Date on Honors Thesis

Winter 12-16-2023

Major

Advertising

Minor

Management

Examining Committee Member

Professor Gill Welsch, Advisor

Examining Committee Member

Dr. Kenneth Kim, Committee Member

Examining Committee Member

Dr. Tim Vance, Committee Member

Abstract/Description

Race and gender stereotyping is a longstanding problem in the world of advertising. This research utilized content and statistical analysis to answer three questions regarding race and gender stereotyping in Instagram advertising: (1) what portrayals are being shown? (2) how are these portrayals being shown? And (3) are diverse advertisements reinforcing or challenging stereotypes? Tweny advertisements were chosen off Instagram to analyze. Through an analysis of literature on the topic, a code book defining race, person of color, sex, gender, and gender expression was created. Using these variables and classifying the ads as a stereotype/counterstereotype/neutral, allowed for the creation of a Chi Square, a statistical test used to identify a significant relationship between multiple variables. This exploratory study does not suggest that there was gender or racial stereotyping in the sample collected and analyzed.

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