In this exercise, you will analyze the text and images in at least 5 ads/commercials for reflections of stereotypes. You may focus on gender stereotypes or cultural stereotypes. (Gender stereotypes will be used as the example in this description.)
Begin by collecting at least five print or Internet-based ads/commercials to analyze. Each ad must contain some text and at least one image, and the ads should be for different products or services.
After collecting the ads, analyze each ad separately to determine, and then discuss, the extent to which it: (1) reflects a gender stereotype, (2) counters a gender stereotype, and/or, (3) avoids reflecting a gender stereotype. Keep several things in mind as you do your analysis. First, gender stereotypes involve both women and men and can involve the types of job each sex should have as well as the types of activities each sex should enjoy or the types of clothing each sex should wear, among other things. Second, a given ad might reflect one stereotype while countering another. For example, an image might depict a mother bringing her infant to the doctor (reflecting the stereotypical notion of women as caregivers) but the nurse at the doctor’s office might be a male (countering the stereotypical notion that nurses are always women). Third, some ads might neither reflect nor counter any gender stereotypes, so although you are encouraged to critique the ads carefully, you should also be cautious not to “see” evidence for or against stereotypes where none is present.
Discuss how people’s perception errors (and name those you consider) may influence them to “jump to a conclusion” about a phrase or image in the ad.
Write up your analyses in a journal that is a minimum of one page of content (not including the ads) . Be sure to include pictures or links to your ads/commercials.
