Gendered Relationships on Television: Portrayals of Same-Sex and Heterosexual Couples

Abstract

Although intimate heterosexual couples often exhibit power imbalances in gender role behaviors, with one partner more dominant and the other more submissive, it is unclear whether the same is true for homosexual relationships. Anecdotal evidence, however, suggests that television portrays both heterosexual and homosexual couples as gendered. This content analysis of intimate relationships on television examined whether heterosexual and homosexual couples are portrayed as gendered, finding evidence of gendering for both homosexual couples and heterosexual couples. Possible implications of these gendered portrayals for viewers' perceptions and behaviors include cultivation of negative stereotypes and modeling of gender-typed behaviors.

Notes

¹One heterosexual couple was selected from the FX network, which was obtained on basis of the FX program containing similar sexual content to that of the HBO and Showtime programs.

∗p < .05. ∗∗p < .01.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Adrienne Holz Ivory

Adrienne Holz Ivory (M.A., Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 2007) is Ph.D. Student in the Department of Human Development at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Her research interests include media effects, health communication, and media portrayals of race, gender, and sexuality.

Rhonda Gibson

Rhonda Gibson (Ph.D., University of Alabama, 1993) is Associate Professor and Director of the Ph.D. program in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her primary research interest is the effects of the portrayal of sexual minorities in the media on audience attitudes.

James D. Ivory

James D. Ivory (Ph.D., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2005) is Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. His research interests include media effects, communication technology, and the content and social impact of entertainment media.