GENDER REPRESENATIONS IN THE PAST
WOMEN AND MEN ON TV
1950'S, 1960'S AND 1970'S only 20-30% of characters were female.
Mid 1980's there were more women leading roles, but there were twice as many men on screen.
Mid 1970's (Miles, 1975) found there were nearly equal proportions of men and women in situation comedies, however, gender roles and humour could still be traditional and sexist.
Only 15% of women were leading characters in adventurous and action shows.
In 1987, it was found female roles to be most common in comedy programmes (43%).
1970's, marriage, parenthood and domesticity were shown to be more important to women than men.
Study by McNeil (1975) concluded that women's movement was largely ignored by television, with married housewives being the main female role.
Studies in the 1970's found men to be the more dominant characters
Men were seen as assertive or aggressive, and women were seen as passive.
Men were also seen as active and victorious and Women were also seen as weak and victimised or merely "Token Females". (Gunter, 1995).
MC NEIL (1970)-found men were to be the more dominant characters and the decision makers
Overall men were more assertive and women were passive