of
Rape," pp. 44- 61 (Henslin anthology).
Dworkin, Pornography: Men Possessing Women, pp. 199-202.
Socialization
Thorne and Luria, "Sexuality and Gender in Children's Daily
Worlds," pp. 133-144 (Henslin anthology).
Rush, "Child Pornography."
Hevener, "College Students' Attitudes Towards Censorship of
Sexual Explicitness," pp. 167-172.
Social Movements
Brownmiller, "Excerpt from Against Our Will: Men, Women and
Rape."
INCORPORATING THE ISSUE OF PORNOGRAPHY
INTO A SOCIOLOGY COURSE ON MASS MEDIA
AND POPULAR CULTURE
Jennifer C. Sayles
Course Overview
"Sociology of Mass Media and Popular Culture" is a sociology course
in which the primary goal is to improve students' "understanding of
and ability to analyze popular culture and mass media of
communications" (Spring 1993 course outline, Emmons, p. 2).
Students are also urged to consider their own use of media, how
they may be influenced by popular culture, how they position
themselves on the social issues involved, and what they might do
about these issues, both individually and collectively. Additional
objectives include helping students further their understanding of
and ability to utilize sociological theories, methods, and
concepts. Finally, this course provides students with the
opportunity to practice developing and expressing their thoughts
and their use of language, both spoken and written (Spring 1993
course outline, Emmons, p. 2).
The intent of this course is to explore the nature of both
communications/mass media and popular culture. At Gettysburg
College, "Sociology of Mass Media and Popular Culture" is taught
from an "active" perspective, as opposed to a lecture format. This
teaching method refers to the variety of ways in which the material
is presented. Videos, guest speakers, music listening sessions, and
class discussions are examples of the teaching devices utilized in
this course. Issues concerning pornography can be effectively
integrated into a course in which active participation is
encouraged. For example, students may view sexually explicit
materials and then analyze their content in a discussion. In this
way, students can attain an understanding of pornography's role in
mass media and popular culture.
The topic of popular culture brings about discussions pertaining to
advertising and the images which are portrayed in the
advertisements. The implications of images in news broadcasts are
also considered. The visual nature of pornography permits it to be
easily connected with aspects of the course pertaining to media
images. Students also listen to popular music (rap, punk,
progressive, etc.) and contemplate how the different messages shape
culture. The messages may be nostalgic, they may express concern
for the environment, or they may be political messages. Finally,
aspects of counterculture are also examined, such as popular music
with a seemingly rebellious content. Popular music is applicable to
pornography because many popular songs contain suggestive or
explicit lyrics.
Incorporating Material on Pornography
The purpose of this resource guide is to promote teaching about
violence against women. Violence against women is an issue of
utmost importance, one that is necessary for both men and women to
understand. Many people find pornography to be morally offensive.
But is there any relationship between pornography and violence
against women? If a relationship does exist, does pornography
promote violence, or is it an actual form of violence? By
connecting pornography with mass media and popular culture, this
resource guide intends to increase students' awareness of the
specific implications of pornography as it relates to women, as
well as all forms of violence against women.
The issue of pornography is directly related to this course,
particularly to its mass media aspect, because the media display
various forms of pornographic materials. There are several ways of
integrating this issue into a course on mass media and popular
culture. First, it is important to know how and to what extent
different materials are distributed through the media. How do they
become printed or aired? Pornography and other sexually explicit
materials are also widely distributed. They are displayed through
almost all media, whether it be through television, books,
magazines, films, etc.
This course also encourages students to ponder the question of who
controls the media. According to Michael Real's theory of mass
mediated culture, the elite control the media and use it as a tool
to promote capitalism. Such is the case with pornography. Hugh
Hefner is a wealthy and powerful man who makes millions of dollars
by selling Playboy, a magazine filled with pictures of nude women.
It is the people with large amounts of money and high status who
have the power to manipulate and mold images of women as they wish.
The rest of society ignorantly accepts the images with which it is
provided.
Censorship is another issue that is discussed in this course.
Regarding pornographic materials, some believe that they should be
restricted or even banned in certain places or for certain
audiences (i.e., children). Others maintain that censoring
pornography infringes upon a person's right to freedom of
expression (for those who make it) as well as one's right to view
pornographic materials. As pornography is largely an issue which
affects women, there are many feminists who favor the censorship of
pornography, as well as those who object to it.
