ABSTRACT - The roles which women portray in advertisements have been the subject of much public criticism and some empirical research. This paper reviews that research, describes problem areas which need research and presents hypotheses whose exploration should provide useful insights aimed at improving both advertising and over-all marketing strategy.
Citation:
Mary Lou Roberts and Perri B. Koggan (1979) ,"How Should Women Be Portrayed in Advertisements?-- a Call For Research", in NA - Advances in Consumer Research Volume 06, eds. William L. Wilkie, Ann Abor, MI : Association for Consumer Research, Pages: 66-72.
The roles which women portray in advertisements have been the subject of much public criticism and some empirical research. This paper reviews that research, describes problem areas which need research and presents hypotheses whose exploration should provide useful insights aimed at improving both advertising and over-all marketing strategy. INTRODUCTION In recent years advertisers and their agencies have received criticism from a wide variety of sources concerning the manner in which women are portrayed in advertisements. The critics state that the women shown in ads are too often "only housewives;" stupid or incompetent; dependent on men; decorative or sex objects; passive; and not involved in making major decisions (Advertising Age, April 21, 1975). There is no doubt that many of these criticisms were, and to an extent still are, valid. There also is no doubt that many advertisers have attempted to respond by discarding stereotypes and trying to create more appealing role incumbents. If any doubt exists that they have made these attempts in the face of extremely sparse information, we hope to dispel this doubt and will present a list of hypotheses which, though it is by no means exhaustive, is intended to encourage research in this area. Such research should provide guidance for day-to-day advertising decisions and at the same time increase our knowledge of consumer behavior in general and female consumers in particular. Even though advertisers act in good faith, their efforts at discarding stereotypes while appealing to today's woman may encounter wholly unexpected criticism or marketplace failure. Two examples will illustrate some of the pitfalls. A cosmetics ad showing the face of an attractive young woman was captioned: "Your face isn't safe in this city." According to a company spokesperson, this was intended to be "a straightforward pitch for skin protection against smog" (Liddick, 1978). This particular advertisement was attacked by Women Against Violence Against Women, a group protesting messages which portray violence directed at women. Both the manufacturer and agency agreed that the possibility of misinterpretation existed and withdrew the ad (Liddick, 1978). The second example deals more directly with role portrayal. Researchers created four versions of an ad for an instant breakfast drink. The ads varied only in the occupation of the spokesman - a housewife, a grade school teacher, a cab driver and a Ph.D. In an experimental setting the ad with the female Ph.D. was the least preferred. The reason appeared to be that this food product was associated with more traditional female roles (Advertising Age, April 18, 1977). The problem of female role portrayal in advertisements has many dimensions. We intend to deal with only a selected few of these dimensions -- most viable role for the chief female actor, her relationship to and interaction with significant others and the relationship between role portrayal and selected product categories. We have chosen these dimensions because they point to avenues of research which can help marketers in their analysis of basic strategy decisions such as product positioning and market segmentation while they improve their promotional strategy and execution. Some dimensions such as sexual innuendo, nudity, and violence have been omitted from our discussion because, although they are important creative issues, they seem less germane to major strategic considerations. Before we discuss topics which need to be researched, it is necessary to review the existing empirical work. LITERATURE REVIEW Presence of Role Stereotypes in Media Advertising Courtney and Lockeretz (1971) conducted a content analysis of 729 ads appearing in eight general interest and news magazines during 1970. They found few women shown in employment outside the home. Most employed women were entertainers; none were shown in professional or executive roles. This was true of both ads showing women only and those showing men and women together, although the frequency of employed women increased when men and women were shown together. Women were rarely shown interacting with one another. Their conclusion was that stereotypical portrayals of women were dominant. A follow-up study done by Wagner and Banos (1973) used ads from 1972 issues of six of the same magazines (Reader's Digest was omitted and the New York Times Magazine was substituted for Look which had ceased publication). The number of employed women shown had increased from 9 to 21 percent with some women shown as professionals, semiprofessionals, sales people and in other white-collar occupations. Fewer women were