Canadian women print journalists both protest against and acquiesce to the patriarchal culture of newspapering in their daily work. Utilizing narrative analysis and the feminist theory of intersectionality, this dissertation argues that other social characteristics interact with gender as practitioners negotiate the multiple hegemonies of their workplace, and that the impacts of these characteristics change over time. The purpose of the qualitative study was to do fieldwork needed to respond to scholarly uncertainty about journalists’ individual motivations on the job and their perceived impact on the socio-political agenda. Individual interviews and focus groups were conducted over 2010-2011. Participants included 26 Canadian women print journalists in five newspapers across Canada, as well as one former journalist, now an academic. Key generational differences appeared when participants’ stories were examined with age and gender intersecting as an organizing theme. Senior participants tended to see themselves as lucky survivors in frustratingly gendered newsrooms; those in mid-career were self-sacrificing, hard workers who needed, but were not getting, workplace flexibility; and the most junior ones presented themselves as individual strategists, capable of handling whatever routine injustices were thrown at them. They wanted to stay in the business long enough to “choose” between careers and parenthood, with technological proficiency as a lifeline. Participants’ narratives revealed how the most senior tended to combine their multiple identities and externalities into a coherent whole, while younger participants experimented with and exploited aspects of their complex identities and larger societal influences to survive in a high-stress, gendered environment. This study produces evidence that the participants’ career paths are influenced in fluid and often hidden ways by other characteristics as they intersect with gender. Assumptions about these characteristics, such as age, race, parenthood status and class, further complicate the shaping of participants’ experiences in their workplaces, offering them other possible positions from which to either reinforce or resist the newsroom culture. The participants take up navigating these confused seas in ways that often leave them frustrated and angry, but ultimately most say they feel they make a difference in the socio-political agenda because of their complex identities and as voices for those deemed “voiceless.” / Graduate / 0453 / 0391 / 0708 / viviansmith@telus.net

Könsstereotypisering i reklam är ett genomgripande problem som fortsätter att forma och förstärka samhällets normer och uppfattningar om könsroller. Denna masteruppsats syftar till att ge en översikt över den problematiska naturen av könsstereotypisering i reklam, där man belyser de relaterade frågorna och deras konsekvenser, samtidigt som man erbjuder forskningsbaserade rekommendationer till intressenter för att främja mer inkluderande och rättvisa reklampraktiker. Forskningen visar att könsstereotyper kvarstår i reklam över hela världen, även om vissa länder kan uppvisa mer avancerade tillvägagångssätt för att hantera frågan. Det har också konstaterats att könsstereotypisering manifesteras genom olika medel, inklusive ljud-, visuella och semantiska element, där subtila former är särskilt oroande på grund av deras obemärkta påverkan på tittare. Viktiga områden för undersökning inkluderar de negativa effekterna av skadlig reklam, den kulturella påverkan, företags och intressenters ansvar, fördelarna med utbildning av anställda och interaktiva upplevelser, utmaningar med att uppnå allmänt engagemang, betydelsen av kvalitativ copytesting, effektiviteten i proaktiva åtgärder och branschinitiativ samt användningen av humor i reklam. Uppsatsen föreslår en forskningsbaserad metod för att främja jämställdhet mellan könen i reklam genom en föreslagen ram. / Gender stereotyping in advertising is a pervasive issue that continues to shape and reinforce societal norms and perceptions of gender roles. This master's thesis aims to provide an overview of the problematic nature of gender stereotyping in advertising, highlighting the associated issues and their implications, while offering research-based recommendations for stakeholders to foster more inclusive and equitable advertising practices. The research reveals that gender stereotypes generally persist in advertising, although some countries may exhibit more advanced approaches to addressing the issue. It was also found that gender stereotyping manifests through various means, including audio, visual, and semantic elements, with subtle forms being particularly concerning due to their unnoticed influence on viewers. Key areas of exploration include the negative effects of harmful advertising, the cultural influence, corporate and stakeholder responsibility, the benefits of employee education and interactive experiences, challenges in achieving widespread involvement, the significance of qualitative copy testing, the effectiveness of proactive measures and industry initiatives, and the use of humour in advertising. The thesis proposes a research-based approach to promoting gender equality in advertising through a suggested framework.