It is believed that the media have certain effects on how we
perceive specific groups in society. For example, the media are
often blamed for the corruption of youth. There is also the
question of whether or not viewing pornography influences people's
attitudes and behavior towards women. In other words, to what
extent do media images influence individuals? There are several
sociological theories which may be applied to viewing pornography,
such as the modeling theory and the meaning theory.
Under the "Images and Ideologies" section of the syllabus, a
section titled "Erotica vs. Pornography" could be added. This has
proven to be a great debate, as there are those who make the
distinction between erotica and pornography and those who do not
(porn is porn). Those who argue that there is a distinction point
out that erotica is compassionate, sensual love-making between two
consenting individuals. Pornography, on the other hand, tends to be
more aggressive and violent in nature. In addition, there is a
definite relationship of power and authority, with one person
taking on the superordinate role while the other assumes the
subordinate role.
Drawing the issue of pornography vs. erotica into popular culture,
many claim that pornography is more closely related to popular
culture than is erotica because pornography tends to lack
sophistication. It is considered low brow and low status. Erotica,
on the other hand, is regarded as expressive and arty, and because
it is often found to be acceptable to people of higher status, it
is less likely to be categorized under popular culture.
It is important for students to consider the pornography vs.
erotica debate and draw personal conclusions from it. Furthermore,
the debate demonstrates how different people can interpret the same
media image in various ways. The variety of interpretations of
sexually explicit materials contributes to the way in which people
shape their attitudes into being either supportive of pornography
or against pornography.
Finally, under the "Popular Music" section of the syllabus, one
could give some consideration to the nature of music videos. A
large portion of music videos contain various degrees of
pornographic elements and/or sexually explicit materials. Some
videos even show scenes which exhibit direct violence towards
women. In order to achieve a better understanding of the
relationship between pornography and music videos, you might ask
the students: "Based on the content of music videos, what kinds of
limits (in regards to the degree of sexual explicitness and
violence) do you think that MTV has set up as guidelines in
determining which videos will and will not be aired?" or "Can you
think of any music videos that you have seen recently that seemed
to be particularly sexually explicit or violent?" or "In videos
that do seem to be particularly sexually explicit or violent, do
the scenes fit in with the nature of the song, the singer/group, or
the song's lyrics?"
Suggested Readings for Students
Berger, Fred R. "Pornography, Sex, and Censorship." pp. 83-104 in
Pornography and Censorship. David Copp and Susan Wendell (eds.).
Buffalo, NY: Prometheus Books, 1983.
This essay discusses both sides of the censorship issue on
pornography.
Donnerstein, Edward and Daniel Linz. "Mass-Media Sexual Violence
and Male Viewers." pp. 198-215 in Changing Men. Michael S. Kimmel
(ed.). Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications, 1987.
An examination of the research on aggressive pornography,
nonpornographic media images of violence against women, and
nonviolent pornography. Based upon evidence from previous
research, Donnerstein and Linz find no "harm"-related effects
toward women in sexually explicit materials. However, the
evidence may support harmful effects from aggressive
materials.
Gracyk, Theodore A. "Pornography as Representation: Aesthetic
Considerations." pp. 117-134 in Pornography: Private Right or
Public Menace? Roben M. Baird and Stuart E. Rosenbaum (eds.).
Buffalo, NY: Prometheus Books, 1991.
Gracyk looks at pornography from an aesthetic perspective. He
suggests that those who feel that pornography is morally
objectionable because it degrades women focus more on finding
criteria for "the pornographic attitude" and less on the
proper
definition of "pornography." (Reference to the civil rights
law written by Andrea Dworkin and Catharine MacKinnon which
makes pornography actionable as sex discrimination.)
MacKinnon, Catharine. Feminism Unmodified: Discourses on Life and
Law. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1987, pp. 198-205.
MacKinnon expresses her opposition to pornography, maintaining
that it degrades women. She also speaks about the civil rights
law, which she wrote with Andrea Dworkin.
Miller, Richard. "Violent Pornography: Mimetic Nihilism and the
Eclipse of Differences." pp. 147-162 in For Adult Users Only: The
Dilemma of Violent Pornography. Susan Gubar and Joan Hoff (eds.).
Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana University Press, 1989.
The implications of violent pornography as a form of
entertainment and profit are discussed.
National Coalition Against Censorship. Meese Commission Exposed.
New York: National Coalition Against Censorship, 1986, pp. 42-44.
Betty Friedan believes that censoring pornography is
dangerous to the rights of men and women. Rather than
eliminating pornography, which may or may not end
violence against women and children, we should
concentrate on eliminating violence itself.
