Male & Female Representation

Female Representation

• Gossip - This is used a lot in Soap Operas, and it's a useful way for the audience to gain information. Gossipping is stereotypical used by women, as men tend to discuss rather than gossip. The gossip is usually used by a certain type of character in each soaps, such as Audrey and Gail in Coronation Street, and Kim Fox in Eastenders.

• Awarded for their Independence - Women are awarded for their Independence through management roles in some of the main settings such as pubs, factories etc. A few examples of this are Carla from Coronation Street who owns the factory, or Peggy Mitchell in Eastenders and Chas in Emmerdale who both have ran pubs at some point.

• Sexuality - People assume that sexuality difficulties or problems only happen to the young characters, but this is false. Tanya Branning from Eastenders did not tell her husband, Max, about her Cancer because she was worried about the effects the disease would have on their relationship. A similar story also affected Peggy Mitchell in Eastenders. A different scenario was used in Coronation Street, as Eileen Grimshaw had an affair with Paul, who's wife was suffering from the disease Alzheimer's.

• Power - Women are also given a lot of power in Soap Operas, whether it be through their relationship or any other factors. Two examples of this could be Kat Slater in Eastenders who is in control of her relationship with Alfie, and Kirsty in Coronation Street who physically attacks her boyfriend Tyrone. This shows that women have been given more power in soaps, which is know the case in reality as well.

Male Representation

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  Fulfil a Secondary Role - Men in soap operas often fulfil a secondary role in the family unit. A few examples of this are the Masood, where Masood takes a secondary role, and does everything that Zaneb tells him to do, which is also similar in the other Eastenders couple Kat and Alfie.

• Demonised - Soaps contain many powerful characters, and a simple example of this is Ian Beale from Eastenders. However, the characters do struggle to be make friends and be included in the community. Derek Branning from Eastenders is another example of this, as he is very powerful with his money and gangster like style, but he is not friends with many people within the community. 

• Feminity - Many characters in soaps have this trait, and if they have this they tend to suit better in the community. An example of this could again be Ian Beale, as he was engaged to Mandy, but she ran out on him leading him to go into a breakdown, and then being isolated by his family, which ended up him giving away his business to his daughter.