Theoretical discourse often considers the significant gender differences that continue to persist in modern societies. This is the focus of the feminist perspective, which examines the social roles of both men and women in order to better understand the social processes that perpetuate gender inequalities. This is often considered a modern sociological perspective, but feminist theorists come from a wide range of academic fields. For example, feminist theorists from the humanities might research the disparate representation of the genders in film, literature, and visual arts. In fact, the research of these different disciplines has been paramount in the development of the feminist perspective. It has been noted, for example, that studies of classical literature show an overrepresentation of men and underrepresentation of women, as well as male-gendered language. This extends to academic writing, including the traditional sociological research, in which women were long invisible; social processes were studied from the perspective of men. This is problematic because it serves to reinforce and reproduce the same patterns described in the research.
Much modern research centers on the role of mass media in the objectification of women and its consequences, such as sexual assault. The concept of sexual objectification refers to the treatment of people as objects to be used for sexual pleasure. Feminist theorists contend that the mass media contributes to the expectation that females are "sex objects" rather than individuals with complex personalities that are the result of personal experiences. This continued exposure is thought to cause desensitization, which suggests serious implications for the subsequent gendered experiences. For example, researchers found that men exposed to a film containing scenes of extreme violence against women for five days reported that the violence caused less negative emotions, such as depression, as time progressed. Furthermore, post-exposure, the men were less able to relate to the women in the film and considered their injuries to be less significant.
The passage suggests that exposure to violence is a possible source of which of the following?
A. Anxiety disorders
B. Dissociative disorders
C. Mood disorders
D. Neurocognitive disorders
