Table of ContentsIntroductionMethodsCoding ProceduresResultsResearch Question 1Research Question 2DiscussionConclusionWorks Cited:IntroductionEvery day, consumers are exposed to thousands of advertisements containing communication messages, created to meet their needs. and deliver an effective message. Thus, characters in advertisements must be relevant to the target consumer and contribute to the persuasive effectiveness of the advertising message. The media, especially advertisers, have long used beautiful women as an important visual (non-verbal) element to attract viewers and sell products. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay The October 2017 issue of Glamor magazine provides plenty of evidence for this. The purpose of this study is to analyze the representation of women and how racial demographics are reflected in American magazine advertisements. The main goal of this study is to see if there is a common theme in advertisements in the depictions of women's body types, expressions, and poses. Another emphasis is placed on the distribution of Caucasian and African American women in advertisements. RQ1: In the magazine's advertisements, how are women represented in fashion and cosmetics advertisements? RQ2: Is the representation of Caucasian Americans and African Americans in magazine advertisements proportional to their representation in all American advertisements? Methods The magazine chosen for content analysis is the October 2017 issue of Glamor , a magazine that translates the style and trends of American women. . To ensure that subsequent results were representative of Glamor magazines in general and not typical of any one magazine, this specific issue was randomly chosen from the twelve other issues in circulation in 2017. A two-stage sampling procedure was used. First, ads that depicted at least one woman were included, excluding ads without women or only with women's body parts. Additionally, repeated advertisements were not selected for the sample. In the second stage, all selected advertisements were listed and a simple probability sampling procedure was undertaken. Finally, 50 out of 80 advertisements were selected. Coding ProceduresFor the first research question, women in advertisements are classified into two groups based on their positioning and actions in different advertisements: active and passive. The active category includes models performing the following actions: moving or moving, long shot or angle exposure of the whole body, and varied facial expressions. On the other hand, the passive category includes inactive models, medium shot or close-up, and stiff facial expressions. The coding process specializes in advertisements promoting fashion and cosmetics; it therefore excludes advertisements for feminine hygiene and health aid products. Regarding the second research question, the women in the advertisements are also coded into two distinct groups based on their skin color: Caucasian women (white and pale complexion) and African women. American women (darker complexion and tan). The categorization process excludes women of other races, such as Hispanic Americans and Asian Americans, because the race and ethnicity of these women were difficult to determine bypure visual observation and the sample does not satisfy the objective of the research question.ResultsResearch question 1The analysis revealed that 34 out of 50 selected samples were model advertisements promoting their designated products in an inactive manner. For example, 15 advertisements presented their women as active and lively. The ads showed women from the collarbone upwards, and the models looked directly into the camera lens with an intriguing or mischievous look. All of these advertisements were promoting skincare and makeup products; so these women, with their feminine touch, caress or touch themselves or objects (the beauty product). One example to consider is the L'Oréal series of six facial products. The shots are similar in that they highlight the model's beauty while wearing the product. Using a close-up, the women are shown to fully express their beauty, but they remain still, inactive, waiting for their faces to be visible. capture. The models all appear to be sitting or standing with their arms crossed, while making minimal movements, which supports the idea that they are passive. Additionally, ten of the ads were either full-body shots or low-angle views of women engaged in different activities. The most striking feature of these ten advertisements were these active women. For example, models are positioned standing, facing the camera, with their eyes looking straight or avoiding eye contact, thus projecting the idea of ​​being in motion. The women in these advertisements are labeled as actively engaged in the product they are offering. advertising and establish a real connection with readers and their desirability. However, there remains an unidentifiable case with the Coach 1941 advertisement page 8-9. In the ad, the model appears to be wearing sunglasses, making correct categorization according to the established code impossible; however, the still pose combined with the medium shot subjects her to passivity. The findings show that 75% of advertisements in this particular issue portray women as passive rather than active, and even though they are depicted participating in active activities, some elements of inactivity can still be found. Research Question 2The second research question concerns the racial representation of Caucasian and African American women in the magazine. In total, of the 50 ads analyzed, African Americans appeared in approximately 10 ads, representing 20% ​​of the total ads analyzed. Although white and black women elicit equally positive connotations about the product, it is evident that white women are more dominant and present in this particular issue. Representation in advertising has been a controversial issue due to its inaccurate portrayal of race, particularly considering the prevalence of underrepresentation in magazines with predominantly white readerships like Glamour. DiscussionIt is positive to say that advertising content moves away from the classic stereotypes of passive women, which is partly carried by brands and by American advertising agencies; however, it will take time before active performances become commonplace. According to the data collected, around two thirds of women in advertisements are presented as passive. So the most harmful ads are those in which women are featured either to fill the background or to show off their beauty. . Findings Suggest Women Are Still Entrenched in Conventional Norms of Inactivity and Attractivenesssexual. In the Athleta ad, a strong, middle-aged woman is shown standing and proudly facing the camera, wearing a sports bra, exposing a tattooed chest. The woman projects herself as being in good health or moving towards a healthy lifestyle. However, even though she poses for a brand that promotes performance and technical features for active women, she is photographed passively because there is no evidence of actual exercise. In the case of the Fabletics ad, the model is shown wearing brightly colored sportswear; however, her hands are placed loosely on the background, giving the impression that she is just there for decoration or to blend into the background. That said, even in these sports advertisements, women are presented as very passive and women with this type of appearance are often associated with objects and only for commercial purposes. women in advertisements greatly promote the objectification of their bodies. Although since the post-feminist 1990s, advertisers have attempted to construct multiple possible identities for women in an attempt to change their stereotypical image and increase their purchasing power, in their traditional exhibitionist role, women are still simultaneously displayed, with their appearance coded for strong values. visual impact so that they can be said to evoke being looked at rather than promoting activity. As a majority in the United States, Caucasian Americans are also known to be overrepresented across the advertising spectrum. This racial bias is unconsciously aggregated through corporate-funded magazines and advertisements. In this issue of Glamor, Caucasian Americans are significantly overrepresented at approximately 80% of the ad's images, which is somewhat similar to the ratio of whites to blacks in the American advertising market. According to Barker and Joiner, "the presence [of African Americans was] 17.7%...in the 2000 editions of news magazines" (B&J 5). It is possible to infer from these results that the representation of Caucasian Americans and African Americans in this edition of Glamor is proportional to the overall distribution of racial groups in American advertisements. However, the precision and correctness of the statement is only applicable to the year 2000; thus, the data could have changed by now. Yet the lack of a true integration of black and white imagery in mainstream media reflects the disenfranchisement of African Americans in the population. In the Maybelline New York ad, on pages 72 and 73, there is only one African-American model out of the six models. She is positioned behind the other white models, away from the public eye, with most of her body covered by the others, leaving only her white tank top visible, but the color creates a contrast between her tanned complexion and the whiteness of his clothes. This may be because Glamor's editorial staff is predominantly white. White editors may not consider diversity issues as instinctively or recognize misrepresentations as readily as editors of color. On the other hand, the focus on white women as the primary focus of mainstream magazines may signal a marketing strategy aimed at serving white women as the target audience. Despite the underrepresentation of women of color who make up a notable share of the audience for mainstream women's magazines, the trend appears to be moving in a positive direction. On the whole, mainstream women's magazines give the reasonable impression that they imitate the lives of..