The purpose of this project was to examine the similarities and differences in magazine advertisements directed to women in China and Taiwan. Through content analysis of advertisments in these two countries, the researcher identified how women were portrayed and the social values or lifestyle attributed to them of each society.

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for PhD: Management Sciences , Durban University of Technology. Durban. South Africa, 2015. / The history of South Africa has many scars of oppression and women have long experienced a disempowered position in society. It is also a history of intrepid efforts to emancipate South Africans from past afflictions. Media in South Africa played a key role in amplifying the apartheid regime and also overthrowing it. Media has significant power, is regarded as a bastion of freedom and nation building, and by means of its representation, contributes to our individual and social identities. Magazine media, in particular, are modern and popular cultural forms of representation. It is a significant force in South African culture and plays a central role in shaping public opinion on women. South Africa has a deep-rooted patriarchal value system and while advances can be commended, significant challenges persist. Despite women actively engaging in various aspects of society, from business to sport, they continue to receive marginal support and media attention. Stereotypical representations abound in magazine content and women are often sexualised and objectified in traditionally feminine, decorative roles and framed by their social positions as homemakers and non-professionals. This study explores magazines’ representation of women and the influence on identity construction. The connected landscapes of media’s production and consumption practices is also addressed, as there is a powerful interplay of how the economics of publishing significantly shape media content. This study proposes a model that contributes to promoting diversity in media content, ownership and control, critical citizenry and media accountability in terms of social change and gender equality. The qualitative methodological approach addresses the issue of objectification of women in editorial content and advertisements of two of South Africa’s leading consumer magazines, YOU and DRUM. The findings reveal that gender stereotypes thrive in magazine texts that repeatedly represent women as objects for male consumption, thereby not reflecting the diverse and progressive roles of modern day women. Magazine media can play a powerful role in helping to dislodge the patriarchal, public attitudes towards women. Diversified, equitable representation of gender in media is important so that it may demonstrate, and influence, society’s shift towards egalitarian principles. This study serves as a catalyst for change by building a knowledge base and raising awareness regarding magazines’ role in identity construction, by advocating gender issues and by contributing to gender parity in and through the media. / D

abstract / English / Master / Master of Philosophy

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 1998. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 276-292). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 1998. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 276-292). Also available on the Internet.

Submitted by Mariana Lima (mariana.lima@fgvmail.br) on 2015-11-26T21:02:54Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação Mariana Braga de Lima Mex2014.pdf: 14412514 bytes, checksum: c1117481eece896b474e8ef644ae0f52 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Janete de Oliveira Feitosa (janete.feitosa@fgv.br) on 2015-12-07T12:00:56Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação Mariana Braga de Lima Mex2014.pdf: 14412514 bytes, checksum: c1117481eece896b474e8ef644ae0f52 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Maria Almeida (maria.socorro@fgv.br) on 2015-12-09T18:52:34Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação Mariana Braga de Lima Mex2014.pdf: 14412514 bytes, checksum: c1117481eece896b474e8ef644ae0f52 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-12-09T18:52:57Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação Mariana Braga de Lima Mex2014.pdf: 14412514 bytes, checksum: c1117481eece896b474e8ef644ae0f52 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-11-10 / When exploring new perspectives on the impact of non-idealized vs. idealized body image in advertising, studies have focused mainly on body size, i.e., thin vs. heavy (Antioco et al., 2012; Smeesters & Mandel, 2006). Age remains largely unexplored, and the vast majority of ads in the market depict young models. The purpose of this research is therefore to investigate which images in advertisements – young or mature models – are more persuasive for older women (40+ years old). In this investigation, two studies were conducted. The first part was an exploratory analysis with a qualitative approach, which in turn helped to formulate the hypothesis tested in the subsequent experiment. The results of the in-depth interviews suggested a conflict over notions of imprisonment (need to follow beauty standards) and freedom (wish to deviate). The results of the experiment showed essentially that among older consumers, ads portraying older models were as persuasive as ads portraying younger models. Limitations and future research are discussed.

