Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Cultivating Conceptions Of Masculinity: Television And Perceptions Of Masculine Gender Role Norms, Erica Scharrer, Greg Blackburn

Communication Department Faculty Publication Series

The potential of television to both reflect and shape cultural understandings of gender roles has long been the subject of social scientific inquiry. The present study employed survey methodology with 420 emerging adult respondents (aged 18 to 25) in a national U.S. sample to explore associations between amount of time spent viewing television and views about “ideal” masculine gender roles. The viewing of particular television genres was explored in addition to (and controlling for) overall amount of time spent with the medium, using cultivation theory as the theoretical foundation. Results showed significant statistical associations between viewing sitcoms, police and detective …