Commission on the Status of Women 2013 Abstracts
Checking the pulse of health and medical news: Women as reporters, sources, and subjects • Julie Andsager, University of Iowa • Health news is a salient arena for examination of gender because women comprise a growing proportion of health communicators. This content analysis of news releases, national news, and network TV news included source gender and roles in general and women’s health news. Reporter gender did not make a difference in gender of sources. Men outnumbered women as sources overall and in positions of authority. Women’s health comprised a small segment of health coverage.
A Female in a Man’s World”: New Media Discourses around the First Female NFL Referee • Dunja Antunovic, Pennsylvania State University • In August, 2012 the National Football League (NFL) announced: a female referee would be officiating for the first time in the league’s history. Shannon Eastin took the field as a replacement referee, as she gained this opportunity amidst a labor dispute between the NFL and the referees union. This paper examines new media discourse surrounding Eastin’s debut in the NFL as a pioneer woman. Conducting the analysis from a feminist perspective, I found that the media, bloggers and fans celebrated Eastin’s accomplishment and hailed the moment as an important milestone for women in sports. Sexist and paternalistic comments remained concealed on the message boards. Present in the discourse, but barely visible were critical analyses on the institutional issues that prevent women from breaking the barrier of male hegemony. I recommend that feminist scholars continue to engage with the ways in which gendered power relations manifest in the online environment, particularly in the sphere of sports, which despite the growing participation of women remains a male domain in the U.S. society.
News Sourcing and Gender on Twitter • Claudette Artwick, Washington and Lee University • Traditional news sourcing practices that favor official, male voices have been widely documented over time and across media. But do these patterns persist in today’s social media environment, where women outnumber and spend more time than men? This study explores news sourcing and gender on Twitter by analyzing more than 2,700 tweets from reporters at 51 U.S. newspapers. Guided by hegemony and set within the framework of social networking technology, the research examines quoting practices and interaction with sources by gender, beat, newspaper size, and live coverage.
The double bind of political women: Coverage of Hillary Clinton’s performance during the Benghazi Hearings • Dustin Harp, University of Texas – Arlington; Jaime Loke, University of Oklahoma; Ingrid Bachmann, Catholic University of Chile • Research has shown that news coverage of female politicians typically follow gendered lines that often disregard women’s competence for political affairs. Grounded in feminist theoretical framework, this textual analysis examines news websites coverage of Hillary Clinton’s congressional testimony on the Benghazi attack. The findings suggest that though there has been progress in how a notable female politician was covered in the media, there still remained discourse that perpetrated the stereotypical feminine frames.
Where the Gender Differences Really Reside: The “Big Five” Sports Featured in NBC’s 2012 London Primetime Olympic Broadcast • Andrew Billings, University of Alabama; James Angelini, University of Delaware; Paul MacArthur, Utica College; Kimberly Bissell, University of Alabama; Lauren Smith, Auburn University; Natalie Brown, University of Alabama • This study analyzed all 69 hours of NBC’s primetime coverage of the 2012 London Summer Olympics to determine which sports were most likely to contain divergences in dialogue by gender of athlete. Coding over 14,000 descriptors, 23 significant differences were detected: 11 attributions of athletic success and failure and 12 depictions of personality and physicality. Swimming was found to have the most dialogue differences (seven) while beach volleyball only contained one. Ramifications and implications for the study of gender in sports media are offered.
