A Critical Essay Exploring the Evolution of Female Gender Identity in the Media.

Rui Zhang

doi:10.54097/3bdydt60

Authors

Rui Zhang

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54097/3bdydt60

Keywords:

Gender Identity, Media Representation, Child Development, Gender Schema Theory, Social Learning Theory, Gender Stereotypes, Female Empowerment, Gender Roles, Developmental Psychology, Gender Equality

Abstract

This article examines the evolution of female gender identity in the media through the comparative analysis of two influential texts: Mark Twain's 19th-century novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and the contemporary animated series My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. The study utilizes gender schema theory and social learning theory to explore how these texts shape children's understanding of gender roles. While The Adventures of Tom Sawyer reinforces traditional gender stereotypes with male-centric narratives and the marginalization of female characters, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic breaks these norms by presenting diverse and empowered female characters who lead the story and challenge conventional gender roles. This shift reflects broader societal changes towards gender equality and diversity. The essay highlights the significant impact of media representations on children's gender identity development and underscores the importance of providing diverse and equitable gender role models in media to foster a more inclusive society.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

American Psychological Association. (2023). APA Dictionary of Psychology. Dictionary.apa.org. https://dictionary.apa.org/ development.

Arias, E. (2019). How Does Media Influence Social Norms? Experimental Evidence on the Role of Common Knowledge. Political Science Research and Methods, 7(3), 561–578. https://doi.org/10.1017/psrm.2018.1.

Aubrey, J. S., & Harrison, K. (2004). The Gender-Role Content of Children’s Favorite Television Programs and Its Links to Their Gender-Related Perceptions. Media Psychology, 6(2), 111–146. https://doi.org/10.1207/s1532785xmep0602_1.

Bandura, A. (1977). Social learning theory. Englewood Cliffs, N.J. Prentice-Hall.

Bandura, A. (2001). Social Cognitive Theory of Mass Communication. Media Psychology, 3(3), 265–299. https://doi. org/10.1207/s1532785xmep0303_03.

Bem, S. L. (1981). Gender Schema Theory and Its Implications for Child Development: Raising Gender-Aschematic Children in a Gender-Schematic Society. Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society, 8(4), 598–616. https://doi.org/10.1086/ 493998.

Butler, J. (1990). Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity. Taylor and Francis.

Cislaghi, B., & Heise, L. (2020). Gender norms and social norms: differences, similarities and why they matter in prevention science. Sociology of Health & Illness, 42(2), 407–422. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9566.13008.

Coltrane, S., & Messineo, M. (2000). The Perpetuation of Subtle Prejudice: Race and Gender Imagery in 1990s Television Advertising. Sex Roles, 42(5/6), 363–389. https://doi.org/10.1023/a:1007046204478.

Damon, W., Lerner, R. M., & Eisenberg, N. (2006). Handbook of child psychology (6th ed., Vol. 3). John Wiley & Sons.

De Beauvoir, S. (1949). The Second Sex (H. M. Parshley, Trans.). Alfred A. Knopf. (Original work published 1949).

Deaton, S. (2015). SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY IN THE AGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA: IMPLICATIONS FOR EDUCATIONAL PRACTITIONERS. https://files.eric.ed. gov/fulltext/EJ1098574.pdf.

Francis, B. (2010). Gender, toys and learning. Oxford Review of Education, 36(3), 325–344. https://doi.org/10.1080/ 030549 81003732278.

Fredrickson, B. L., & Roberts, T. A. (1997). Objectification Theory: Toward Understanding Women’s Lived Experiences and Mental Health Risks. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 21(2), 173–206. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-6402.1997. tb00108.x.

Gill, M. J. (2004). When information does not deter stereotyping: Prescriptive stereotyping can foster bias under conditions that deter descriptive stereotyping. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 40(5), 619–632. https://doi. org/10.1016/j.jesp.2003.12.001.

Gilpatric, K. (2010). Violent Female Action Characters in Contemporary American Cinema. Sex Roles, 62(11-12), 734–746. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-010-9757-7.

Jimenez, S. (2022). THE REPRESENTATION OF WOMEN IN DISNEY ANIMATED FILMS THE REPRESENTATION OF WOMEN IN DISNEY ANIMATED FILMS. https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1189&context=university_honors_program.

Kahlenberg, S. G., & Hein, M. M. (2010). Progression on Nickelodeon? Gender-Role Stereotypes in Toy Commercials. Sex Roles, 62(11-12), 830–847. https://doi.org/ 10.1007/s11199-009-9653-1.

Kershaw, B. (2006). From Silence to Voice - What Nurses Know and Must Communicate to the Public . Nursing Standard, 20(45), 36–36. https://doi.org/10.7748/ ns2006. 07. 20.45.36.b498.

