Gogoleva E. N. Gender stereotypes in television commercials as a gender inequality reflection, pp. 77-86


The facts provided in the article show that a TV commercial, besides the task of goods promotion, actively contributes to formations of definite norms and styles of human social behavior in society. It seems possible because gender stereotypes categorize, simplify and schematize social reality. The sociological analysis of nonverbal behavior of the television commercial characters has revealed the formation and specifics of gender stereotypes representation. At the same time, the male and female images in TV commercials differ in the importance of the nonverbal communication mechanisms. Therefore, the emphasis is on physiognomics in the female images while in the males’ it is on proxemics and kinesics. Stereotyped male and female images define: firstly, qualities and characteristics by which it is possible to describe appearance of men and women; secondly, the standard examples of interpersonal, intergroup and professional behavior that are traditionally attributed to men or women; thirdly, the arsenal of social roles culturally determined by the modern Russian society. At the same time, the means of nonverbal communication reproduce the gender asymmetry of the modern Russian society which is shown in strengthening of the relations of domination and submission between men and women. As a result, the gender inequality be-comes stronger on television, that consolidates position of existing social hierarchies.
read in PDF>>>