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree Master of Technology: Graphic Design, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2014. / The aim of this study was to investigate how images of women in the media that espouse women’s empowerment can indeed have the opposite effect and may even contribute to lowered self-esteem in women. To this end, this project is intended to explore issues such as body image and image manufacture in order to find a possible answer to the question of what is ‘real beauty’ in the South African context. A semiotic approach seeking to review the ways in which women are seen through visual communicative images was undertaken. This visual research revealed the importance of the ‘gendered gaze’ at the centre of issues that relate to self-esteem. An in-depth analysis of the literature, pertaining to self-esteem, interrogated the works of Naomi Wolf, John Berger and Susie Orbach, amongst others. This was carried out in order to understand more about how the dictates of consumerism pervade the work of the style industries. These sectors are well supported by the diet, food and cosmetic surgery industries who tend to effectively increase and add to a sense of body related insecurities. In addition, content analysis of selected South African editions of Cosmopolitan magazine was conducted. The images described represents a significant development period in the emergence of certain beauty ideals in South Africa. The British Unilever marketing campaign, The Dove Campaign For Real Beauty, was used as a base model for the applied design component of this study. In addition an action research approach was employed through a series of interviews and questionnaires directed at mostly female participants in South Africa. This method revealed that self-esteem issues have far reaching implications, affecting women of all ages. As a response to the perceived need for a South African based campaign, this research project informed the development of The Sisterhood Self-Esteem Crusade. In contrast to The Dove Campaign For Real Beauty which was created to promote increased sales of beauty products, The Sisterhood Self-Esteem Crusade’s focus is to interrogate and raise awareness of self-esteem. Underpinning this was an attempt to build confidence, cascade new ways of understanding and to propagate sense making, informed through action research, amongst South African women.

From the television advertisements made by presidential candidates from 1952 to 1976, this study analyzed the 131 advertisements that contained women. The analysis used the following descriptors: Number of Women's Roles, Age, Occupation, Marital Status, Locale, Concerns, and Status Relative to the Candidate. The results indicate that women are most likely to be shown as physically present although not speaking, in the 18 to 30 age group, belonging to a non-business atmosphere yet outside the home, and of an unknown marital status, and will not be shown in the same frame as the candidate. Womens' images in these advertisements were most commonly associated with issues involving the cost of living, taxes, pro-Nixon, and social security.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-26T18:18:34Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Maria Collier de Mendonca.pdf: 14094454 bytes, checksum: 2e06160322301f96a76a2d943989d369 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-05-14 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / This study investigates how pregnant women and mothers have been represented in advertisements in the magazines Crescer and Pais e Filhos. It deals with a discussion on how advertising constructs the imaginary of pregnancy and motherhood. Our objectives were to analyze the advertising signs used to represent, translate and sensitize pregnant women and contemporary mothers. To do this, we analyzed their verbal and visual languages in an effort to identify common elements and characteristics; in other words, images, messages, and sales appeals, as well as ideals, values, and cultural symptoms which materialize in advertisements and provide symbolic exchanges with their consumer audience. Our research corpus consisted of advertisements, published in Brazil (from 2006 to 2009) in the magazines Crescer and Pais e Filhos (top publications in the sector, according to subscription and market share data). The dissertation begins with a report on the first stage of the research, in which qualitative methodology was applied to carry out three group discussions with pregnant women and mothers, who were readers and potential readers of the magazines studied, in order to survey opinions regarding how these women felt as mothers and pregnant women and investigate how they perceived the advertisements published in these magazines. Next a semiotic analysis of the advertisements is presented, based on Peircean semiotics (Peirce and Santaella), with contributions from Psychoanalysis (Freud and Lacan). Finally, the dissertation points to interpretations resulting from field study in dialogue with semiotic analysis / Esta pesquisa investiga como as mulheres grávidas e as mães têm sido representadas na publicidade das revistas Crescer e Pais e Filhos. Trata-se de um estudo dos modos como a publicidade tem construído o imaginário da gravidez e maternidade. Nossos objetivos foram analisar signos publicitários utilizados para representar, traduzir e sensibilizar mulheres grávidas e mães contemporâneas. Para isso, analisamos características das linguagens verbais e visuais, buscando identificar elementos comuns; ou seja, imagens, mensagens, apelos de venda, assim como, ideais, valores e sintomas culturais que se materializam nos anúncios e proporcionam trocas simbólicas com seu público consumidor. Nosso corpus de pesquisa é formado por anúncios publicitários, veiculados no Brasil no período de 2006 a 2009, nas revistas Crescer e Pais e Filhos (principais publicações do setor, segundo dados de circulação paga e participação de mercado). A dissertação inicia-se com o relato da primeira etapa da pesquisa, na qual foi utilizada a metodologia qualitativa para a realização de três discussões em grupo com mulheres grávidas ou mães, leitoras e potenciais leitoras das revistas pesquisadas, para se levantar opiniões acerca de como estas mulheres se sentiam enquanto mães e grávidas e investigar como elas percebiam os anúncios publicitários veiculados nestas revistas; prossegue com a análise semiótica dos anúncios estudados embasada na semiótica peirceana (Peirce e Santaella), contando com contribuições da psicanálise (Freud e Lacan); e tem seu desfecho apontando-se as interpretações resultantes da pesquisa de campo em diálogo com a análise semiótica

One aspect of the role of advertising in the process of maintaining and reinforcing or challenging the socially constructed worlds of maleness and femaleness, and especially the portrayal of the "woman's place," was explored in this study.