Lauzen, M. M., Dozier, D. M., & Horan, N. (2008). Constructing Gender Stereotypes Through Social Roles in Prime-Time Television. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 52(2), 200–214. https://doi.org/10.1080/088381 5080 1991971.

Leaper, C. (1994). Exploring the consequences of gender segregation on social relationships. New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development, 1994(65), 67–86. https://doi. org/10.1002/cd.23219946507.

Maccoby, E. E. (1988). Gender as a social category. Developmental Psychology, 24(6), 755–765. https://doi.org/10. 1037/0012-1649.24.6.755.

Martin, K. A., & Kazyak, E. (2009). Hetero-Romantic Love and Heterosexiness in Children’s G-Rated Films. Gender & Society, 23(3), 315–336. https://doi.org/10.1177/089 1243209 335635.

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. (2010). My Little Pony Official [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/ channel/UC9qgVkKRZUXcgHdf35Z-8dw.

Perry, D. G., & Pauletti, R. E. (2011). Gender and Adolescent Development. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 21(1), 61–74. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1532-7795.2010.00715.x.

Perry, D. G., Pauletti, R. E., & Cooper, P. J. (2019). Gender identity in childhood: A review of the literature. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 43(4), 289–304. https://doi.org/10.1177/0165025418811129.

Pollitt, K. (1991, April 7). Hers; The Smurfette Principle. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/1991/ 04/07/ magazine/hers-the-smurfette-principle.html.

Rideout, V. J., & Robb, M. B. (2019). The Common Sense Census. San Francisco: Common Sense.

Ridgeway, C. L., & Correll, S. J. (2004). Unpacking the Gender System. Gender & Society, 18(4), 510–531. https://doi.org/10. 1177/0891243204265269.

Rousseau, A., Eggermont, S., Bels, A., & Van den Bulck, H. (2018). Separating the sex from the object: conceptualizing sexualization and (sexual) objectification in Flemish preteens’ popular television programs. Journal of Children and Media, 12(3), 346–365. https://doi.org/10.1080/17482798. 2018.1425888.

Santoniccolo, F., Trombetta, T., Paradiso, M. N., & Rollè, L. (2023). Gender and Media Representations: A Review of the Literature on Gender Stereotypes, Objectification and Sexualization. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(10). https://doi.org/10.3390/ ijerph20105770.

Smith, S. L., Pieper, K. M., Granados, A., & Choueiti, M. (2010). Assessing Gender-Related Portrayals in Top-Grossing G-Rated Films. Sex Roles, 62(11-12), 774–786. https://doi. org/10.1007/s11199-009-9736-z.

Stanley, M. J., Banks, S., Matthew, W., & Brown, S. (2020). Operationalization of bandura’s social learning theory to guide interprofessional simulation. Journal of Nursing Education and Practice, 10(10), 61. https://doi.org/10.5430/jnep.v10n10p61.

Starr, C. R., & Zurbriggen, E. L. (2016). Sandra Bem’s Gender Schema Theory After 34 Years: A Review of its Reach and Impact. Sex Roles, 76(9-10), 566–578. https://doi.org/10.10 07/s11199-016-0591-4.

Stever, G. S., Giles, D. C., Myers, M. E., & Cohen, J. D. (2021). Understanding Media Psychology. Routledge.

Sullivan, A. (2019). “Only girls play with those”: An Analysis of Preschoolers’ Gender Schema Development through Gender Stereotype Knowledge and Recognition of Gendered Information. Senior Projects Spring 2019, 2019(94). https://digitalcommons.bard.edu/senproj_s2019/94?utm_source=digitalcommons.bard.edu%2Fsenproj_s2019%2F94&utm_medium=PDF&utm_campaign=PDFCoverPages.

Twain, M. (2018). The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Planet eBook.

Valiente, C., & Rasmusson, X. (2015). Bucking the Stereotypes: My Little Pony and Challenges to Traditional Gender Roles. Journal of Psychological Issues in Organizational Culture, 5(4), 88–97. https://doi.org/ 10.1002/ jpoc.21162.

Ward, L. M., & Grower, P. (2020). Media and the Development of Gender Role Stereotypes. Annual Review of Developmental Psychology, 2(1), 177–199. https://www.annualreviews. org/doi/10.1146/annurev-devpsych-051120-010630.

Witt, S. D. (2000). Review of Research: The Influence of Television on Children’s Gender Role Socialization. Childhood Education, 76(5), 322–324. https://doi.org/10.1080/ 00094056.2000.10522124.

Wood, J. T. (1994). Gendered Media: The Influence of Media on Views of Gender (pp. 31–39). https://www1.udel.edu/ comm245/readings/GenderedMedia.pdf.