Gender Stereotyping in Television Commercials Aimed at Children in India

Abstract

The study tries (a) to identify the nature of representation of boys and girls and their association with activities and products in three categories viz., boys only, girls only and girls and boys in television commercials, (b) to analyse whether there are sex-role differences in the representation of girls and boys in television commercials aimed specifically at children, (c) to examine the features of the television commercial content designed for children as to whether it is gender-stereotypical in nature and (d) whether children understand the gendered nature of commercial content and measure the level of their understanding of the same. This is a descriptive study. This study was embarked upon to contribute to an understanding of how gender is portrayed in television commercials aimed at children and whether it is stereotyped. The study is based on Social Learning Theory and Cultivation Analysis. The findings proved that television commercials are gender stereotyped.