Influence of Cinema on Gender Role Construction in Childhood: An ethnographic research

Abstract

Introduction. Cinema can be viewed as a cultural mirror that can either perpetuate or challenge the gender roles assumed. Gender roles in film characters seem to have been reduced in cinema, however, they persist both in films and in the collective imagination. The methodology used is compressed-time ethnography in the 6th Year of a Primary Education school, whose aim is to find a potential influence of cinema on gender role construction. The results highlight the presence of cinema and other audiovisual resources in school that are rarely used to address the gender roles displayed. However, students do not reproduce these gender roles in their daily lives but they integrate them into activities related to films. About the discussion, it emphasizes the need for research in this field alongside with training programs for both teachers and students in order to chase a more inclusive education.