Summary
Through latent and manifest content analysis I was able to conduct research on five Disney channel television series over the course of twenty years to answer the question, what is the effect of gendered stereotypes on the characterization of female leads. Media and television are extremely influential in the development of young women, so my research aimed to see how feminine stereotypes in society are represented in shows over time. By going through a process of quantitative and qualitative analysis and non-probability purposive sampling, I was able to look at 5 Disney Channel shows over the course of twenty years to answer my research question. As seen in the results and discussion, from this analysis I was able to determine three main themes; From Skirts to Sweats: Changes in style over time, Boys, Books & Babysitting, and Reimagining Femininity.
Before I began my research, I had reviewed the work of other scholars in order to gain better insight into what was already known regarding this topic. My research findings paralleled what was discovered in other research such as the stereotypical characterization of women in television and movies. England (2015) concluded in her research on Disney princesses that strict stereotypical roles have been loosened over the years, which I found in my research as well. However, most of this research previously done focused on the difference between male and female representation. For example, the study done by Wilson and Douglas (1997) concluded that men and women were represented in comedies differently. Similarly, Walter and Zhao (2013) looked at how assertive males versus females are in television shows. Although I did not look at male characters, one of my codes was counting how many times the female acted submissive. As the findings of Walter and Zhao (2013) reflect, the females were more likely to be cooperative and submissive, however, over time my research reflected that submissive behavior was less present in more recent shows. The research I did before beginning my content analysis provided background to the topic and I formed similar conclusions regarding female representation in television and movies. However, the research I collected is unique because it strictly looks at female characters and their evolution over time whereas many looked at male versus female characterization.
Within my research of feminist movements, it is evident through my study that the #MeToo movement had the greatest correlation to the characterization of female leads. As discussed in my literature review, cyberfeminism is a new term that is defined as, “the use of technology for addressing gender inequalities in digital discourse, as well as material and ideological spaces,” (Schulte 2011). This relates to the #MeToo movement as an example of cyberfeminism. The hashtag went viral beginning in 2017 and is still an active tag today in 2021. This is exemplified in my research because the greatest change in characterization occurred between Riley in Girl Meets World (2016) and Gabby from Gabby Duran and the Unsittables (2020). This is exactly during the beginning of the #MeToo movement which highlights the correlation between the feminist movement that took off in Hollywood, bringing awareness to sexual inequalities in the industry, and the characterization of women in pre-teen shows.
Through my initial review of literature and content analysis, it is clear there is a correlation between feminist movements and the characterization of female leads in Disney Channel television shows. This is exemplified on a small scale as there were minor differences in the way the female leads were characterized between 2000 and 2016. These smaller differences included talk about boys and schoolwork as well as changes in the amount of make-up and other stereotypically feminine mannerisms. As stated previously the most drastic, obvious change in characterization occurred more recently in the production and casting of Gabby Duran and the Unsittables, who was the only female characterized as a tomboy.
In regard to my initial research question, what is the effect of gendered stereotypes on the characterization of female leads; it is evident that as female stereotypes have changed over the course of twenty years, the characterization of these female leads has also changed. There are many factors that come into play as stereotypes in a society evolve however the different waves of feminism, as well as the #MeToo movement, have made an impact on feminine stereotypes, consequently affecting the female characterization of young women on pre-teen Disney Channel television shows.
Future Research
Throughout this research and with the information I have gained from content analysis, other points of avenue for future research have revealed themselves. It would be interesting to analyze different television networks in a similar study to see if some are more prone to change with societal norms and stereotypes. Another interesting point to do further research on would be to look at the characterization of men in these shows. I wonder if there would be any clear changes because although feminine stereotypes have changed over time expectations of men in society have also shifted. I think that this is a topic of study that is constantly changing so as new shows come out and feminist activism continues to influence society it will be interesting to continue to make note of how the characterization of female leads evolves.
