Sex role stereotyping in the Sunday comics

Pornographic comics: A content analysis

“…Such depictions are incongruent with the general sexual climate and beliefs of the 1930's and 1940's; in fact, aggressive female sexuality appears to have only recently been generally recognized, along with female rights, in this culture. This finding from porno-comics is different from the findings of Brabant (1976), Kramer (1974) and Levinson (1975) in that females, rather than being found to be passive, are shown as very active in sexual behavior and, in some cases, as the aggressors and sexual conquerors. A current of male sexism, however, runs through the eight pagers in that they portray females interested in "rough," as opposed to sensual, sexual behavior and in that 22 units depicted females as prostitutes but none displayed men in that role.…”

“…Numerous writings have been devoted to the history, content, style, reflections, and insights in various comicographic serials. (See, for example, Barshay, 1974;Berger, 1971Berger, , 1973Brabant, 1976;Brown, 1969;Daniels, 1971;Faust, 1971;Gilmore, 1971;Hamaker, 1975;Kasen, 1979;Kramer, 1974;Levinson, 1975;Mira, 1971;Palmer, 1977;Pekar, 1970;Reitberger & Fuchs, 1970;Spiegelman, Terwilliger, & Fearing, 1953;Steinern, Chesler, & Feitler, 1972;Woll, 1976;and Young, 1969). Speaking of the more recent attention given comic books, Daniels (1971) states:…”

“…Kasen (1979) has recently utilized comic strips to study social mobility and the shift to middle-class living in the United States. Brown (1969) has posited that comic strip heroes may serve as vehicles of projection of fears and racial oppression while Brabant (1976), Kramer (1974), and Levinson (1975) have shown that sex role stereotypes are perpetuated through printed and televised cartoons, usually with females being portrayed as passive and domesticated. Comic books, then, may be said to portray and reflect numerous psychological, cultural, and historical societal conditions.…”

Gender and Form of Cereal Box Characters: Different Medium, Same Disparity

“…Women and girls have also been found to be underrepresented in comic strips, where characters' activities and behaviors are frequently gender stereotypical (Brabant and Mooney 1997;Glascock and Preston-Schreck 2004). Female characters appeared less often than male characters, and female characters were more likely to be pictured engaging in home or child care.…”

The Changing Culture of Fatherhood in Comic‐Strip Families: A Six‐Decade Analysis

“…Also, because comics have been around for more than a century (Inge, 1979, 1990), they lend themselves to the investigation of long‐term cultural trends (Harrison, 1981; Kasen, 1979, 1980). Given how often they revolve around domestic situations, they have proven an especially valuable index of family ideologies and gender stereotypes (e.g., see Brabant, 1976; Brabant & Mooney, 1986, 1997).…”