The Portrayal of Gender and Disability in Pharmaceutical Advertisements for Arthritis

• In Event: Saturday Poster Presentations

Abstract

How are disability, health, and gender portrayed in the United States’ pharmaceutical advertisements? This qualitative study explored how advertisements for arthritis prescription medications support and create gender through messages of health and ability. Arthritis was selected due to the prevalence and debilitating nature of this disorder which disproportionately affects women. Pharmaceutical advertisements were analyzed to explore how society’s standards and norms, including hegemonic masculinity and emphasized femininity, are portrayed. Findings of this study reflect that there are more depictions of women as able-bodied and disabled, the healthy and able-bodied appear in nature, and overall the depictions represent gender norms.

Presenter

• Casey Overway, Grand Valley State University