17th Annual Student Research Conference
Human Potential and Performance
Portrayals of Gender Roles in Sports Illustrated
Ashlea E. Wood*, Robin L. Loft, and Jason P. Waggoner♦
Dr. Christopher D. Lantz and Dr. Jerry Mayhew, Faculty Mentors
Previous research suggests that Sports Illustrated is not simply a magazine, but is a major cultural phenomenon by allowing a glimpse into societal trends of the times. We chose to look at all shoe advertisements appearing in the first week of the first and sixth months of every five years from 1954 to 2004. This study was conducted to determine the differences in the portrayals of gender roles in Sports Illustrated over the last fifty years. We coded all advertisements by using a rubric including the frequency of appearance of men and women, supporting and main roles, and focus of the advertisement. A trend analysis and cross tabulation of the data collected trans-indicated that there was an increase in racial equity and female frequency in the more recent issues. We also found a percentage of males versus females appearing in the advertisements, which indicated that men appear more than women.
Keywords:
Topic(s):Exercise Science
Presentation Type: Poster
Session: 26-13
Location: OP Lobby & Atrium
Time: 1:15
♦ Indicates Truman Graduate Student