Content Analysis of Gender Roles in Media: Where Are We Now and Where Should We Go?

Abstract

This paper provides a commentary regarding the quantitative content analyses of gender roles in media published in the two special issues of Sex Roles (Rudy et al. 2010a(Rudy et al. , 2011. A few themes and some overarching lessons emerge from the wide variety of data presented. First, it is clear that women are under-represented across a range of media and settings. Second, when women are portrayed, it is often in a circumscribed and negative manner. Women are often sexualized-typically by showing them in scanty or provocative clothing. Women are also subordinated in various ways, as indicated by their facial expressions, body positions, and other factors. Finally, they are shown in traditionally feminine (i.e., stereotyped) roles. Women are portrayed as nonprofessionals, homemakers, wives or parents, and sexual gatekeepers. Although the studies generally support these conclusions, some interesting moderating factors are identified, such as race. It is suggested that next steps involve the development of theory and a body of empirical evidence regarding the effects of exposure to under-representation of women. Data concerning the effects of exposure to sexualized or stereotypical portrayals on young audiences is also lacking. Finally, content analyses of new media, including those created and distributed by users, are recommended as a next step. It is concluded that, while increasing the representation of women in media may be valuable, it is also critical that the manner in which they are portrayed be simultaneously considered to avoid increasing negative or stereotypical depictions that may be particularly harmful to viewers.

Representation of Gender in South African Television Advertising: A Content Analysis

“…Similar to those findings relating to location or setting, existing research reveals that adult females are more frequently represented with children than adult males (Furnham and Mak 1999;Furnham and Paltzer 2010). This serves to reinforce their stereotypical representation as primary caregivers (Collins 2011) and men's absence from the domestic arena. H5: Males will be associated significantly more frequently with masculine products such as vehicles, and less frequently with feminine products such as domestic goods, than females.…”

“…The variable of 'portrayal' was considered a useful coding category in assessing overall evaluative representations of male and female primary visual actors. Collins (2011) supports examining positive portrayals of females in particular. Yet it is noted that defining positive (and negative) portrayal is a difficult task.…”

“…These are largely informed by existing research and assume "(t)he worth of characters… is symbolically commu-nicated by their absence or abundance on screen and by the quality of their portrayals" (Lauzen and Dozier 2005, p. 438). We are therefore interested in both whether males and females are represented as well as how (Collins 2011).…”

“…The consistency of this finding is especially interesting given that female participation in formal employment and the number of commercial television channels aimed at this audience has generally increased over time. Advertising targeted at females appears not to have kept pace with these changes (Collins 2011).…”

Stories can influence the self-concept

“…If stories can shape how recipients think and feel about themselves, stories with protagonists showing a traditional gender role might influence the postexposure feminine gender role self-concept (Bem, 1974). Plenty of the evidence available from content-analytic research points at the prevalence of traditional gender roles of women and men depicted in the mass media (Collins, 2011). Not only television programs and feature films (e.g., Emons, Wester, & Scheepers, 2010;Finger, Unz, & Schwab, 2010) but also best-selling novels have been described as portraying traditional gender roles (cf.…”