shown as entertainers or sports figures. However, more non-employed women were shown in a decorative role and fewer were shown in a family or recreational role. There was no change in the frequency of interaction between two or more women, in female involvement in major purchase decisions and in their portrayal in institutional settings. This study, then, presents a mixed picture. Employed women were better represented, although this 21% representation is far from matching the 49% of American women between 15 and 65 employed in 1972 (U.S. Department of Commerce, 1976), but the manner in which non-employed women were portrayed seemed to have degenerated. Another replication by Belkaoui and Belkaoui (1976) added 268 ads from eight magazines published in January 1958 to the two sets of existing data. This study found that the same stereotyping reported in 1970 and 1972 with regard to employment status, occupational roles and involvement in major purchase decisions also existed in 1958. The percentage of working women shown in ads was slightly higher in 1972 than in 1958, but in all three years studied, the women were largely entertainment and sports personalities and secretarial and clerical workers. The non-working women were even more likely to be portrayed in decorative roles in 1972 and less likely to be shown in family roles. Their conclusion is that the stereotypes which existed prior to the advent of the Women's Movement were being perpetuated in the mass media of the 1970's. A more detailed analysis by Sexton and Haberman (1974) included ads published during 1950-51, 1960-61, and 1970-71 covering six product categories -- cigarettes, beverages, automobiles, home appliances, office equipment, and airlines. They evaluated 1,827 ads on eleven dimensions which encompassed the number of persons and types of role portrayals in the ads, their relationships to one another and to the product, and the setting of the ads. Although there was some variation in the findings from one product category to another, the general results agreed with earlier studies in that there was some increase in the number of women shown in working roles from earlier to later years and a decrease in women portrayed in home and family-oriented situations. The frequency with which women were portrayed as rather passive social companions of men was large and stable even though women were shown in more varied situations as time passed. They did not, however, find an increase in decorative portrayals but found that there were more women portrayed as being alluring to men. Venkatesan and Losco (1975), in a study of magazine ad role portrayal covering the years from 1959 to 1971, again confirmed the existence of sex object, physical beauty and female dependence stereotypes. They, too, noted a decrease in both sex object and family-oriented roles.
Dominick and Rauch (1974) conducted a study of 1,000 prime time television commercials and found that the sex object and housewife/mother role stereotypes also existed in that medium.
Effect of Role Stereotypes on Attitudes toward Advertisements
A study by Mazis and Beuttenmuller (1973) using small samples and disguised advertisements found college women reacting to favorable and unfavorable role portrayals in accordance with their positive or negative attitudes toward Women's Liberation.
Wortzel and Frisbie (1974) approached this problem by asking 100 women to choose the role portrayal (neutral, career, family, fashion, sex object) which would most enhance the desirability of ads for seven different product categories. In this sample, preference was expressed for a family-oriented role for both small and large appliances. Where women's grooming and personal care products were concerned, the career role was preferred but the traditional and fashion roles were judged acceptable. Grouping these women by positive or negative attitudes toward Women's Liberation as measured on a 22 item scale did not show any overall differences in preference for role portrayals between the two groups. Instead, the nature of the product category seemed to be the determinant of role preference. They did find, however, that women with positive attitudes toward Women's Liberation were more likely to select a specific role than the neutral portrayal and were more likely to prefer the family-oriented role than were women with negative attitudes. Women who responded positively to a repression sub-scale imbedded in the Liberation scale were more likely to reject any role choice.
A similar study by Duker and Tucker (1977) using a sample of 104 college women and actual print advertisements also found no differences in perception of ads portraying sex-stereotyped roles between women whose orientation to Women's Lib (as measured by the Barron Test of Independent Judgment) was strong and those whose orientation was weak. They suggest that underlying value structures may be more useful in analyzing women's reaction to role portrayals than are attitudes which are conceptually more superficial and transient.
Most of the available evidence, then, suggests that the presence of sex-role stereotyping in ads may not generate unfavorable perceptions of those ads even in women who hold positive attitudes toward Women's Liberation.
