Advertising and Gender: How Does One Affect the Other?

Advertising usually seeks to appeal to a certain demographic. Often times that demographic is a particular gender. According to what society teaches, there is a certain way in which young boys and men are supposed to behave;... [ view full abstract ]

Advertising usually seeks to appeal to a certain demographic. Often times that demographic is a particular gender. According to what society teaches, there is a certain way in which young boys and men are supposed to behave; and there is also a way in which young girls and women are supposed to behave. Based off these assumptions and the force that society places on individuals with regards to gender, advertisements targeting cultures, stereotypes, and gender are created. From a young age, children are targeted by commercials for toys, snacks, etc. Whether consciously or subconsciously, these commercials expose them to the gender roles that society embeds into their minds from an early age. This research focuses on determining how the advertising industry impacts the way in which gender is viewed in today’s society. The following questions are being answered in this research:

• How does the advertising industry influence society’s perception of gender roles.
• Does advertising serve as a mold for the roles that society has placed?
• Are advertisements biased towards gender?

Keywords: gender, biased, society, advertising, commercials