OUGD401 | PRIMARY RESEARCH

I constructed this piece of research to see if people could tell the difference between a male or a female nipple. I put one image of a male (left) nipple and one image of a female (right) and asked people in the class to put a letter "M" or "F" underneath which they thought it was.

My research showed what I expected, that when it comes down to it, it is questionable on the sex of the person from their nipple. This proves that male nipples and female nipples aren't very different from each other. If males can walk around with their nipples out why can't females? 

This research links back to themes in my essay as it is ultimately due to the sexualisation that women have been subjected to in society, in that a normal nipple is rejected and shunned unless it's presence is wanted. e.g in pornographic material.

OUGD401 | RESEARCH | CAMPAIGNS

I began to research into some feminist campaigns that I felt I could gather some inspiration from. These were more general campaigns for gender equality.

This is an ad by the Guerrilla Girls which provides statistics about female artists. I have referenced this campaign in my own essay as I feel it conveys a very important message - that women are only appreciated for their naked form and not their artistic skill. The bright colours used for this ad work very well to grab attention, the entire style of the Guerrilla girls is very 'in your face' which I think is a big positive. 

 I did some research into the HeForShe campaign which was quite popular recently as Emma Watson had done some influential speeches for the cause. HeForShe is a solidarity movement for gender equality that brings together one half of humanity in support of the other half of humanity, for the benefit of all. In design terms, I feel the campaign has been designed brilliantly. Combining black with pink, a colour that has been stereotypically associated with females not only looks great but has a good concept. The main aim for the campaign is to persuade males to be more involved with feminism. I'm unsure how successful this is in terms of addressing actual issues men face in terms of sexism, but the way it has been designed is strong and I will be able to take a lot of inspiration from it for my own campaign when I begin designing. 

 These adverts had a very strong reception when they hit social media. They depict a woman with an auto complete bar from a search engine across their mouths, which is powerful as I believe this represents the silence some females across the globe face. The content in the search bar is shocking, and is designed to raise awareness for the problems women still face, politically, socially and economically. These adverts work as they are extremely powerful and shocking to some who may not be as aware of the gender inequalities that exist. The focus on just the women's faces is very unnerving and effective, and also the way this campaign has included women of all ethnicity.

OUGD401 | BODY OF WORK | CRIT

The practical side of this module is to design a body of work that links back to our essay effectively, and today we had a crit on this to explain our ideas and directions we would be taking this. 
Since I have chosen the Gender/advertising question for this module I must create some form of campaign or advertisement that will be relevant to my essay. Coming into the crit I only had a few ideas and it was quite useful to gather some other opinions from the rest of my group. Since my essay is about the sexualisation of females in our society, I wanted to create an ad/campaign that would communicate the message, and I mainly wanted to focus on breasts. 
After the crit I felt more clear and directed in the way I wanted to complete this body of work however I still hadn't decided firmly on a set idea.

OUGD401 | STUDY TASK 6 | HOW TO WRITE CORRECTLY

For this study task we must take at least 2 dissertations from upstairs in the library and observe the form, punctuation, grammar, tone-of-voice, referencing, vocabulary. In performing this task we will be able to explore different writing styles, and although each dissertation will not be perfect, it will be beneficial when writing our own piece.

I chose two dissertations that were relevant to my own Context of Practice essay; relating to gender.

The first was by Ceara Elliot, titled "The function of female representation in British World War One and Two propaganda" (2011/12). The introduction is immediately very clear, demonstrating use of declarative structures and modal verbs e.g "I will". This sets a formal discourse for the piece from the beginning. The introduction is separated into paragraphs describing what will be discussed in each chapter, showing organization.

Each chapter also begins with a selection of declarative sentences, sustaining the formal tone and organization. Throughout the dissertation the use of references are lengthy but seem essential in order to support findings. They seem to be referenced relatively well.

The grammar and punctuation used does successfully convey a formal discourse, as there are no use of contractions within the chapters which would demonstrate a conversational discourse, which could be interpreted as informal. In my opinion, a dissertation should possibly maintain a formal tone throughout. 

The second dissertation I picked out was by Claudia Griffin, titled "Can women's magazines, focusin on Cosmopolitan (UK edition), ever be considered feminist?" (2012/13) This dissertation caught my eye as it contains some similar themes to my own Context of Practice essay. 

The introduction is interesting and challenges the subjectivity of feminism, suggesting that there could be different types of feminism as apparently it does not have an objective meaning. I am unsure if I agree with what is said in the introduction, but using different points of views and opinions is a successful method to draw a reader in. Again, like the first piece I explored, there are clear use of declaratives which establish the correct formal tone.

The referencing is short and to the point throughout the dissertation. It stays relevant to the subject whilst not being too long, as perhaps the first piece was. Each reference seems to be labelled correctly and supports her evidence and findings. It adds depth to the piece.

The three things I have learned from observing other dissertations is to always use a formal discourse, as this is something that can sometimes accidentally slip. It is important that the dissertation remains in a formal tone, in order to be consistent. I have also learned that the introduction is a vital part of the dissertation. It is extremely important to structure it correctly and introduce different sentence structures to convey a 'matter-of-fact' tone of voice. I have finally learned that research plays a huge role in the quality of a written piece, without any material to back up your findings, it could be said to make the entire piece weak. A strong dissertation is filled with references and research that can successfully support your own words.