Effect of Attitudes Toward Role-Stereotyped Ads on Intention to Buy
Lundstron and Sciglimpaglia (1977) used a mail questionnaire to study attitudes of 150 women and 114 men toward role portrayal of both men and women in ads, company image of firms whose ads conveyed sexist images, and intention to buy products of such firms. The women in the sample had more negative attitudes toward the realism of the roles portrayed by both women and men. The negative attitudes of the women carried over to company image but no significant difference was found in intention to buy between men and women. Younger, better educated, higher SES and less traditional women held the most critical attitudes toward advertising. However, older women and those from lower income households were most likely to agree that they would discontinue purchasing a product whose ads they found offensive, although they would continue to buy other products made by the same company. Lundstrom and Sciglimpaglia, therefore, conclude that the impact of offensive ads on sales may be slight because the women in their sample who are most critical of advertising also have characteristics which make them potential opinion leaders and/or consumer advocates but have little inclination to translate negative attitudes into avoidance behavior or positive action.
Several conclusions can be drawn from the exhaustive review of empirical studies:
(1) Sex role stereotypes are present in mass media advertisements and there is no clear evidence that, overall, the frequency of such stereotyping is decreasing.
(2) Most of the available evidence is based on analyses of print media.
(3) There is an abundance of data which confirms the existence of stereotypes but little which relates presence of stereotypes to attitudes toward advertisements and even less which deals with the effect of stereotyping on intended purchase behavior.
(4) The product category itself may be the chief determinant of preferred role portrayal.
(5) Reaction to role portrayal in advertisements may vary among groups of women with different socioeconomic characteristics.
(6) All published studies to date have used research designs and/or samples which lack total applicability to real world conditions.
WHERE WE STAND NOW
As we said in the beginning, the advertiser is faced with a multitude of decisions and little published empirical data. Also, some of the data which does exist is contradictory.
A panel appointed by the National Advertising Review Board did examine existing attitudinal studies and presented checklists of both destructive and constructive portrayals (Advertising Age, April 2, 1975). The intent of this effort was laudatory, but a careful examination reveals that they have essentially recommended that advertisers avoid known stereotypes and present positive female role models in a manner which enhances female self-esteem and encourages the realization of female potential. This is a beginning, but hardly the detailed guidance the advertising strategist needs.
Much research is needed to generate this detailed guidance. A review of a great deal of non-empirically-based literature and observation of ads themselves have identified the major problem areas. With each problem area we present one or more hypotheses. These hypotheses may or may not be confirmed by actual data. Whether confirmed or not, we believe the data will be useful. We hope they will also stimulate research-oriented thinking about problems and/or product categories not discussed.With each area we also present ads which exemplify the issues. We again caution, however, that the verdict has not yet been made on whether the presence of stereotyped portrayal does adversely affect marketplace behavior.
DISCUSSION OF PROBLEMS AND HYPOTHESES
Problem: Ads often depict the woman as a sex object to be admired by a man for his sake, especially in ads for health and beauty products.
FIGURE
The female model in this mouthwash ad is a wholesome young woman. In one picture she is holding the product. In the other picture she is clinging to a rugged young man. Although the model is attractive in her own right, the implication is clearly that she could not have "caught him" without the product's help.
The female model in this next perfume ad has an exotic, sultry aura which is enhanced by the black background. Her lips are seductively pursed and she is whispering to get "someone's" attention.
This ad seems to be implying that the woman uses the scent for the sole purpose of attracting a man. Isn't it possible that women buy perfume to feel better about themselves?
FIGURE
In this ad for a hair coloring product, an attractive young woman, described in the copy as an active working mother, is shown against a pastoral background. The headline and copy clearly state that both the product and the hobby contribute to her sense of well-being.
FIGURE
Although this is a very positive role portrayal, the lifestyle may be a bit exaggerated. How many working mothers find time to sit in the middle of a field painting a landscape? Yet it may be a fantasy ad that is very appealing to the target market.
Hypothesis: Ads for health and beauty products should appeal to a woman's sense of well being for her own sake -- not to enhance her status as a sex object.
Problem: Ads often portray the woman as a helpless fool who needs assistance to help her through the turmoil she has created or seems unable to control.
