'Cheese Makers Are Always Women': Gendered representations of farm life in the agricultural press

Abstract

Drawing upon the "Farmlife" pages of Farmers" Weekly, the most significant farming publication in the UK, this paper assesses the ways in which gender identities in farming are represented by its text and images. Lead articles from 1976 and 1996 issues of Farmlife are taken as the research focus to determine how representations have altered in line with restructuring of the agricultural industry. Reference is made to Connell"s (1987) notions of hegemonic masculinity and emphasised femininity to inform the analysis about the ways in which these gender identities are (re)produced through the British farming media. A simple typology is derived from the articles which assists in revealing a remarkable degree of consistency in the portrayal of gender identities over time. The findings augment evidence from international research suggesting that dominant gender identities within agriculture are being perpetuated through the farming media. The implications of this are highlighted and suggestions made for research with the consumers of these media products.