Young Females' Images of Motherhood in Relation to Television Viewing

Abstract

This study explored the relationship between television viewing and young females' images of motherhood. The respondents were 166 Dutch adolescents (age 15-17) and young women (age 20-22) with various educational backgrounds. None were mothers. We examined the young females' self-image and ideal image of motherhood and explored the extent to which television viewing and viewing motives were related to these images. It was not the total amount of television exposure, but the exposure to certain sitcoms and soaps that appeared to be related to girls' and young women's images of their future motherhood. Sitcoms and soaps that portrayed mothers with a more traditional orientation were associated with young females' anticipation of a traditional motherhood image. Motives for television viewing, indicating a ritualized viewing style, were also related to a traditional view of motherhood.The recurrent evidence that television is an important source of information about family and gender roles, and that it may shape young females' expectations of these roles

Planning to Have It All: Emerging Adults’ Expectations of Future Work-Family Conflict

“…It is important to remember that although these plans may be sharpened in college, students have been surrounded by idealized images of the breadwinner-caregiver model throughout childhood (Ex et al 2002;Smith et al 2010). Additionally, they have created templates for their future roles by observing their parents, who typically also divided labor in a gendered way (Fulcher et al 2008).…”

The State of Cultivation

“…Researchers addressing these issues often argue in favor of genre-specific effects. In a study of female adolescents and young adults in Holland, Ex, Janssens, and Korzilius (2002) found that exposure to sitcoms and soaps (but not overall amount of viewing) predicted anticipating a traditional motherhood, in which they would be devoted to family and children rather than focused on the world outside the home. Segrin and Nabi's (2002) study of 285 university students found that while overall amount of viewing was related to holding less idealistic expectations regarding romance and marriage, those who watch more ''romantic'' programs express more idealistic and romanticized views; they also wish to get married at a younger age, and believe that ''my marriage will last forever,'' etc.…”

Contributions of television use to beliefs about fathers and gendered family roles among first-time expectant parents.

“…Previous research found that young women’s heavy exposure to programs featuring traditional mothers was linked with more gender traditional beliefs about motherhood (Ex et al, 2002). Similarly, we found that more exposure to programs featuring fathers was linked with less egalitarian family gender role beliefs in both women and men.…”

“…Survey data indicate that both general TV exposure and viewing of specific genre types (e.g., domestic comedies) are associated with children’s and adults’ beliefs about family behavior, such as conflict and support (Alexander, 2009; Buerkel-Rothfuss, Greenberg, Atkin, & Neuendorf, 1982; Signorielli, 1989; Wilson, 2004). In a study of adolescent girls’ and undergraduate women’s exposure to sitcoms and soap operas, greater consumption of TV series that depicted traditional mothers was associated with a more traditional view of motherhood (Ex, Janssens, & Korzilius, 2002). This study also examined viewing motivations and found that women and girls who watched TV out of habit rather than for learning purposes endorsed more traditional views of motherhood.…”

“…In this sense, it is expected that individuals who try to learn about behavior through TV may be more likely to engage in the behavior depicted than might individuals who watch TV for fun. Support for the role of learning motives on TV effects has been mixed, with some studies finding significant contributions (Kim & Rubin, 1997; Lee & Taylor, 2014), and others finding null or conditional results (Ex et al, 2002; Ward, 2002). It is unknown whether TV portrayals of fathers influence expectant parents’ beliefs about fathers in real life, and whether this association extends to learning motives.…”