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SATURDAY MORNING CHILDREN'S TV SHOWS.
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Analyzes networks' shows for November 21, 1998, to show attitudes toward gender roles & stereotypes.... More...
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Paper Abstract:
Analyzes networks' shows for November 21, 1998, to show attitudes toward gender roles & stereotypes.
Paper Introduction:
Television is considered a powerful force in American life, whether for good or for ill, and the latter distinction has been much argued over the history of television broadcasting. One of the issues raised in recent years involves how television serves as an example in teaching gender roles to children, and this issue has become more heated as gender roles in society at large have been challenged, analyzed, and tested with the shifts in thinking and behavior that have taken place over the last two decades. It is not surprising that critics of television cannot agree on the effect of gender role presentation in the media when they cannot agree among themselves on what types of gender roles should be projected in the first place. Some theorists have simply approached the issue with the question as to whether or not television has any effect on gender role at all, and if so,
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Female characters alsoappear as villains, which in its own way shows an equal-opportunity mindset with women who are autonomous and powerful. Works CitedFerris, C.D. (199 Winter). & H. Children take time to learn some of thevocabulary of television and may misunderstand the relationship of one shotto another or one image to another (Greenfield 9-11). New York: H.W. To some children, the screen is areal-world space, and they feel that everything that happens in this samereal-world space is related. Females are students and teachers on "Flying RhinoJunior High." the heroes on "Myths and Warriors" are male, and thosethreatened largely female, like Pandora, also blamed for bringing misery tothe human race. 2nd ed. On "Anatole," "DumbBunnies," and "Birdz," female characters fulfil family roles as mother,sisters, and the like. (1981). The programs on the WB Network hark back to a long tradition ofsuperheroes from Dell Publishing on "Batman/Superman Adventures," and thesemale superheroes are the primary characters on the shows and generallyinteract with female characters only to challenge or save them from harm.Lois Lane on "Superman" has long been a career woman who takes chances andwho has a high degree of autonomy, and so the fact that she usually has tobe saved by Superman does not undercut her value as a role model, eventhough a somewhat reckless one. Parents often use television as a form of babysitter, andchildren take easily to the viewing experience. The schooladministrators are both male, but there are female teachers who appear.This program is followed by "Hang Time," a program centering on a highschool sports team and its cheerleaders, making the women in the show morestereotypical. New York: Academic Press.Rowe, K.K. "City Guys" which features two maleleads with a number of male and female students in secondary roles and witha woman principal who is strong and who expresses much of the morereasonable and value-oriented dialogue on the show. Action cartoons tend to remain male-dominated, though thisalso depends on the origin of the show and other issues. The Early Window: Effects of Television on Children and Youth. Television and the American Child. Wilson.Greenfield, P.M. Ferris notes thatyoung children in a survey were asked whether they would give up theirtoys, their fathers, or their television, and the majority said they wouldgive up their toys and even talking with their fathers before they wouldgive up their television (Ferris 141). The programs an CBS and ABC are clearly designed for much youngerviewers, and animated shows fill the morning schedule on both networks. Sprafkin & E.S. Content analysis shows that thereare far fewer females than males in the world of television, with malesfilling between 66 and 75 percent of all roles. Overall, male characters predominate at about 65 to 7 percent on theshows monitored, but they are even more prominent when the nature of theirroles is considered. Girls in school are featured in "Pepper Ann." The programs on CBS begin with "Franklin," followed by other animatedshows. Television is considered a powerful force in American life, whetherfor good or for ill, and the latter distinction has been much argued overthe history of television broadcasting. The adult role model in the show is a male sports coach."One World" is an odder assortment of students, with one female with spikedhair who acts as the "tough guy" on the show and who represents youngpeople form broken homes who have had a touch life and who are now inschool but still with an attitude. Thus, attention is maximal generally for movies and, among children, for children's programming (Comstock 26). These studies and conclusions were from a decade or so ago and wouldpresumably be different from television today given the degree of socialchange that has taken place since that time, especially with reference towomen's roles in society. "The FCC Takes a Hard Look at Television." In C. Eachnetwork also has some inter-program material with young people presentinginformation, teaching lessons, and commenting on the programs, and there ismore balance in these sections of programming as well. Her personality is such that she usuallydoes something dangerous just because she has been warned not to do so,which is not such a good message