Angela McRobbie's Gender Theory

 There are many theories in regards to representation of different genders. One theory is one developed by Angela McRobbie. She believes that we often convince into believing how we should act as a male or female through the influence of the media. We as an audience often feel like we should act similarly to those that e see in the media and they act as theoretical models. For example, if we were to see a man dominate a woman in a physical  manner, men would subconsciously be influence and imitate what they have seen.

Furthermore to this theory, she believes that men are represented as masculine, physically superior and more powerful. Men in media products are shown as fit, muscly and are presented as "the muscles" and McRobbie believes that because many males are represented in this way, it has allowed society to develop the idea that all men are better in any situation and that females are inferior to men. This may suggest why people typically stereotype males as the ones who work harder and earn the money for families.
Of course if men arisen and represented as superior, then theory also suggest that woman woman are weaker and submissive. In term of occupations, it is a  common assumption that women do not have "valuable" jobs, and often have the role as mothers, carers and any other role that requires looking after others. Not only are woman seen as physically weaker but also emotionally. In many dilemmas presented in the media, men are shown as more mentally stale and women are seen as the one who often struggle to stay strong and deal with problems without showing that it has affected them. Therefore, linking back to the first point made, women often show their emotions more in real life and are more likely to express their feeling.

Although in some cases this is seen as a native thing, McRobbie does believe that one thing women are shown as powerful in is sexual situations. Other theories suggest that women being sexually empowered represents them a "whore", however this theory proposes that being sexual active connotes power and control of their own bodies and that they are more dominant than men in that subject. This may contrast with the idea that women are more emotional, and by suggesting that women can be powerful in their sexual roles, it can show the audience that they can take control of their emotions and not feel connected to just one sexual partner, and can discard their sexual encounters for new ones.

 These stereotypes may be so common in documentaries because of the way society used to work in the past. During the world war, men were the ones who went out to fight in combat, an the women at the time took care of their families and cared for the injured. Documentaries were existent during that time, thus documentaries presented this as it was reality. Although ideas have changed since then, and now women are more powerful now, the old ideologies may have stuck in documentaries as it is just how it is has always been. Since most documentaries contain this idea, audiences have come accustomed to this and perhaps changing this would seem odd and would disrupt the flow of the documentary, hence why audiences enjoy this so much.

(The Suffragettes are popular example of women who challenge this idea)