University of Twente Student Theses
Redefining Masculinity: A Study on the Shifting Landscape of Advertisements and its Impact on the Perception of Masculinity among Young Adult Men
Lingnau, L.M. (2023) Redefining Masculinity: A Study on the Shifting Landscape of Advertisements and its Impact on the Perception of Masculinity among Young Adult Men.
|
PDF
1MB |
| Abstract: | This paper examines how men aged 18-30 perceive the shift in the portrayal of masculinity in advertisements and what they believe to be the effects of this. With a growing societal shift in the representation of gender roles, the advertising industry has started to diversify their portrayal of masculinity. To get a better idea of how to portray masculinity to reduce the phenomenon of toxic masculinity, it is important to understand the impact and potential effects of this shift. This paper specifically focuses on men between the age of 18-30. To study this, 15 male participants between the age of 18-30 were shown a set of traditional advertisements as well as a set of progressive advertisements and were interviewed in semi-structured interviews about their thoughts and feelings on the portrayal of masculinity in each. These interviews were then coded and analyzed using the software ‘Atlas.ti’. It was found that a majority of participants perceived the portrayal of masculinity in the traditional set of advertisements as outdated, unrealistic, and potentially harmful, while the second compilation was received overall positively, with participants praising the diversity and emphasis on individuality within the compilation. This suggests that the shift in the portrayal of masculinity positively impacts men between the age of 18-30 in several areas, resulting in more tolerance and diversity among men. Ultimately, this leads to the conclusion that the shift can be beneficial in reducing the phenomenon of toxic masculinity in society in general. |
| Item Type: | Essay (Bachelor) |
| Faculty: | BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences |
| Subject: | 05 communication studies |
| Programme: | Communication Studies BSc (56615) |
| Link to this item: | https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/95552 |
| Export this item as: | BibTeX EndNote HTML Citation Reference Manager |
Show download statistics for this publication
Show download statistics for this publicationRepository Staff Only: item control page