Gender in the Written Media: A Comparative Study between English and B/C/S

Gender in the Written Media: A Comparative Study between English and B/C/S

KESETOVIC, Selma

Key words: gender, stereotype, advertisement, culture, media ABSTRACT The paper deals with the relationship of gender stereotypes and advertising language in women’s magazines in particular. First, some general theoretical background of gender and stereotype issues will be given. Types of stereotypes along with their classification will be elaborated on, though the focus will be on gender stereotypes. How women and men see themselves but also how they see each other is important in the process of identity and society formation. We attempt to make a connection between cultural stereotypes and their representation in the media. Does the media stimulate already existing stereotypes or produce new ones are questions we intend to answer in this paper. What is gender and does it influence the media and the language of media are some of the points that will be discussed in this paper as well. Further, research will be conducted on advertisements in both the English and B/C/S corpora, and compared and contrasted. Are there any differences and similarities between the two cultures? If yes, what they are and what messages they convey are also working issues of this paper. Gender advertising is set on two patterns. Firstly, socially accepted behaviour of women and men differs significantly. Secondly, the notion of men's dominance and woman's passiveness is culturally influenced and deeply embedded in consumers' minds. Sexual objectification of women just adds to this theory. Masculine roles in advertising are highly valued and appreciated. Feminine roles in advertising are, contrary to that, devalued and derogatory.

Article
PeerReviewed

IBU Publishing

2013-05-03

1966