The portrayal of gender in the children's television program sesame street and its effect on the intended audience

Abstract

This literature review addresses sexism and gender misrepresentation on Sesame Street, the world's most popular children's television program. The results of meta‐analytic studies reveal an imbalance in the proportion of males and females in the broadcast. It is clear that audience members respect and identify with certain characters more than others because of their roles in the program. However, gender, which greatly affects decisions about how a certain character will speak and act, often limits his/her behavior. Drawing on numerous studies about Sesame Street in relation to cultivation theory, socialization theory, and social learning theory, this paper discusses the show's content and the correlation between increased exposure to Sesame Street and viewers’ changes in attitude and behavior. Conclusions from the reports reviewed suggest the presence of gender inequality and stereotyping on Sesame Street and the need to conduct more research to test the immediate and long‐term effects of this type of material on children.