The Non-Communicative Female Consumer: A Look at Conflict & Confidence • Chizoma Cluff, Howard University • Although globally, women control about $20 trillion in annual consumer spending (Silverstein and Sayre, 2009. p.2), and make over 85% of the consumer purchases in the US, the female consumer has yet to be a driving force to the structure of customer relations in corporate consumership. In a world infused by the male influenced language and structure, the perspective and notion of corporate dominance and customer relations for the female consumer is obscured. Since conflict is unavoidable during a complaint, the obstacles the female consumer faces mounts as she battles this variable as she approaches corporate personnel face-to-face (F2F). The intent of this study was to determine if F2F complaint was affected by the female consumer’s self-confidence. The study also determines the difference in her confidence and behavior during a complaint using the corporate computer-mediated-communication (CMC) tools. The strength of this study rests on the official statistics and research that indicated the relationship and influence of self-confidence on the female consumer population during complaint interaction with corporations. To achieve the results, a quantitative questionnaire research was conducted to determine the impact of self-confidence of the female consumer population during their complaints. The study proposed hypothesis and results indicated that the female consumer is impacted by her self-confidence during F2F complaints and would prefer to use corporate CMC tools for complaints. However, the majority of female consumers do not find corporate CMC tools as effective. With the inefficiency of corporate CMC tools, the female consumer remains restricted in expression.
Scene of the crime: News discourse of rape in India and the geopolitics of sexual assault • Meenakshi Durham, University of Iowa • This paper applies critical discourse analysis to the first week of news coverage of a gang rape in New Delhi, India. Using theories of place, transnational feminism, and critical media studies, the paper interrogates the construction of space in US news coverage of a Third World sexual assault. The findings are that the news texts operate hegemonically to construe India as a space of sexual danger, vitiating the possibilities of transnational feminist activism.
Here Comes The Bride: A Content Analysis Examining Representations of Women in Brides Magazine Advertisements • Bene Eaton, University of Houston; Temple Northup, University of Houston • This study examines advertisements in Brides magazines published in 2011. A content analysis was employed to assess if Goffman’s (1979) gender role categories were applicable to the advertisements, to measure the advertisements’ socioeconomic depictions, and to examine models’ beauty ideals. Advertisements were found to reflect traditional gender roles and upper socioeconomic classes. Additionally, models were found to be predominately thin, Caucasian, and flawless. This research raises awareness about the representation of women in bridal media.
“Knope We Can!” Primetime Feminist Strategies in NBC’s “Parks and Recreation” • Erika Engstrom • The current inquiry addresses how popular television in the form of the NBC comedy series “Parks and Recreation” (2009- ), actively incorporates feminist ideology. Using textual analysis, the author describes four strategies by which the series’ text forwards feminism: the show’s presentation of Pawnee, Indiana as obsolete patriarchy, the central motif of feminism in individual episodes which illustrate how the personal is political, the appearance of noticeable and notable mentions of feminists, and feminism visualized. Through the strategic placement and presentation of visual text, in the form of feminist icons and symbols, and verbal text, in the form of dialogue, this 30-minute sitcom promotes an “everyday” feminism that normalizes the idea that feminists are everyday people.
The Status of Feminist Public Relations Theory • Kim Golombisky, University of South Florida • This essay scans the varieties of feminisms in academic public relations in terms of issues studied, theoretical developments, and feminist commitments. The author argues that feminist public relations theory would benefit by defining gender as performative, defining women through intersectionality, moving beyond liberal and radical formulations of feminism, and focusing on goals of gender justice rather than gender equality or equity.
Advising brides: How bridal magazines frame ceremonial and emotional crisis advice for women • Kristen Grimmer, University of Kansas; Kylee McCullough; Elaine Harber, University of Kansas • Crisis has been defined as a situation that disrupts business as usual (Coombs, 2007). Research has examined organizations in crises, however this study explored crises on an individual, personal level through the lens of bridal magazines. This study used framing theory, traditionally applied to news and politics, to investigate advice designed for brides in crisis. This extension of framing theory suggests future applications to other milestones in women’s lives, such as puberty, motherhood, and menopause.
Framing Cultural Warfare: Press Coverage of the Guerrilla Girls 1985-2011 • Katherine LaPrad, University of South Carolina • In order to evaluate the role the media play in the production of knowledge that may or may not increase awareness concerning social issues in society, this study analyzes how the news media have framed the Guerrilla Girls’ activities from 1985 to 2011. Findings reveal that the news media retain long existing biases toward women, feminists, and especially feminist activists that fight to dismantle larger institutions of power.