for young people. Liebert, Sprafkin, and Davidson find a number of sources of genderstereotypes for children on television. On some of these shows, gender is difficult to determine, for thecharacters are animals and not identified by gender. Lowe. "Recess" is another showabout school, here grammar school, with harridan-like female teachers, butalso with girls who equal the boys in terms of aspirations to sports,science, and other pursuits. An analysis of the programs on CBS, NBC, ABC,and the WB networks from Saturday morning, November 21, 1998 shows thatthere are more female characters than in the past on some shows, though thenature of these roles depends somewhat on the type of program involved.Cartoons for young children tend to have both male and female characters inequal numbers. The programs on NBC on Saturday morning are live-action and followthe same basic pattern, being shows about teenagers in school andinteracting with teachers and administrators. the live action shows are more balanced. Davidson (1982). Researchers have found that children do not always understandtelevision in the same way adults do. "Saved by the Bell" offersthree male leads and three female leads and gives equal screen time to all,with the women predominating in the episode on this particular morning.Indeed, the women on the show seem to be somewhat more intelligent than themales, but that may be a matter of emphasis in a given episode. Onexclusively children's programs, females were shown as generally passive,deferential, and likely to be punished for displaying high levels ofeffort, while males were seen as planful, constructive, and generallyrewarded for their efforts. The heaviest viewers of televisionare children. TV males are portrayed as more powerful, dominant,aggressive, stable, persistent, rational, and intelligent than females,while females were more attractive, altruistic, sociable, warm,sympathetic, happy, rule abiding, peaceful, and youthful than males. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1984.Comstock, G. One girl fills the role of spoiled rich girl,and the sister is presented as a foolish radical. Some theorists have simply approached the issue with the questionas to whether or not television has any effect on gender role at all, andif so, what do current television presentations portray and what effect dothese portrayals have. An analysis of Saturday morning children'stelevision on four networks on November 21, 1998 shows how gender roleshave expanded on these shows in recent years while still reflecting certainstereotypes and common themes long part of American gender depictions. One of the issues raised in recentyears involves how television serves as an example in teaching gender rolesto children, and this issue has become more heated as gender roles insociety at large have been challenged, analyzed, and tested with the shiftsin thinking and behavior that have taken place over the last two decades.It is not surprising that critics of television cannot agree on the effectof gender role presentation in the media when they cannot agree amongthemselves on what types of gender roles should be projected in the firstplace. Paik (1991). The effect onchildren may depend on which network they watch, but while the networks doseem to be trying to make some accommodation to concern about gender biasand to include more women in prominent roles, the shows seem simply to makeboth males and females seem equally silly and foolish. Television in America. Men predominate on the show, and the women seenfill traditional roels such as mother, sister, girl firend, grocery clerk,secretary, and cheerleader. (198 ). A number of important findings have emerged fromthis research, leading Comstock to conclude, This pattern leads to a principle: Attention rises with the ability and need to assemble a narrative successfully, and falls when elements can be comprehended individually or missed elements can be readily supplied by the viewer. In terms of formaloccupational roles, males are generally employed and enjoy highlyprestigious positions such as doctors, lawyers, and law enforcementofficials, while women are assigned marital, romantic, and family roles.On children's Saturday morning television, there was a greater diversity ofmale jobs, with 42 different male jobs and only 9 different female jobs ina 1974 survey. Live-actionchildren's programming on Saturday morning seems to be trying to maintainan equality of male and female characters, with each being presented asequably foolish and as obsessed with ideas about dating, social standing,and appearance. Television is presumed to have a particular effect on children overand above what it might have on adults. New York: Pergamon Press.----------------------- 8 theimage of women is not elevated on this program. Television and American Culture. Comstock reports on a number of studies that have providedinformation regarding how children process television and what cognitiveprocesses are utilized. More males are heroic and have powerful social rolesin the animated shows. "Roseanne: Unruly Woman as Domestic Goddess." Screen 31(4), 4 8-419.Liebert, R.M., J.N. Beverly Hills: SDFE.Comstock, G. Males had a wide variety of occupations onSaturday morning cartoons, while females were nearly always pretty teens orhousewives (Liebert, Sprafkin, and Davidson 163-166). However, there arenumerous unanswered and disturbing questions about what effect long hoursof television watching may have on children (Rowe 115). OnDisney's ABC, "Doug" is the first show and features a young man, hisfamily, and his friends. Mind and Media.
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