Gender-Role Portrayals in Television Advertising Across the Globe

• In Event: ICA Plenary Interactive Paper/Poster Session II
  In Interactive Paper Session: Mass Communication Interactive Poster Session

Abstract

Although there are numerous studies on gender-role portrayals in television advertising, comparative designs are clearly lacking. With content analytical data from a total of 13 Asian, American, and European countries, we study the stereotypical depiction of males and females in television advertisements. The sample consists of N = 1,755 ads collected in May 2014. Analyzing the gender of the primary character and voiceover, as well as the age, associated product categories, home- or work setting, and the working role of the primary character, we find that gender stereotypes in TV advertising can be found around the world. A multilevel model further shows that gender stereotypes are independent of a country's gender indices such as Hofstede’s Masculinity Index, GLOBE’s Gender Egalitarianism Index, the Gender-related Development Index, the Gender Inequality Index, and the Global Gender Gap Index. These findings suggest that the role of culture in shaping gender stereotypes in television advertising is smaller than commonly thought.

Authors

• Jorg Matthes, U of Vienna

• Michael Prieler, Hallym University

• Karoline Adam, U of Vienna