Binaries and the big screen in China: A longitudinal analysis of character gender in feature films • Carol Liebler, Syracuse U; Wei Jiang, University of Macau • This study examines gender constructions of the main characters in Chinese top-grossing feature films, 2002-2011, and the sex of content creators in relation to film content. Content analysis of 332 characters reveals that women are more likely than men to be young, sexualized and conform to an ideal image. Male characters are older and reflect traditional Chinese norms of masculinity. Women are rarely present among content creators, and most likely to be writers or producers.
Breastfeeding in Uniform: Contesting Discourses of Masculinity, Nationalism, and the Military • Jennifer Midberry, Temple University • This qualitative narrative analysis examines comments on the “Breastfeeding in Combat Boots” blog to investigate discourses about controversial photos of two airmen breastfeeding in uniform in public. This feminist critique is a case study that sheds light on the ideology that fuels criticism about breastfeeding in public generally and about public breastfeeding in the military specifically. It also aims to explicate what the criticism reveals about masculine and nationalist discourses about women in the military.
Gender Representation in Television Advertising: The Case of the Philippines • Michael Prieler, Hallym University; Dave Centeno • This study analyzed 254 unduplicated primetime Philippine television advertisements from 2010 for differences in gender representation. Two coders independently coded the entire sample and achieved an intercoder reliability of greater than .700 for each reported variable. The findings are based on chi-square analyses and indicate a high prevalence of gender differences and stereotypes in Philippine television advertisements. For example, more males were shown in the workplace (17.9% vs. 7.4%), whereas more females were shown at home (45.9% vs. 24.5%); males were generally fully clothed (88.7% vs. 44.6%), whereas females were often suggestively dressed (52.7% vs. 6.6%); more males than females delivered voiceovers (46.1% vs. 35.0%); and product categories were stereotypically associated with gender. The only exception to these traditional, stereotypical gender portrayals was the predominance of primary female characters in television advertisements (58.3% vs. 41.7%). Overall, such stereotypical portrayals do not accurately reflect Philippine society, which is considered to be one of the most egalitarian Asian societies with regard to gender. By analyzing Philippine television advertisements, this study intends to close a gap in the still under-researched area of gender representation in developing countries, which could provide a more complete picture of this topic from an international perspective. The similarities and differences between this research and previous studies on this topic in developing and developed countries are examined. The possible effects of such representation on audiences are discussed based on social cognitive theory and cultivation theory.
“Binders Full of Tweets”: Twitter Coverage of “Women’s Issues” During the 2012 Elections • Rachel Reis Mourao, University of Texas at Austin • In 2012, policies labeled “women’s issues” became central to the electoral process. This paper sought to analyze the coverage of those issues by journalists on Twitter. Through a content analysis of selected tweets, results revealed that coverage focused on abortion, equal rights, rape, and the economy in the context of political strategy and candidates’ characteristics. Male politicians were cited the most, although female journalists were more likely than male colleagues to mention women and nonpoliticians.
Scripted Eros: Framing analysis of sexuality-related articles in women’s and men’s magazines • Miglena Sternadori, University of South Dakota; Mandy Hagseth, University of South Dakota • This analysis of sexual scripts in two men’s and two women’s magazines suggests that, regardless of the gender of the target audience, sexuality is framed mostly in ways that prioritize the narrow construction of heterosexual men’s sexual schemas according to the Centerfold Syndrome theory (Brooks, 1995). Although an illusory power is awarded to women in their role as seductresses, this construction serves mostly purposes of men’s pleasure, aligning with Gadsden’s (2000) point that male dominance over female sexuality is reinforced through media. Both women’s and men’s magazines normalize and mainstream sexual scripts that fit the elements of a constructed, hypemasculine sexuality based around men’s voyeurism and objectification of women’s bodies, emotional aloofness, trophyism, and need for sexual validation. Three additional tropes that emerged in women’s magazines – sex as dirty, women’s interest in submissive sex, and women’s potential for sexual victimization – do not feat neatly into the elements of the Centerfold Syndrome, but continue to emphasize the general cultural narrative of male dominance and female submission.
