Purpose: This study aims to illustrate underlying stereotypes and gender ideals that exist in society when sportswomen are represented in sports media. Research question: How do sportswomen get portrayed by the media and what gender ideals exist in media’s representation of the athletic woman? Work questions: Does there exist any differences when athletic women and men are represented in the media?Are there any signs of trivialization, ambivalence or infantilization in media’s representations?Which stereotypes are possible to see in media’s representations?Theories: Gender theory, infantilization, trivialization, ambivalence Method: In this study, we have used a semiotic analysis as method and the semiotic tools denotation, connotation, anchoring, relaying and the character types icon, index and symbol. The empirical material of the study is retrieved from the swedish newspapers Expressen and Aftonbladet via login to the National Library of Sweden via Karlstad University. Conclusion: By the semiotic analysis it was possible to see that sportswomen in a much higher degree were assigned attributes that by gender theory are considered female stereotypes. When sportswomen were successful it was possible to see clear signs that indicated that they were weak and emotional, on the other hand there was more focus on strength and performance when sportsmen achieved success. Infantilization, trivialization, and ambivalence was common in both situations when women were successful and when they failed. In the study it was possible to see evident patterns that indicated towards feelings and tears when sportswomens were represented. Through the analysis it was possible to establish that sportswomen's performance got diminished and they were looked at as deviant in sportmedia compared to the sportsmen who continue to be seen as the standard and norm. Key words: semiotics, sports journalism, gender, trivialization, ambivalence, infantilization, marginalization, stereotypes
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:kau-85023 |
| Date | January 2021 |
| Creators | Nyberg, Rebecka |
| Publisher | Karlstads universitet |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | Swedish |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf, application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess, info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
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