Research Project 2 Gender and Age Roles in Magazine Advertisements

This project explores life-span comparisons of gender and age stereotypes in magazines. You are to look at one widely circulated magazine and evaluate how ads depict males and females of various ages. Evaluate physical appearance, personality, and behaviors. Use this chart to help organize your impressions, and then answer the questions that follow it.

Data sheet

Magazine Title_ __Issue date________Number of Ads___

INFANTS BOYS GIRLS

physical appearance:

body message:

clothes:

facial expressions:

personality:

intelligence:

activities:

verbal comments:

sexuality:

other:

YOUNG CHILDREN: MEN WOMEN

physical appearance:

body message:

clothes:

facial expressions:

personality:

intelligence:

activities:

verbal comments:

sexuality:

OLDER CHILDREN: BOYS GIRLS

physical appearance:

body message:

clothes:

facial expressions:

personality:

intelligence:

activities:

verbal comments:

sexuality:

other:

ADOLESCENTS: BOYS GIRLS

physical appearance:

body message:

clothes:

facial expressions:

personality:

intelligence:

activities:

verbal comments:

sexuality:

other:

YOUNG ADULTS: MEN WOMEN

physical appearance:

body message:

clothes:

facial expressions:

personality:

intelligence:

activities:

verbal comments:

sexuality:

other:

ELDERLY ADULTS: MEN WOMEN

physical appearance:

body message:

clothes:

facial expressions:

рersonalitу:

intelligence:

activities:

verbal comments:

sexuality:

other:

Tally up (подвести итог) the number of persons in each age group that appeared in ads; determine what percentage ads had each age group depicted:

Total No. Persons in Ads % of Ads with Age Group

INFANTS

YOUNG CHILDREN

OLDER CHILDREN

ADOLESCENTS

YOUNG ADULTS

MIDDLE ADULTS

ELDERLY ADULTS

Questions

1. Are all age groups represented in advertisements?

2. Who is underrepresented and overrepresented? Why do you think that is so?

3. Compare the various groups in terms of the characteristics you observed portrayed for each in the advertisements. What generalizations about age and gender do these portrayals convey?

4. Compare your findings to those obtained by someone who looked at a different magazine. Are your findings similar or different? What do you conclude if they are similar? Different? If they are different, do the differences sensibly relate to differences in the apparent purpose or style of the magazines?

Chapter 16

Research Project 1 Song Lyric Values

Work on this project with one of your classmates. Locate the lyrics of five currently popular songs and five songs that were popular at least ten years ago (stick to one type of music, e.g., rock, country, or folk, for both time periods). Work with your partner as a team to evaluate each set of lyrics for: sexism, ageism, attitudes toward love, work, and life, and general values.

Rate each lyric as very high (5), high (4), average, (3), low (2), very low (1), absent (0) in each of the following areas. Then for each group, add the five values (0-25 total). Keep brief notes about specific lyrics for discussion purposes.

DATA SHEET

Observational area: Current songs Older songs (yr.)

Attitudes toward females:

Altitudes toward males:

Attitudes toward children:

Attitudes toward teenagers:

Attitudes toward adults:

Attitudes toward old adults:

Attitudes toward love:

Attitudes toward family:

Attitudes toward work:

Observational area: Current songs Older songs (yr.)

Attitudes toward country:

Values:

Wealth

Peace

Achievement

Education

Government

Serving others

Change

Drugs

Sex

Conflict

Beauty

Happiness

Self-sacrifice

Marriage

Questions

Write a brief report of your findings. Be sure to answer at least the following questions; use the information you have gathered to support your answers.

1. What attitudes/values have remained consistently high/low over the years? Which have сhanged considerably (either higher or lower)?

2. What external, world/national events occurred during each time

period that might have influenced popular song lyrics?

3. What values seem to appeal to today's adolescents? Why?