This next cake mix ad shows another wholesome young woman holding the package and the finished product. Although this ad is not overly offensive, it does portray the woman as being somewhat helpless. Couldn't the product benefit - a cake that is both easy to prepare and attractive - be emphasized without implying that the woman is afraid to try something different?
FIGURE
Actually, this particular problem in role stereotyping is much more prevalent on television. A multitude of examples como to mind -- "ring around the collar," the man in the toilet bowl, masculine "scrubbing bubbles," a "knowledgeable" husband recommending the right furniture polish.
FIGURE
This ad for a washing machine contains both mother and son and emphasizes a special feature of the machine which allows a small load to be washed economically.
This seems to be a positive role portrayal because it shows a sensible young mother performing a necessary household task intelligently.
Hypotheses: Whether a woman works or not, she should be shown as competent and creative in using products which help her to perform the tasks her roles and lifestyle necessitate. These products should be shown helping the woman to achieve objectives that are central in her perception of her role.
: The task-oriented woman (e.g., "I have regular days for washing, cleaning, etc. around the home." "If you want your floors waxed properly, you have to do it by hand.'' [Source: Wells, 1971.]) derives satisfaction from the performance of the tasks themselves.
: The family-oriented woman (e.g., "I put my family's welfare before my own." "I am the guardian of my family's health," [Source: Wells, 1971.]) derives satisfaction because she believes she has contributed to her family's well being by the performance of these tasks.
: The woman who is oriented toward activities outside the home (e.g., "I spend a lot of time working for community organizations." "I take pride in my job. [Source: Wells, 1971.] derives her major satisfaction from these activities and, therefore, is attracted by products which simplify in-home tasks.
Problem: Ads in which men and women are shown together often use women as decorative or alluring objects.
FIGURE
This ad for glassware shows two attractive young women sharing the celebration of a winning (male) race car driver.
This is an industrial product ad in which all of the models are mere decorations. Obviously, the women shown have not contributed to the man's success, but someone did have to hold the glasses.
FIGURE
This ad for men's cologne shows sexy male and female models in close proximity to one another. While this ad might appeal to a man's fantasy, it was found in a women's magazine. Would this ad compel a woman to purchase the product for "her" man?
FIGURE
This ad for a refrigerator shows a husband and wife having trouble fitting their old refrigerator into their new kitchen. It is a humorous approach to a real problem. It was chosen as an example because the couple is sharing the dilemma even though the solution is provided by a male celebrity spokesperson.
FIGURE
This ad for a feminine hygiene product shows an attractive young couple canoeing on white water. The contemporary woman wants to pursue an active life whenever she pleases and is probably attracted by themes which convey this life style.
Hypotheses: If the target market is men, portraying women as decorative or alluring is appropriate.
: If the target market is traditional women (e.g., "A woman's place is in the home.'' [Source: Wells, 1971.]) or both women and men, portraying the women as equal partners or participants is appropriate.
: If the target market is contemporary women, portraying the women as successful or dominant is appropriate. (e.g., "Women should be free to take jobs outside the home if they want them." [Source: Wells, 1971.])
Problem: Ads in which two or more women appear tend to emphasize competitive interaction.
FIGURE
In this ad for cat litter the hostess of a female bridge group is concerned about cat box odor. Again, the problem is a real one. However, would a group of women --your friends, at that -- really be this rude?
FIGURE
This ad shows a brand of beer which is bottled in two sizes. A group of women is superimposed on the smaller bottle. These women are enjoying a friendly beer together in a pleasant setting. The quality of the interaction is appropriate to today's woman. The Women's Movement has sensitized her to the pleasures of camaraderie between women.
This ad is also interesting because it deals with a traditionally male-dominated product category but portrays a new version designed to appeal to women. This recognizes the emergence of women as a force in the consumption of these product categories.
Hypothesis: Show women as congenial and supportive of one another in a setting appropriate to the life style of the target market.
Problem: Advertisers need to identify the type of person who is the most effective spokesperson for their product category.
FIGURE
A well-known actor is the spokesperson in this washing machine ad. Why are celebrities chosen as spokespersons for product categories where there is no apparent correlation between their image and the possession of pro-duct-related expertise? Even though they may be considered attractive by the target market, are they a credible information source?
