Tween girls' perception of gender roles and gender identities: a qualitative study

Abstract

Purpose -The present study aims to examine girls' perception of gender roles and gender identities in Hong Kong.Design/methodology/approach -A total of 16 girls aged 10 to 12 were asked to take pictures from the media that could illustrate ''what girls or women should or should not be; and what girls or women should or should not do''. Qualitative interviews were conducted.Findings -Analysis of interviews and images captured found that tween girls' perceived gender roles for females were based on a mixture of traditional and contemporary role models. Girls in Hong Kong demonstrated conservatism in sexuality. Sexy outlook and pre-marital sexual relations were considered inappropriate. Tween girls showed concern about global as well as domestic social agendas. They used a variety of media and showed interest in contents primarily for adults.Research limitations/implications -The study was based on a convenience sample. The interviewees came from middle to lower income families, limiting the validity for generalization. Further quantitative study is needed to establish benchmarks.Practical implications -This study will help in understanding the kinds of media images that attract the attention of female tweens and what those images mean to them. The study can serve as a guideline for marketing communication aimed at this target group, particularly for skincare, beauty, and cosmetic marketers.Originality/value -The first novel idea that is being used in this research is the combination of visual method and the application of qualitative methodology to the study of media effects. The second novel idea is the use of interviewees as data-collectors. The methodology enables contextually relevant questions and to understand the meaning of the images captured.

Interpretation of female images in advertising among Chinese adolescents

“…It is the internalized societal pressure of gender conformity that causes an adolescent to form his or her beliefs or behaviors to fit in with or be accepted by religion, society, or culture (Bem, 1981). For example, pre-adolescent girls reported that girls should not behave like boys (Chan et al, 2011). They categorized themselves as the girl group and rejected having characteristics of the boy group.…”

“…It interacts with attributes of self-perception and gender stereotypes on gender identity (e.g., I am gentle and girls are gentle, so I am a girl). When girls who perceive themselves as brave were asked to select images in the media, they preferred media celebrities who dare to express themselves (Chan et al, 2011).…”

“…In the current study, we selected four types of female images, including "flower vase" (appearance), urban sophisticate (personality and leisure), strong woman (work), and cultured nurturer (family) that were close to the four gender themes, i.e. appearance, personality, work, and family (Chan et al, 2011;Chan et al, 2012a;Chan and Ng, 2013a). Qualitative method is desirable for the present study because it treats participants as reflexive, meaning-making, and intentional actors but not as subjects (Marecek, 2003).…”

“…There is a tremendous amount of gender-related messages in the media (Chan, 2014). Using an auto-videography approach by asking adolescents to record images from the media that they encountered in their everyday experience, previous research on gender found four dominant themes for gender roles and identities: appearance, personality, work, and family (Chan et al, 2011;Chan et al, 2012a;Chan and Ng, 2013a). Using the GSSM as a theoretical framework, the present study attempts to investigate how adolescents respond to the four gender themes.…”

Adolescent Girls‘ Evaluation of Brands during Liminal Life Stages

“…The statements were derived from those used in a qualitative study of perceptions of gender roles among girls aged 15 to 18 in Hong Kong [31]. Sample statements included -Females should appreciate their own strengths‖, -Females who bear children enjoy a complete life‖ and -Females should not pursue a slim body at all cost‖.…”