“Greatest” Grace Coolidge: Why A First Lady Who Once Captured America Is Now Forgotten • Teri Finneman, University of Missouri-Columbia; Ryan Thomas, University of Missouri-Columbia • In 1931, Good Housekeeping named Grace Coolidge one of America’s 12 greatest living women. This study explores why a woman admired during her time has largely faded from history. Examining how media construct “acceptable” gender roles offers insight into the factors that prevented Grace from leaving a lasting legacy at a critical time in feminism. This gender repression undoubtedly delayed advancements in the women’s movement and perpetuated an expectation of first ladies that remains today.
“No Girls Allowed: A Textual Analysis of Newspaper Coverage of the National Council of Women’s Organization’s Protest of the 2003 Masters Tournament” • Mary Tucker-McLaughlin, East Carolina University; Cindy Elmore, East Carolina University • Using a textual analysis this paper compares the frames presented in the local, regional and national newspaper coverage of the National Council of Womens’ Organizations’ protest at The Augusta National’s 2003 Masters Tournament. The coverage was analyzed according to four categories: location of the newspaper, Op/Ed pieces, the gender of the reporter covering the story, and the general positive or negative framing of the articles. The analysis found that the gender of the reporter/contributor and the proximity of the newspaper to Augusta affected the framing of the event in the articles. Ninety-four articles were analyzed in the study. Drawing on other scholarship that has explored media coverage of feminist topics, the paper discusses the implications of the negative, and patriarchal, news coverage.
Issues of representation, reflexivity, and research-participant relationships: Doing feminist cultural studies to improve health campaigns • Jennifer Vardeman-Winter, University of Houston • I reflect upon findings from a feminist cultural study uncovering teen girls’ and parents’ perceptions of the Gardasil HPV/cervical cancer vaccine media campaign. I consider issues important to feminist researchers like representation, reflexivity, and researcher-participant relationships as they relate to public relations research. Topics discussed are seeing the dark side of meeting our publics, renegotiating feminist ideals, and balancing strategic and feminist goals. I propose considerations for doing feminist cultural studies to inform campaign production.
Her Cup of Tea: Tea Party Women in the News Media • Khadijah White, Annenberg School for Communication • The news frames that aimed to expose, legitimize, and explore the Tea Party relied heavily upon race, gender, and class. Because the topic of taxes invokes discussions of citizenship, belonging, and nationhood, equally implicated are the legacies of slavery, women’s suffrage, and working-class labor struggles and others who have led historic fights to be recognized and treated as equal in American society. Through reports about the Tea Party, journalists were able to invert twentieth-century notions of politics, portraying political activists as credible government candidates, feminists as anti-choice, white people as oppressed, and old people as the fiery radicals. This paper closely examines the ways in which the key (and often competing) themes of womanhood and feminism, through the bodies of Tea Party female politicians, drove the Tea Party narrative and gave it salience as a national news story.
Commemorating Forty Years: Title IX, Anniversary Journalism, and the Politics of Memory • Erin Whiteside, University of Tennessee; Lori Roessner, UTK • In June 2012 Title IX celebrated its fortieth anniversary to much fanfare nationwide, particularly in sporting circles. The event generated widespread news coverage, and journalists thus played a key role in situating the story of not only the law’s beginnings, but its place in contemporary gender politics. This study examines the public memory of Title IX, as told in mainstream media outlets in the weeks surrounding the law’s anniversary. Drawing from a post-structuralist perspective on gender, we argue that the ensuing narratives invited a disconnection to the socio-historical underpinnings behind Title IX, and put in motion a set of discourses that essentializes the female subject, in turn leaving powerful forms of invisible privilege intact.
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