FIGURE
This is an institutional ad with an energy conservation theme. It shows a woman chemist in protective clothing operating highly technical equipment. The woman shown is undoubtedly highly intelligent and expert in her field. Would, however, the average woman be able to identify with this role portrayal?
Hypotheses: Traditional women will attribute higher credibility to an authoritative male figure. This is especially true in product categories such as major appliances or those products which represent new technological developments.
: Contemporary women will prefer a female figure who has the necessary level of technical expertise.
: In promoting non-technical products including home and personal care products, all women will find a female with whose lifestyle they can identify to be the most credible.
Problem: Even when the role portrayal attempts to avoid stereotypes, the women shown are often not behaving in a manner appropriate to the role.
FIGURE
This ad for office systems shows a graying female executive seated at her desk. She is looking at a cathode ray tube while being served coffee by a man. Showing a female executive is commendable. However, her facial expression is clearly not that of an executive. In addition, the man serving coffee has no relation to the purpose of the ad, unless it is to exemplify the role reversal.
FIGURE
This ad for a charge card shows a woman shopper holding the card. Since women have traditionally been denied equal access to financial services, the ad's basic message -- the power conferred by the charge card -- is appealing. However, the woman's expression is not terribly attractive. In fact, it seems to convey the stereotype of a compulsive female purchaser.
It seems desirable to portray women in a variety of roles which would represent the diversity of modern lifestyles. Care should be taken to match role and incumbent and to create situations with which the target audience can identify.
Hypothesis: The intended role portrayal is most effective if all elements of the ad are in harmony with the role portrayal.
CONCLUSION
The question of how to most effectively portray women in all advertising media will not be answered easily or quickly. It does, however, offer tremendous scope for meaningful research and positive action by advertisers and agencies. We hope the issues raised here will be useful in generating both.
REFERENCES
"Advertising Portraying or Directed to Women." Advertising Age, (April 21, 1975), pp. 72, 75, 78.
Ahmed Belkaoui and Janice Belkaoui. "A Comparative Analysis of the Roles Portrayed by Women in Print Advertisements: 1958, 1970, 1972," Journal of Marketing Research, Vol. 13 (May, 1976), pp. 168-172.
Alice Courtney and Sarah Wernick Lockeretz. "A Woman's Place: An Analysis of Roles Portrayed by Women in Magazine Advertisements," Journal of Marketing Research, Vol. 8 (February, 1971), pp. 92-95.
Joseph P. Dominick and Gail E. Rauch. "The Image of Women in Network TV Commercials," Journal of Broadcasting, (Summer, 1974), pp. 259-265.
Jacob M. Ducker and Lewis R. Tucker, Jr. "Women's Libbers Versus Independent Women: A Study of Preferences for Women's Roles in Advertisements," Journal of Marketing Research, Vol. 14 (November,-1977), pp. 469-475.
Betty Liddick. "Feminists Go To Battle Against Ads That Victimize Women." Boston Globe, February 22, 1978, p. 1.
William J. Lundstrom and Donald Sciglimpaglia. "Sex Role Portrayals in Advertising," Journal of Marketing, Vol. 41 (July, 1977), pp. 72-79.
Michael B. Mazis and Marilyn Beuttenmuller. "Attitudes Toward Women's Liberation and Perception of Advertisements,'' Advances in Consumer Research, Vol. 1, 1973, 428-434.
Donald E. Sexton and Phyllis Haberman. "Women in Magazine Advertisements," Journal of Advertising Research, Vol. 13 (August, 1974), pp. 41-46.
"'Traditional' TV Women Bother Men, Study Tells," Advertising Age, April 18, 1977.
Louis Wagner and Janic B. Banos. "A Woman's Place: A Follow-Up Analysis of the Roles Portrayed by Women in Magazine Advertisements," Journal of Marketing Research, Vol. 10 (May, 1973), pp. 213-214.
William D. Wells. "AIO Item Library," Chicago, 1971. (Mimeographed)
Lawrence H. Wortzel and John M. Frisbie. "Woman's Role Portrayal Preferences in Advertisements: An Empirical Study." Journal of Marketing, Vol. 28 (October, 1974), pp. 41-46.
