Modeling Work

Abstract

How do adolescent girls envision the world of work and their potential place in it? This article considers teen magazines as a possible source for girls' perceptions about the work world, including their own career futures. The author explores the occupational landscape embedded within Seventeen magazine in 1992 in both quantitative and qualitative terms. The labor market in Seventeen-land is heavily skewed toward professional occupations, particularly in the entertainment industry. A close reading of the text reveals four primary messages about the world of work: Entertainment careers are a viable and prestigious option, men are the norm as workers, men hold the power, and fashion modeling is the pinnacle of "women's work." The author argues that Seventeen may be promulgating a distinct set of what Collins called "controlling images" directed at predominantly white girls. The findings suggest gender researchers should attend to the connection between the mass media and girl culture. They also underscore the importance of teaching media literacy.

A Content Analysis of Women's Career Choices in Film

“…Magazines, such as Seventeen, were identified as part of the "common culture" of adolescents, suggesting that the magazine not only dictates how the girls should look (body image) but also "what women should not do, be or think" (Massoni, 2004, p. 49). Massoni's (2004) research resulted in helping to identify that the printed media can dictate career choices in a manner which has not been fully examined. She found that "controlling images" such as "the Cinderellas, Barbies, and Girl Fridays" are permeating the pages of Seventeen (Massoni, 2004, p. 63).…”

“…However, the researchers did emphasize that strides have been made, including recognizing the complexity of women's career paths and that their paths are different from men. Massoni (2004) addressed the lack of research concerning the implications of media images on career aspirations of young girls. The researcher indicated that although there has been a significant amount of study concerning the impact of media images on the body image of young women, there is a gap in the literature concerning the effect those same images have on the career choices of the girls.…”