Stereotyping of Women in Television Advertisements
STEREOTYPING OF WOMEN IN TELEVISION ADVERTISEMENTS
A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana Sate University and Agricultural and Mechanical College In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Mass Communication in The Manship School of Mass Communication
By Vaishali Shrikhande B’Com., University of Pune, India, 1998 M.C. M.S., Mass Communication, University of Pune, India, 2000 August, 2003
Table of Contents PAGE ABSTRACT…………………………………………………………………..iii CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………1 II. III. IV. V. LITERATURE REVIEW…………………………………………..6 METHOD………..………………………………………………..19 RESULTS…………………..……………………………………..25 DISCUSSION……………………………………………………..46
REFERENCES………………………………………………………………..51 APPENDIX A: CODING BIBLE..…………………………………………...54 APPENDIX B: CODING SHEET…………………..………………………...58 VITA.………………………………………………………………………….59
ii
Abstract
This study examined the portrayal of women in television commercials and documented the stereotypes associated with women in today’s television commercials. Content analysis was chosen as a method of inquiry for this study. Two hundred and twenty six advertisements were recorded from the three chosen networks, ABC, CBS and NBC. No local advertisements or public service announcements were included in the sample. Each advertisement was initially coded for the central figure, whether the central figure was a male or a female. In addition, each central figure in the advertisement was coded for the following categories: 1) age; 2) product use; 3) occupation; 4) voiceover; 5) product representative; 6) stance; and 7) product types. Analysis was performed to determine the extent to which female characters portrayed in these advertisements were subject to stereotypical portrayals. The analysis of the data gathered reveals that portrayals of women in television advertisements in many ways conform to most advertising’s stereotypical portrayals of women (as documented by previous
A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana Sate University and Agricultural and Mechanical College In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Mass Communication in The Manship School of Mass Communication
By Vaishali Shrikhande B’Com., University of Pune, India, 1998 M.C. M.S., Mass Communication, University of Pune, India, 2000 August, 2003
Table of Contents PAGE ABSTRACT…………………………………………………………………..iii CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………1 II. III. IV. V. LITERATURE REVIEW…………………………………………..6 METHOD………..………………………………………………..19 RESULTS…………………..……………………………………..25 DISCUSSION……………………………………………………..46
REFERENCES………………………………………………………………..51 APPENDIX A: CODING BIBLE..…………………………………………...54 APPENDIX B: CODING SHEET…………………..………………………...58 VITA.………………………………………………………………………….59
ii
Abstract
This study examined the portrayal of women in television commercials and documented the stereotypes associated with women in today’s television commercials. Content analysis was chosen as a method of inquiry for this study. Two hundred and twenty six advertisements were recorded from the three chosen networks, ABC, CBS and NBC. No local advertisements or public service announcements were included in the sample. Each advertisement was initially coded for the central figure, whether the central figure was a male or a female. In addition, each central figure in the advertisement was coded for the following categories: 1) age; 2) product use; 3) occupation; 4) voiceover; 5) product representative; 6) stance; and 7) product types. Analysis was performed to determine the extent to which female characters portrayed in these advertisements were subject to stereotypical portrayals. The analysis of the data gathered reveals that portrayals of women in television advertisements in many ways conform to most advertising’s stereotypical portrayals of women (as documented by previous