GENDER-STEREOTYPES, FOOD AND ADVERTISING. An Analysis of Gender-role Portrayal and Gendered Language in Japanese Video Commercials

Abstract: This thesis aims to investigate Japanese gender stereotypes through the analysis of gender role portrayals in video commercials of the product category food and cooking, as well as by observing the use of gender specific language by the characters of the commercials. This is done through a combined quantitative and qualitative analysis of 115 commercials collected from online sources. The commercials are categorized based on the variables of prominent- and assisting character gender and roles, prominent- and assisting character pairings as well as settings, and presented in the quantitative analysis. The qualitative analysis is based on a theoretical framework defining stereotypes, gender, and Japanese masculine and feminine language. The results of the analysis showed that female roles more often tended to portray a mother figure who diligently and skilfully cooks and takes care of the family while male characters generally had more diverse roles outside of the family caretaking setting. Gendered language was also shown to be used to reinforce the roles played by characters in terms of gender, age as well as relationships to other characters.