Everyone's life is affected by gender construction. This is the belief that knowledge is determined by society, and in turn knowledge is formed by the individuals that belong to the society. When an individual thinks of doctors, lawyers, engineers, or managers they usually picture males; while nurses, teachers, and housewives are most often portrayed as female professions in our society. This is a social constructionist thought on what role a male or a female should play in today's society. These may not be the professions of choice for the individuals, but rather what the individual believes is socially acceptable. People begin to learn what is right and wrong from the earliest of ages. The media contributes to gender construction, as women and men are almost always portrayed in a stereotypical manner. By examining the way the media is presented, one can see the impact of gender construction through out society.
The impact that media can apply varies from society to society; this is because each society obliges to a different social construction. In European countries nudity can be shown on television and is perfectly acceptable. For example, in France it is not uncommon for someone to pass by a billboard and see an advertisement with a naked woman on it and find it perfectly acceptable. In this community the openness towards sexuality is not only acceptable, but is the standard set by the society. In the United States however, displaying sexuality is not acceptable. The American society believes that displaying sexually explicit content influences the viewers into performing "sinful" acts. These acts include anything from using foul language to premarital sex. By comparing the views of these two cultures it is easy to see how knowledge in one society may not be considered knowledge in another society. Each society believes their views are the most acceptable views, because each society is based on a different social construction.