Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Portrayals Of Gender In The Media: A Content Analysis Approach To Identifying Gender Oppression And Legitimation Of Patriarchy In Magazine Advertisements, Autumn M. O’Toole

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Advertisements are among the most pervasive forms of media. Portrayals of gender in advertisements constitute a significant subject of social research based on this pervasiveness and the influence that advertising media have on audiences. This influence is based on the notion that media is an institutional vehicle for ideas about products, lifestyles, and oppression. In this study, the institution of media is examined through an analysis of representations of patriarchy and gender oppression in media advertisements. The primary research question is: In what ways can we identify gender oppression and the support of hegemonic masculinity and systems of patriarchy in …