Army Strong Women

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Collected on: (5/2/09)

Can be found at: http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2008/04/04/business/20080404_RECRUIT_Slideshow_10.html

This is a recruitment ad for the marines. It relates to women's studies because of the fact that it targets women, and the interesting strategies it uses to do so. It relates to women in the military and gender socialization, which relates it to women's studies. It depicts a very masculine woman, she is in command and in a powerful pose. She looks fierce and strong and exhibits very masculine traits. It gives an example of a woman who is masculine yet not manly. This relates it to gender socialization because it gives a very different message about how women should be. It gives women an example of how to be strong, seeing what a strong woman looks like will help women to be strong themselves. It also sends the message that it is ok and desirable to be a strong woman today. It gives an example of a strong woman that other women can look up to. It also relates to gender socialization because it shows a powerful aggressive woman in a positive light which is rare and deviant from the norm; it is refreshing.

The ad relates to women in the military because it is a tool to recruit women to the military. It also relates because it shows a woman in a combat and command position in the military. It shows a woman doing the exact same thing men do in the military which relates to women in the military because it is a common misconception that women in the military aren't allowed on the front lines or in active combat.

This ad reflects a step forward for women because they are being recognized as able to be strong and do a "man's job". It is a step forward because women have a strong woman to look at and they can use this as a role model, positive gender socialization. It is a step forward because it shows a woman leading men in the military which previously was thought of as outlandish. Finally, it is a step forward because it shows a woman in a combat position where as women in the military were traditionally nurses and other non combat jobs. All of these are reasons this ad relates to women's studies as well as steps forward.