Depictions of Gender on Primetime Television: A Quantitative Content Analysis

Abstract

To document current portrayals of women and men on primetime television, a quantitative content analysis was conducted. A 1-week composite of primetime television programming across 9 broadcast and cable networks was randomly sampled, yielding 89 programs and 1,254 characters. Consistent with prior findings, women were significantly underrepresented on primetime TV when compared with men. Analyses examined representations of gender in the realms of occupation, aggression, sexualization, and stereotypically masculine and feminine attributes, with comparisons drawn across different age groups. Contrary to popular belief, these findings suggest that the current state of primetime television does not represent a “golden age” for women. Although it appears that some gender stereotypes have declined when compared to previous decades, others (e.g., dominant men, sexually provocative women) have persisted. Implications are discussed in terms of cultivation and social cognitive theories.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Alexander Sink

Alexander Sink (M.A., University of California, Santa Barbara, 2015) is a doctoral student in the Department of Communication at University of California, Santa Barbara. His research interests are focused on the role of media in issues of stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination, and his current research projects focus on portrayals of sexual minorities in entertainment media content.

Dana Mastro

Dana Mastro (Ph.D., Michigan State University, 2000) is a Professor of Communication at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Her research documents depictions of Latinos in English and Spanish language U.S. media and empirically examines the range of intergroup and identity-based outcomes associated with exposure to these portrayals.