Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Real Men Can Dance, But Not In That Costume: Latter-Day Saints' Perception Of Gender Roles Portrayed On Dancing With The Stars, Karson B. Denney

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis attempts to better understand gender roles portrayed in the media. By using Stuart Hall's theory of audience reception (Hall, 1980) the researcher looks into dance and gender in the media to indicate whether or not LDS participants believe stereotypical gender roles are portrayed on Dancing with the Stars." Through four focus groups containing a total of 30 participants, the researcher analyzed costuming, choreography, and judges' comments through the viewer's eyes. From participant responses, the conclusion was made that audience members do perceive stereotypical gender roles on "Dancing with the Stars." Participants felt that costuming was the biggest indicator …