Reading Representations of Black, East Asian, and White Women in Magazines for Adolescent Girls

Abstract

Beginning in the 1970s, there has been a growing body of literature on the depictions of women in advertisements. However, the intersection of race and gender in advertising has rarely been explored. This study was designed to compare how White, Black, and East Asian women were portrayed in advertisements found in fashion magazines directed at adolescent girls. A correlation was found between race and the type of product advertised. Black women were prominent in clothing advertisements, and East Asian women were prominent in advertisements for technology products. A correlation was also found between race and the importance of the model in the advertisement. The results of this study illustrate that older stereotypes may still exist (White beauty ideal, hypersexual Black women), and some new stereotypes are being formed (technologically savvy East Asians).