Adolescent Perception of Female Representation in Television and its Impact on Adolescent Views on Female Gender Roles

Abstract

With recent increases in the number of women represented in television, changes have occurred in the way women are depicted on screen. The changes in representation provoke the question of the accuracy and stereotypes the women contain. Research has found that though women are beginning to be found more frequently in the workplace or school-life, they are mostly found to be depicted in a traditionally stereotypical manner with their storylines revolving around family, romance, home-life, and physical appearance. As adolescents are at an age where their gender identities are being formed, it is pertinent to investigate how humans at the adolescent stage of life are influenced by television, especially due to the increased access to technology with recent generations. Studies in the field have used the theories of Social Cognitive Theory and Cultivation Theory in order to assert that the more individuals consume television, the more their thoughts, behaviors, and actions are impacted by these representations. However, in contrast, researchers have also found that viewers are able to resist messaging in television to prefer their own values, rejecting the influence of television. The following paper will look into how adolescents specifically perceive female gender roles. Through an analysis of three focus groups, a qualitative study was conducted to collect data on how or if adolescents are impacted by the female representation they see on screen and what they believe the current state of representation for women on television is.