GENDER STEREOTYPING IN PUBLIC SERVICE ADVERTISEMENTS (PSAS): THE IMAGE OF FEMALE CHARACTERS IN PSAS BETWEEN 2015-2020

Abstract

Advertisements continue to portray women in traditional domestic roles with feminine traits despite their evolving role and diversifying image in society. However, studies on the prominence of gender stereotyping within PSAs as part of public service campaigns remain virtually non-existent, despite theories positing that exposure to the images and messages embedded within government narratives may significantly influence expectations for societal norms, including gender roles. This thesis explores the untapped area of how women are portrayed in public service advertisements (PSAs) and the extent to which it conforms to existing gender narratives within Singapore. A content analysis of 135 PSAs uploaded by the Singapore government through their official YouTube page, gov.sg, between 2015 to 2020 was conducted. A coding scheme was developed based on past analytical frameworks and the grounded theory approach. Characters in the videos, both female and male, were coded with respect to their location, role, personality and behavioural traits as well as physical depiction. Results indicated that female characters were underrepresented in PSAs in comparison to male characters despite their higher population proportion in Singapore. Gender stereotyping in PSAs is as prevalent as that in commercial advertisements, with all videos that featured female characters containing at least one gender-stereotypical portrayal. The typecasting of women in caregiver roles both within the household and in the workplace is also prevalent. This paper discusses the implications of gender stereotyping in PSAs and the reproduction of patriarchal norms in Singapore society. On the positive side, this study provides evidence that racial stereotypes for women of colour are avidly avoided, and there are narratives crafted that aim to debunk racial stereotypes. The findings of this research serve as the first review of how women are portrayed within PSAs, particularly in Singapore. Hence, it contributes new empirical evidence in an unexplored domain and provides practical recommendations for government media content production to support more equal gender representation.