In mainstream dominant US culture, we are taught that gender is binary, implying there are only two genders which are male and female. This binary is set up to teach us that male and female are opposite from each other and that being female is inferior to being male. Ideas about gender are ingrained in institutions such as schools, families, religions, and government. We also learn what it means to be female or male from the people we interact with such as our friends and colleagues. The oppression of females and idea that females are inferior to males is called sexism. This guide compares and contrasts magazine covers and advertisements targeted toward men and women and examines what these messages tell us about gender constructions.

Included in the Media Literacy Toolbox DVD-ROM.