Reading Gender by the Column Inch: Analyzing Gender Representation in Philippine Print Advertisements

The bulk of literature on reading gender in print advertisements studies magazines, which are a media form tailored for specific audiences. By analyzing gender representations in Philippine newspaper ads, this study aims to provide a reading of gender portrayals published in a more general interest medium. Results of the content analysis performed on 256 ads that appeared in top local publications revealed that while gendered inequalities did not strongly manifest in terms of character count and gender distribution, a closer reading of characters and their gendered differences with specific ad elements in terms of contexts, roles, and physicalities evidence the persistence of stereotypical gender representations in print ads.

GENDER STEREOTYPES PRESENTED IN POPULAR CHILDREN’S FAIRY TALES

The article aims to contribute to the discussion on gender stereotypes in stories for children by mapping gender stereotypes in traditional fairy tales. The article presents fairy tales' value in children’s education and indicates potential dangers in traditional cultural transmissions, paying special attention to gender stereotypes. A selection of texts was analyzed in terms of their stereotypical gender portrayals. The methodological framework represents an interpretative paradigm in social sciences, using a qualitative method of analysis. The texts were purposely selected, and the most popular fairy tales were chosen: Cinderella, Snow White and Sleeping Beauty, which despite the passing of time, are still popular, widely read and also used in film adaptations. It was shown that in all analyzed fairy tales, there was a stereotypical division of roles according to gender. The article also presents possible ways to counteract gender stereotypes. A limitation of the article is that the analysis is limited to three fairy tales only, but the overarching value raises awareness of gender stereotypes in fairy tales for children.

Modeling Gender as a Multidimensional Sorites Paradox

Gender is both indeterminate and multifaceted: many individuals do not fit neatly into accepted gender categories, and a vast number of characteristics are relevant to determining a person's gender. This article demonstrates how these two features, taken together, enable gender to be modeled as a multidimensional sorites paradox. After discussing the diverse terminology used to describe gender, I extend Helen Daly's research into sex classifications in the Olympics and show how varying testosterone levels can be represented using a sorites argument. The most appropriate way of addressing the paradox that results, I propose, is to employ fuzzy logic. I then move beyond physiological characteristics and consider how gender portrayals in reality television shows align with Judith Butler's notion of performativity, thereby revealing gender to be composed of numerous criteria. Following this, I explore how various elements of gender can each be modeled as individual sorites paradoxes such that the overall concept forms a multidimensional paradox. Resolving this dilemma through fuzzy logic provides a novel framework for interpreting gender membership.