Graduation Date
1999
Document Type
Thesis
Program
Master of Arts degree with a major in Sociology
Committee Chair Name
Dr. Jerrald D. Krause
Committee Chair Affiliation
Cal Poly Humboldt Faculty or Staff
Second Committee Member Name
Dr. Lee H. Bowker
Third Committee Member Name
Dr. Ronald A. Fritzsche
Keywords
Sociology
Subject Categories
Sociology
Abstract
The media can be understood not as a mechanism which dictates cultural specifics, but rather, as forum for cultural mimicry. The Symbolic Interactionist perspective suggests that the media has a degree of influence similar to that of other actors, because readers are imputed in the production of meaning. Interactions are dynamic and, as a consequence, a multiplicity of meanings are inevitable. Women’s occupational imaging in advertisements can be utilized toillustrate this assertion. Year intervals in which labor force participation rates increased 1.5% or greater were extracted from labor force data. In order to ascertain what influence the media has had on the aggregate occupational patterns of women, a content analysis of magazine advertisements was conducted during and prior to these years, as well as during and prior to times of labor force participation decrease. Much has been written on both the employment patterns of women and their representation in the media. Content analyses of magazines have been done which examined the occupational imaging of women, as well as textual portrayals. However, an examination of the temporal relationship between the two has not been conducted. A content analysis of magazine advertisements during years of escalation in women’s labor force participation rates demonstrated the lack of a causal relationship. There is no correspondence between magazine imaging and women’s aggregate employment patterns.
Recommended Citation
Crawford, Cassandra S., "The Media's Influence on Women's Labor Force Participation: A Content Analysis of Magazines" (1999). Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects. 2381.
https://digitalcommons.humboldt.edu/etd/2381