Date of Award

2006

Document Type

Research Paper

First Advisor

Becky Overmyer-Velasquez

Abstract

Everyone is greatly affected daily by the media, whether it be billboards, television, or magazines. American culture is saturated with advertisements publicized through all forms of media. The media shapes how people live their lives, what kind of car one might buy, the style of clothes people purchase, what kind of multivitamin one might take, and even what weight women strive to attain. The high increase of plastic surgery, eating disorders, and the bottom of the “Body Business” over the past 30 years have changed the definition of femininity, in turn making it very difficult for women and girls to develop their own sense of identity. Women gained new rights in the seventies that were supposed to empower female population, but since they’ve gotten those rights, it is in great debate whether or not they’ve moved on to become equals in society, or whether they’ve moved backwards. In analyzing modern magazine advertisements, and the marketer’s portrayal of femininity, gender roles, and implemented power structure, results prove that women are unfairly portrayed in the media, and a large social change needs to take place in order for women of America to be treated or even considered as equals in society.

Comments

WSP Major: Comparative Perspectives on Social Relations

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