Media's Role in Shaping Gender Norms and Perceptions: A Conceptual Review

Abstract

Abstract

This study examines the role of media in shaping gender norms and perceptions, with particular attention to how media representations construct, reinforce, negotiate, and potentially transform understandings of masculinity and femininity. The study adopts a qualitative secondary-data approach, drawing on existing scholarly literature, empirical studies, theoretical perspectives, and documented evidence on gender representation across social media, with particular consideration of the Nigerian media context. The study argues that media should not be understood as a passive reflection of existing social realities but as an active cultural institution that participates in the construction and circulation of gender meanings. The reviewed evidence indicates that women continue to be disproportionately represented through appearance, domesticity, caregiving, emotionality, and subordinate roles, while men are frequently associated with authority, economic success, independence, dominance, and emotional restraint. Such recurring representations can normalise restrictive gender expectations through processes of observational learning and cumulative media exposure. In the Nigerian context, existing evidence suggests that gendered patterns identified in international scholarship are also evident in Nollywood and other media forms, although audiences interpret these representations through culturally specific frameworks. The study concludes that media remains a significant force in shaping gender perceptions, but its influence can also be mobilised for social transformation. Achieving more equitable gender perceptions therefore requires media representations that move beyond visibility towards diverse, meaningful, and non-stereotypical portrayals of women and men.