Winer, Lucy and Paula de Koenigsberg (dirs.). "Rate It X." New
York: Interama, 1986. - videotape
This video focuses on the creators of oppressive images,
as well as the moral and financial support which they
draw from consumers. Of course, it is difficult to
distinguish those images that display oppression towards
women from those which do not. For example, which is
considered more of a vehicle for the objectification of
women, a baker who specializes in bikini-clad female
torso cakes or a video-maker who roams the streets of New
York City accosting women and promising fame to those who
will disrobe for him? The film also demonstrates that
pornography and sexist imagery are created for the male
spectator and concern male fantasies of control. The use
of feminist intervention geared towards transforming
certain cultural ideologies about women is also shown.
Resources for Faculty
Hawkins, Gordon and Franklin E. Kinuing. Pornography in a Free
Society. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1988, pp. 20-73.
A good overview. Chapter two compares the variations in
the definitions of pornography, obscenity and erotica as
determined by the Johnson Commission, the Williams
Committee, and the Meese Commission. Chapter three
summarizes and analyzes the market and industry of
pornography, including how it is produced and
distributed. This information was gathered from reports
composed by the Johnson Commission and the Meese
Commission.
Kappela, Susanne. The Pornography of Representation. Minneapolis:
University of Minnesota Press, 1986, pp. 35-48.
A discussion of the concepts "pornography" and "erotica."
Are these concepts interchangeable, or is there a
distinct difference between them? Kappeler argues that
the two concepts overlap substantially. Erotica is simply
a moderate form of pornography.
Linz, Daniel, Edward Donnerstein and Steven Penrod. "The Effects of
Multiple Exposures to Filmed Violence against Women." Journal of
Communication, 34, 3: 1984, pp. 130-147.
In their study, Linz, Donnerstein, and Penrod found that
male subjects perceived films to be less violent after
the last day of five days of viewing as compared to the
first day of viewing. They also found a tendency for the
desensitization to the filmed violence against women to
"spill over" into subjects' judgements of a female victim
in another violent context.
Matacin, Maia L. and Jerry M. Burger. "A Content Analysis of Sexual
Themes in Playboy Cartoons." Sex Roles, 17, 3-4: 1987, pp. 179-186.
A content analysis of the cartoons from all 1985 issues
of Playboy found that women were more often the victims
of sexual coercion, depicted as sexually naive and
childlike, and shown with a more attractive body than
were the men in the cartoons.
Steinem, Gloria. "Erotica and Pornography: A Clear and Present
Difference." pp. 51-55 in Pornography: Private Right or Public
Menace? Robert M. Baird and Stuart E. Rosenbaum (eds.). Buffalo,
NY: Prometheus Books, 1991.
In this article originally published in Ms. magazine,
November 1978, Steinem explains the differences between
the concepts of "erotica" and "pornography."
Williams, Linda. Hard Core: Power, Pleasure, and the "Frenzy of the
Visible." Berkeley: University of California Press, 1989, pp. 120-
152.
This chapter discusses hard core pornography, exploring
the significance of its new, mainstream popularity and
appeal to general audiences: Much emphasis is placed upon
the iconography used in these films and their relation to
narrative.
Lesson Plans
The following section of this resource guide provides some specific
suggestions for incorporating issues on pornography into some of
the course topics pertaining to mass media and popular culture. The
appropriate readings are listed for students and faculty. A variety
of both discussion questions and exercises for classroom use are
also provided.
Mass Media of Communications:
>From Understanding Mass Communication, DeFleur & Dennis (1991):
1) Chapter 4 - "Magazines" - reference to Playboy as
"entertainment" at the bottom of page 127.
Relevant Sources:
Hawkins and Kimring (1988) - pp. 35-36
Matacin and Burger (1987)
-As Matacin and Burger suggest, women are often depicted as
childlike and sexually naive in Playboy cartoons. However,
some people argue that the magazine contains some decent and
informative articles. Have the students look through an issue
of Playboy magazine.* Is the overall content of Playboy
degrading or harmful to women? Why or why not?
* WARNING: Under the Civil-Rights Antipornography Ordinance,
any person who is forced to watch pornography at home, in a
place of work or education, or in public is having their civil
rights violated.
-Have the class do a content analysis of various pornographic
magazines.* Do the photographs in these magazines display any
violence? Are they sexually explicit? Collect several pages
(with photographs) from these magazines. Have several students
individually arrange the pages in order from "most
pornographic" to "least pornographic." Did students tend to
arrange them in a similar order or differently? What does this
indicate about pornography?