M. Venkatesan and Jean Losco, "Women in Magazine Ads: 1959-71," Journal of Advertising Research, Vol. 15 (October, 1975), pp. 49-54.
U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, A Statistical Portrait of Women in the U.S. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1976.
----------------------------------------
Authors
Mary Lou Roberts, Boston University
Perri B. Koggan, Grey Advertising, Inc.
Volume
NA - Advances in Consumer Research Volume 06 | 1979
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FAQs
How are women portrayed in advertisements? ›
The common stereotypes include depicting women in weak roles or positions, using them as sex objects, portraying them as housewives, showcasing them as silent etc. Matthes et al.
How are women objectified in advertisements? ›Advertising practices using sexualized images of women by different brands coincide with objectification theory, as it shows how a woman's body or body parts are distinguished and separated from her as a person and are perceived as physical objects to address sexual desires (Szymanski et al., 2011).
How are women affected by advertisements? ›advertisements cause women to form an unrealistic expectation they have for themselves and the way their body should look. Advertising should not have to be sexualized in order to catch consumer attention.
What is women stereotyping in advertising? ›Stereotypes are out of step
Times have changed since the 1950s, but the gender stereotypes shown in advertising have not. Adult women are overwhelmingly portrayed as housewives, mothers and girlfriends, associated with appliances, furniture and products related to health, cleaning, beauty and fashion.
Gender equality is becoming an increasingly important factor when it comes to how consumers perceive marketing messages and make purchase decisions. While it used to be common for marketers to exclusively target one gender in their ads, today's most innovative brands are moving away from that.
Is there sexism in advertising? ›Sexism in advertising has been around as long as the industry has. We all know the classic 1950s commercial featuring idealized gender stereotypes where men wear suits heading off to work and women stay home fulfilling their role as housewife and mother.
Why is female objectification important? ›Objectification theory provides an important framework for understanding, researching, and intervening to improve women's lives in a sociocultural context that sexually objectifies the female body and equates a woman's worth with her body's appearance and sexual functions.
How women are perceived in social media? ›Women are generally seen as object of sex in social media advertisements. Women are more often shown in commercials like cosmetic and domestic products while advertisements for men generally focus on cars, business products or investments.
What causes women objectification? ›One possible explanation as to why women, and primarily sexualized women, are objectified relates to negative attitudes some people hold towards promiscuity. Women who are perceived as more sexually open are found to be more vulnerable to sexual aggression due to lower perceived mental agency [9].
How advertising affects women's self esteem? ›There were over 40% who said they felt less confident in their daily lives as a result of such unrealistic images. This study shows that advertisement can send a message of disappointments, less self worth, and not helping all women to be confident and show their beauty by their own.
Do models in ads affect women's self esteem? ›
The size of the models you show in advertising affects how consumers feel about themselves and your products. A woman's body image is an important source of her self-esteem, yet approximately 50% of girls and young women report being dissatisfied with their bodies.
How the portrayal of women in advertising affect brand perception and Behaviour? ›The research carried out by Ipsos found that ads that positively portray women are more likely to positively contribute to the long-term brand relationship as well as short-term behaviour change and that the role and portrayal of women in ads can influence ad evaluation attitudes.
What are the 4 gender stereotypes? ›- Girls should play with dolls and boys should play with trucks.
- Boys should be directed to like blue and green; girls toward red and pink.
- Boys should not wear dresses or other clothes typically associated with "girl's clothes"
Women must not be portrayed in a manner that emphasises passive, submissive qualities and encourages them to play a subordinate, secondary role in the family and society.
How are males and females portrayed in the media? ›Men are portrayed as more assertive or aggressive, adventurous, active, and victorious, while women are shown as passive, weak, ineffectual, victimized, supportive, and laughable. On television, women more frequently play the role of the housekeeper and men more frequently play the roles of professionals.
Why is gender important in research? ›Using only half of the population, half of the ideas or half of the energy is not good enough.” Integrating sex and gender analysis into research is one important way to contribute to gender equality and create more inclusive research results.
