Muted Group Theory - Gate Keepers

Gate Keepers

“Gatekeepers are editors and other arbiters of a culture who determine which books, essays, poetry, plays, film scripts, etc. will appear in the mass media.” According to Kramarae, women were locked out of the publishing business until 1970. Women lacked influence on mass media and were not often found properly represented in history. Men being the gatekeepers were able to use the media to their advantage all while muting females (p. 457). Kramerae gives an example of gatekeeping when she married her husband. In Ohio during the time of her marriage, a woman had to take the last name of her husband by law. Cheris was now Cheris Rae Kramer. When the law changed, she decided to change her name to Kramerae, a combination of the two. She wanted the option to decide whether or not she could change her name but was muted for quite some time.