Media and Gender Stereotyping :: Media Stereotyping of Men and Women

1 ABSTRACT Past search found that media culture, particularly magazines, present stereotypical nonions of gender. Gender stereotypes are not inflexible, resembling a barometer stereotypes change to reflect two societal and ethnical values. This research set out to study current gender stereotypes types in four popular magazines (Marie Claire, GQ, Shape and Mens Health). The advertisements were categorised into gender peculiar(prenominal) and gender neutral adverts. The results found that the mode for gender specific adverts for both men and womens magazines related to female specific related adverts. Although the findings did not confine the prediction of stereotypical gender specific advertising, the research itself was characterised by a number of weaknesses. 2 INTRODUCTION Advertisements have appeared in print media since the dodge of the printing press in the 1500s. The usage of the term magazine itself set-back came about with the pu blication of The Gentlemens Magazine and The Ladys Magazine in the 1730s by Edward Cave (1691-1754) (Connor, G 2001). contrasting types of magazines exist for just about every age and social group, for all interest, hobby and lifestyle. Advertisers make use of information gathered by agencies like ABC (Audit Bureau of Circulation) and the NRS (National Readership Survey), who categorise consumers by age, gender, occupation and socio-economic status. This knowledge enables advertisers to radiation pattern ad campaigns specific to their target reference through the types of magazines they read (cited in Magazines and Gender, 2004). Even though adverts are designed with a specific audience in mind, they are still developed to appeal to the vast mass within that target audience there is no resource, finance or capability to market each unique individual. Advertisers exploit stereotypical gender types to produce advertisement to have the widest appeal. Societies have always had ways of differentiating betwixt both men and women, between masculinity and femininity through the affirmation of different attitudes and behaviour patterns onto each gender (as cited in Gender and Identity, 2004). It is thereof essential to distinguish between sex, gender and