Changes in the Stereotypical Portrayal of Men and Women in British Television Advertisements

Abstract

This study examines the way in which men and women are portrayed in British television advertisements, and these findings are compared with those of studies carried out in Britain over the past 25 years. A total of 162 television advertisements were analyzed by two white adults, one female, one male, in order to obtain reliable results. The attributes of the central figures in each of the advertisements were classified into 11 categories: gender, mode of presentation, credibility basis, role, location, age, argument, reward type, product type, background, and end comment. Advertisements aimed directly at men or women were then analyzed, according to the sex of the central figure and the sex of the consumer the advertisement is aimed at. Thereafter, advertisements that did not follow the sex-role stereotype were also analyzed. The study found that while differences between the portrayal of men and women have been reduced in some categories, in others the stereotypical portrayal has changed in both sexes. The findings are related to data from another cross-cultural European study using identical methodology.

Representación de mujeres y hombres en las noticias de la prensa nacional española

“…Además de ser mucho menos común la presencia de mujeres que de hombres, se ha encontrado que es más probable que los personajes femeninos presentados en los medios sean más jóvenes que los masculinos (Furnham y Skae, 1997;Ganahl, Prensen y Netzley, 2003;Kim Lowry, 2005;Uray y Burnaz, 2003;Valls-Fernández y Martínez-Vicente, 2007); que se valore en mayor medida su apariencia física (Malkin, Wornian y Chrisles, 1999); y que se les trate con mayor frecuencia como objetos sexuales (Bogt, Engels, Bogers y Kloosterman, 2010;Coltrane y Adams, 1997;Millar y Grant, 2006;Wallis, 2011).…”

Co-Constructions of Gender and Ethnicity in New Zealand Television Advertising

“…For example, in their cross-cultural comparative study, Paek, Nelson and Vilela (2011) found that in US and Canadian advertisements men were significantly more likely than women to be depicted as professionals and office workers, while nearly all those depicted as homemakers were women. However, some recent studies point to signs of change and suggest advertisements now depict women in association with a wider range of product types and in a greater diversity of occupational roles, with more being shown in positions of authority (Bartsch et al, 2000;Furnham & Skae, 1997).…”

Género y publicidad en la prensa diaria

“…Existen múltiples estudios, de diversos países, que evidencian diferencias en la forma en que se representan a mujeres y hombres en la publicidad de la televisión. En su mayoría, las distinciones se corresponden con los roles y estereotipos de género tradicionales (Arima, 2003;Furnham y Skae, 1997;Furnham y Mark, 1999;Ganahl, Prensen y Netzley, 2003;Gilly, 1988;Kim y Lowry, 2005;Neto y Pinto, 1998;Tan, Ling y Theng, 2002;Uray y Burnaz, 2003;Valls-Fernández y Martínez-Vicente, 2007). También se ha encontrado en la publicidad de otros medios de comunicación tales como la radio y la prensa que prevalecen los estereotipos y el trato diferenciado de mujeres y hombres (Furnham y Thompson, 1999 Se ha encontrado que en la publicidad es más común que los personajes femeninos presentados sean más jóvenes que los masculinos (Furnham y Skae, 1997;Kim y Lowry, 2005;Uray y Burnaz, 2003;Valls-Fernández y Martínez-Vicente, 2007), presentando con mucha frecuencia a las mujeres como desempleadas o con empleos considerados tradicionalmente como femeninos Furnham y Bitar, 1993;Ganahl et al, 2003;Kim y Lowry, 2005), se valora en ocosmayor medida su apariencia física y se les trata con mayor frecuencia como objetos sexuales (Coltrane y Messineo, 2000;Signorielli, McLeod y Healy, 1994).…”