third documentary

Study Confirms What We Already Knew Men and Women Aren't All That Different

http://www.filmsforaction.org/watch/study-confirms-what-we-already-knew-men-and-women-arent-all-that-different/

What is the social issue being focused on in this documentary?

The documentary focuses on whether men and women are different from one another, The researchers, Harry Reis, a professor of psychology at University of Rochester, and Bobbi Carothers, senior data analyst for the Center for Public Health System Science at Washington University in St. Louis, concluded that characteristics that we traditionally associate with one sex or the other actually exist on a continuum. He said  ‘although gender differences on average are not under dispute, the idea of consistently and inflexibly gender typed individuals is," they wrote. "That is, there are not two distinct genders, but instead there are linear gradations of variables associated with sex, such as masculinity or intimacy, all of which are continuous." In addition the documentary just discusses that men and women are the same they just have different characteristic like every person. And that we state that both genders are different which influences our lives for example who gets a job interview for a sports coach, initially if their were two people interviewing for the job, one a man and the other a women we would probably hirer the man because men are idolized as being strong where as women are considered soft and warm characters.

Summaries what happens in the beginning, middle and end of this documentary?

Throughout the documentary it has a researcher discussing how we think of women and men to be different just because of their sex. He then goes on to discussing how we see each gender men to be strong and sturdy where as women to be empathic and warm. Towards the middle of the documentary he goes on to saying that it doesn’t matter what gender you are, it simply depends on who you are as a person and how you have been brought up. And the end of the documentary it goes on to settling the issue and stating that we are all the same with just some differences, and that we shouldn’t treat each other differently simply on our sex.

What type of documentary is this? Conventions used?

The documentary that I looked at was a video diary; the documentary contains the subject talking directly to the camera about the social issue. The scientist talked directly to the camera discussing how the society visualises men and women and how that has an influence on our society and how each gender sees and acts to things. Also the documentary provided a personalised view of life and how the society sees the subject matter. For example when the scientist was discussing that he thinks that men and women are the much the same, and that it has been proven by science.

There aren’t many conventions that are used in this documentary, but there are a few. A convention that is used in this documentary is opinions, opinions was used when the man stating whether he thought we were different, he replied with saying that he believes that we are all the same with just a few differences, he feels as if we shouldn’t be treat each other differently because of our genders.

What techniques are used to maintain the audience attention?

There aren’t any techniques used in the documentary, to maintain the audience attention. However there are other ways that the documentary has maintained the audience attention. One way which this has been done is through the … making clear points, and doesn’t drag his points along or gets side-tracked. For example when the researcher talks about how studies have shown that men and women are different in ways. He then goes on to explaining in what ways studies have shown genders to be different. There he has given a clear point he makes it clear what his point is which is how the audience attention is kept.

Another way that the audience attention is maintained is also by the researchers giving us clear answers and facts. For example 

In one last way the audience attention is maintained is through cuts, the documentary uses cuts after every point made by the researcher. This helps to maintain the audience attention because it separates the point being made so it’s just not a continuous string of points. In a way the cuts are a way of giving the audience a breather from the last point being made.

What is the purpose of this documentary?

The purpose of this documentary was to raise awareness, to tell us the audience that were aren’t so different than we think. Just because we are different genders doesn’t mean we drastically think different. And that we shouldn’t treats each other differently because of what society has influenced us to believe, also that a person gender shouldn’t influence who gets let’s say a job.

Who is the target audience? Age/ gender/ interest/location/language

The target audience that this documentary target is mainstream. I think mainstream because I think the topic is a subject that concerns everyone. I think because gender has a big influence on our society and how certain sexes are treated, for example who gets a job. I think this affects everyone and people of the same interest would be targeted to this documentary.

I think that this documentary would target both genders, because the documentary talks about both genders, and is trying to send the message out to both genders that we aren’t so different but there are some things that set us aside. I think that both men and women would want to see how society pictures them and how that influences our way of living, our emotions and relationships.

The age of the target audience that I think this documentary target is, a young audience. I think people between the ages of 16- onwards. I think that this documentary would target an audience starting from this age and onwards is because this is a social issue which affects everyone of different ages. For example when the researcher starts to talk about how women and men are perceived such as women are perceive as kind and caring whether as men are looked at as strong. I think at this starting age teenagers are out under a lot of pressure to act a certain way because of their gender. Also most teenagers struggle with their identity in terms of who they are and what society distinguishes them to be, this is how I think they are also being targeted.

The interest of the audience how I think would be attracted to this documentary is those who have an interest in investigative documentaries, society, social issues etc. I think that people of this interest would be targeted through this documentary as it explores just these things. The documentary looks how society sees us and the how it affects our way of living and how we treat some people, which is again how an audience of these interest are being targeted.

In addition the location, nationality and language of the audience isn’t relevant in who is targeted to this documentary as the documentary focuses mainly on gender so I think people of all and different nationality, in different location and speak different language would be targeted.  However I do think this simply because the documentary is in the English language so I think it would target those of that language more. 

How is the audience encouraged to participate in creating change?

There aren’t many ways that the audience is being encouraged to participate in creating change.  But I think that because in the documentary that it has been scientifically proven that both genders are very similar it does encourage you to rethink about how you perceive the opposite gender perhaps.