Gender representation in a Confucian society: South Korean television advertisements

There have been few studies on gender representation in television advertisements featuring a Confucian culture. Based on a content analysis of 322 television advertisements, this article presents results of gender stereotypes, including females portrayed as younger and thinner than males and product categories reflecting typical gender associations. With regard to the latter finding, body care/cosmetics and household appliances were associated with females, and mobile phones and home entertainment products were associated with males. In contrast, counter-stereotypical gender representations included a numerical dominance of females and settings and voiceovers that showed no traditional gender association. The possible effects of such representations on the audience were analyzed using social cognitive theory.