What are three reasons why gender equality is important? ›Gender equality prevents violence against women and girls. It's essential for economic prosperity. Societies that value women and men as equal are safer and healthier. Gender equality is a human right.
How can we prevent sexism in advertising? ›Interventions to prevent or address sexist advertising may occur through several distinct mechanisms: legislative frameworks; self-regulatory and co-regulatory systems; the provision of educational resources to the broader community; industry initiatives to re-shape advertising culture and promote diverse, inclusive ...
How can we stop sexism in advertising? ›...
Brand as Servant
- Prepare for the primacy of woman-made brands. ...
- Forget ideals, present a grounded and granular understanding. ...
- Be constructive, not critical. ...
- End macho economics which sees employees only as input. ...
- Acknowledge sexism goes both ways.
Stereotypes in advertising include creating caricatures based upon a perceived notion of a particular group. The limited amount of time given for a commercial advertisement leads to simplified characters who may employ archetypal traits. Audiences use stereotypes to fill in holes in a general character's backstory.
What is meant by female objectification? ›
Objectification is a notion central to feminist theory. It can be roughly defined as the seeing and/or treating a person, usually a woman, as an object.
What does objectifying a female mean? ›Objectification involves viewing and/or treating a person as an object, devoid of thought or feeling. Often, objectification is targeted at women and reduces them to objects of sexual pleasure and gratification.
What are the consequences of female objectification and sexualization in advertising and film? ›That unhealthy train of thought can develop into recurring problems such as eating disorders, low self-esteem, and depression. These problems are directly linked to sexualized images in advertising and media entertainment such as this. These ads become the clothes women wear and the body image they strive to emulate.
Why women are more affected by social media? ›Social media is used by 72% of Americans—but women may be more positively and negatively affected by social media usage than other groups. This is primarily because women often have larger social followings and networks, which translates toward more time and interactions with online users and content.
How does social media affect women's identity? ›Even worse, social media exerts psychological pressure upon young women in order to fit unrealistic standards so as to be socially accepted which then leads to deep insecurities and body image issues affecting their self-worth.
How does the media view feminism? ›Though most journalists aim to create an objective view of their subjects, feminism has long been portrayed in a negative light. Feminism's portrayal is fueled by the idea that the media seems to lean toward opposition; pinning women again men creates the mostly negative roles women become portrayed by.
Are women treated differently than men? ›Roughly half of men (46%) say that men and women are generally treated equally by society, while only 34% of women agree. Roughly half (53%) of women say society favors men over women, compared with 36% of men who say the same.
Do women like being sexualized? ›On the one hand, previous research has found that many women do report enjoying being sexualized by men (Liss et al., 2011), and one might expect that this enjoyment increases when that sexualization comes from a partner in a consensual relationship.
How do you respect a woman? ›- 1 | No means no. ...
- 2 | Give her an opportunity to say yes. ...
- 3 | Hand stuff counts. ...
- 4 | Refer to women by their names. ...
- 5 | If you think you need help, ask for it. ...
- 6 | Compliment her smile, her sense of humor, or her intelligence. ...
- 7 | Talk about the non-sexual stuff with your mates.
- Establish relevance to target audience.
- Exhibit uniqueness from competition.
- Prove credibility through product characteristic or use.
- Add to consumer knowledge.
- Execute through relevant touchpoints.
How is beauty influenced by advertisements? ›
Ads for beauty-enhancing products seem to make consumers feel that their current attractiveness levels are different from what they would ideally be. "Consumers seem to 'compare' themselves to the product images in advertisements, even though the advertisement does not include a human model," the authors write.
How does the media influence female body image? ›Studies show that 88% of women compare themselves to images they observe on social media, with over half of them emphasising that the comparison is unfavourable. Studies also show that 65% of men compare themselves to images they observe on social media, with 37% of them indicating that the comparison is unfavourable.
What qualities should a female model have? ›- fit, healthy and energetic.
- reliable, organised and punctual.
- confident, positive and persistent.
- able to handle criticism and rejection.
- patient; you might have to hold a certain pose, or wait around, for a long time.