* WARNING: Under the Civil-Rights Antipornography Ordinance,
any person who is forced to watch pornography at home, in a
place of work or education, or in public is having their civil
rights violated.
2) Chapter 5 - "Films" - discussion of movie ratings and
censorship on pp. 167 - 170.
Relevant Sources:
Donnerstein and Linz (1987)
Hawkins and Kimring (1988) - pp. 32-35
Williams (1989)
-What are some of the differences between films containing
high levels of violence, films that are sexually explicit, and
hard core pornographic films? How are they similar?
-Discuss the common characteristics (music, props, types of
characters, etc.) that are often found in hard core
pornographic films.
3) Chapter 9 - "Economic Influences on the Media" - under "The
Media as Businesses" (The Movies), p. 278: ...When T.V. was
introduced, movie makers began to lose money. In order to try
to make more money, they "turned to showing more violence and
more explicit sex."
Relevant Sources:
Miller (1989)
-To what degree is pornography a large money-making industry?
-Do you think that pornography is produced more for profit or
for entertainment? Why do you think this?
4) Chapter 10 - "Political Controls on the Media" - under "Moral
Values: Obscenity and Pornography," pp. 301-303: Censorship.
Relevant Sources:
Berger (1983)
Gracyk (1991)
MacKinnon (1987)
National Coalition Against Censorship (1986)
Winer and de Koenigsberg (1986) - videotape
-Censoring and restricting pornography takes away from some
people's rights to freedom of expression (for those who
produce and distribute pornography) and freedom of choice (for
viewers of pornography). Are you or are you not in favor of
censoring pornography? For what reasons?
-What do you think about Dworkin's and MacKinnon's civil
rights law? Would it work? Would you be interested in seeing
it put into effect? Why or why not?
-According to Betty Friedan (National Coalition Against
Censorship), we should forget about eliminating pornography
and concentrate on addressing more important issues. Do you or
do you not agree with Friedan's view that pornography is not
one of the bigger issues at this time? Should we concentrate
on other issues instead?
-View and discuss the video, "Rate It X." According to the
film, how can we identify images of oppression towards women?
Are these images fairly simple to identify, or are these
images "hidden" in many places in society? Are women
unconscious of or unaware of many of these images? Why is this
the case, and what can be done to advise men and women of the
oppressive images existing in society?
5) Chapter 17 - "Media Influences on Individuals: Limited
Effects"
Relevant Sources:
Donnerstein and Linz (1987)
-Do the results presented by Donnerstein and Linz fit into the
Magic Bullet Theory (p. 524)? Why or why not?
-Why might the army film studies (pp. 536-539) be a better
comparison to Donnerstein's and Linz's research?
6) Chapter 18 - "Media Influences on Society and Culture:
Powerful Effects"
-Can the Modeling Theory (p. 568) and/or the Meaning Theory
(p. 573) be applied to the use of pornographic materials? If
so, how?
Images and Ideologies - The Market, Culture, and Counterculture:
1) An analysis of the erotica/pornography controversy.
Relevant Sources:
Gracyk (1991)
Kappler (1986)
Steinem (1991)
-After reading the articles, allow students to voice their
opinions, ask questions, etc.
-Have students try to come up with examples of both erotica
and pornography (if they see a difference).
-Are the differences in their examples found in the content of
the material or in the ways in which the material is
displayed?
-Pop singer Madonna believes that erotica can be distinguished
from pornography. In fact, she describes the photos in her
recently published book "Sex" as erotic rather than
pornographic. If it is possible for this book to be brought
into class, let the students flip through the book and make
their own judgment. You may wish to have the class compare the
contents of this book with the contents of various other
pornographic magazines. *
-The class could also analyze sex scenes in various films,
videos, primetime television programs, and soap operas. Which
seem more erotic? Which seem more pornographic? Can you
determine any difference at all? *
* WARNING: Under the Civil-Rights Antipornography Ordinance,
any person who is forced to watch pornography at home, in a
place of work or education, or in public is having their civil
rights violated.
Popular Music:
1) "Gender Roles in Popular Music Videos: MTV's "Top 100 of All
Time" - Joe Gow
-You may want to lead a general and informal discussion of the
content of music videos, perhaps asking the students about
some of the previously mentioned questions. Or, you may decide
to show some music videos in class to be analyzed by the
students by using survey data to measure each video's degree
of sexual explicitness and violence. You could, for example,
show the same music videos as those used by Gow in his
research.
-What about explicit song lyrics? Does this topic relate to
pornography? How?
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