The changing roles of women in magazine advertisements over the last twenty years.

Abstract

This study is a replication of previous research conducted by Courtney and Lockeretz in 1971, a study called "A Woman's Place: An Analysis of the Roles Portrayed by Women in Magazine Advertisements". A history of the women's rights movement and women's changing roles is discussed to confirm the need for advertising changes since 1971. Advertisements were selected from the eight original magazines, People, Life, Newsweek, The New Yorker, Saturday Review, Time, U.S. News and World Report, and Reader's Digest and from four additional magazines, 4 Ms, Good Housekeeping, Sports Illustrated, and GQ. The role of the adult appearing in the advertizement was identified as either working or nonworking. The advertisements were also categorized according to the product that the advertisement was selling. The percentages in various categories were compared and should have changed from the 1971 study in relationship to the actual role changes of women. For example, there are more women working in today's society so there should be more women portrayed in working roles in advertising. The 1971 study found that nine percent of the adult women in advertisements were portrayed in working roles while this study found 43 percent of the adult women were in working roles. Overall, the results from this study revealed some changes that correspond with the changes in society, but there were still several roles that remained unchanged in magazine advertising.