Gaze

Gaze Definition

The gaze refers to the inherent viewpoint or perspective embedded within specific cultural products, such as films or experiences, which carries underlying assumptions about how the world is seen. While it is often applied to media where creators hold primary responsibility for content, the concept extends to complex, uncontrollable experiences like tourism. The term has evolved beyond its initial application in film criticism to encompass various ways of viewing the world, including concepts such as the ‘tourist gaze’.

Origins and Theory

The theoretical foundation for understanding the gaze emerged from film studies in the 1970s. The concept was formally introduced through the article, ‘Visual pleasure and narrative cinema’ (Mulvey, 1975), published in the journal Screen. Mulvey argued that because most cinematic productions were made by men, the dominant mode of the film’s gaze tended to objectify women by presenting them in a voyeuristic and stereotypical manner from the perspective of the male spectator.

Evolution of the Concept

The initial focus on the male spectator’s view led to subsequent theoretical developments. The term has since been adapted to explore different perspectives, notably leading to the concept of the ‘female gaze’, which examines how women position themselves within visual culture.