Learning from the ads: A triangulated examination of the assault on the last bastion of hegemonic masculinity: the super bowl 2003-2007

Abstract

This study was a thematic analysis that attempted to understand what messages television commercials send to the viewing audience concerning appropriate gender roles. Specifically, this study examined the Super Bowl commercials aired on television from 2003-2007, and examined the gender roles portrayed in these commercials. This study used a triangulated methodology, as both a thematic content analysis and a descriptive textual analysis were used to better understand the “themes” present in the artifacts analyzed. The themes used in this study came from Janet Saltzman Chafetz’s work (1974) concerning gender roles. This study used the themes identified by the focus groups Chafetz conducted and looked for these themes in Super Bowl commercials. In the quantitative section, the frequency each theme was identified (overall and as a trend study), the intensity of the themes were calculated, and correlations were identified between the themes. The commercials were found to not only portray traditional gender roles (as was expected) but also to depict non-traditional gender roles. Moreover, the correlations used in this study identified that there were several significant relationships between traditional, nontraditional, and transitional gender roles. Finally, the textual analysis used in the qualitative part of this project revealed how gender roles were portrayed in more detail in selected commercials, and this allowed for a deeper insight into the meaning behind these themes.