- able to get on well with people.
Representations of gender in advertisements provide powerful models of behavior to emulate or react against. Masculine images typically convey power, strength, virility, athleticism, and competitiveness whereas feminine images show beauty, submissiveness, nurturance, and cooperation.
How does advertising construct masculinity and femininity? ›In these rituals, or common practices of representing men and women, advertisements project and reinforce gender hierarchies between men and women through various strategies: making men appear larger than women, putting men at the center of women's attention, having men stand in more secure positions, using women with ...
Do men and women respond differently to marketing? ›Men and Women Respond Differently to How Information is Presented. Finally, one key difference that digital marketers should account for is gender differences related to communication. It's quite obvious, but it is worth repeating: you cannot use the same message when trying to sell your products to both genders.
What are the common stereotypes a woman experiences? ›- Ice Queen. Halley Bock, CEO of leadership and development training company Fierce, notes that the ruthless “ice queen” stereotype is rampant. ...
- Single and Lonely. ...
- Tough. ...
- Weak. ...
- Masculine. ...
- Conniving. ...
- Emotional. ...
- Angry.
Gender stereotypes are dangerous because they can cause us to might be disoriented in our perceptions. When individuals don't conform to our gender stereotypes the result can lead to discrimination and unequal or create unequal or unfair treatment.
What are the 3 major types of gender roles? ›Gender role ideology falls into three types: traditional, transitional, and egalitarian.
How are women portrayed in advertising? ›The common stereotypes include depicting women in weak roles or positions, using them as sex objects, portraying them as housewives, showcasing them as silent etc.
Do women play roles in advertising? ›
H1: There is a significant relationship between women and the role they play in advertising. This study is a scholarly contribution to the understanding of behavior pattern of consumers towards the role of women in advertisements.
How does gender affect advertising? ›Study 1 suggest that stereotyped portrayals of gender can lead to lower levels of ad attitudes, brand attitudes, and in some cases purchase intentions across gender compared to non-stereotyped portrayals.
Why is female representation important? ›Representation is the core basis of democracy. Improved decision-making. UN Women have found that women's involvement impacts decision-making in a positive way - with examples including better childcare in Norway and more drinking water projects in India linked to higher levels of female representation.
How does television affect gender roles? ›SUMMARYResearch indicates that television has a socializing influence on children regarding their attitudes toward gender roles. Gender role stereotypes seen on television are, in turn, reinforced by parents, friends, and school, contributing to the child's sense of what it means to be male or female in society.
How does the media portray female athletes? ›Though the coverage is meager, major media platforms that do cover women's athletics often tend to depict female athletes through a lens of traditional feminine values, like motherhood, beauty, grace and aesthetics.
How are women objectified in beauty pageants? ›Women who do not fit into the criteria are always excluded for their failure to meet arbitrary standards of beauty. Despite any measure of inner beauty involved, the contest reduces a woman's or girl's value down to her physical appearance.
What is sexualized advertising? ›Advertisers often use sexual imagery to attract attention to products such as perfume, clothing and food. While running sexy ads might seem like a risky choice, the strategy sometimes works.
What is the essence of being a woman? ›A woman is the personification of Ageless beauty, selfless Love, Purity, Grace and dignity. She Symbolises Virtue, Great Inner Strength, Tremendous Patience, Resilience and Fortitude.. The Same values she inculcates in Everyone around her.
Does beauty content help in empowering women? ›Some consider these pageants a source of #empowerment for women, shining the spotlight on them in a male-dominated world. It is a runway to fame and success, regardless of the woman's background. Others consider them a tool of #patriarchy, as the primary criteria of judgement are beauty.
How beauty contest affect women's self esteem? ›Even though they are said to develop self-confidence, beauty pageants have been shown to have a harmful effect on their contestants' self-esteem. Beauty pageants focus on outward appearance rather than inner beauty. They create young children who hate their appearance and become obsessed with perfecting it.
What is the difference between female and male marketing? ›
Marketing for men consists of elimination as a means of making a decision. Men decide which aspects of a product matter most and eliminate products lacking those attributes. Women use more comprehensive methods to reach decisions.