Reference no: EM133666787

Assignment:

This assignment enables students to engage in Content Analysis. Students will design a coding frame to determine the gender norms, roles, and traits presented in children's television shows. For this assignment, you will design and use a Coding Frame, watch 2 episodes of children's television shows, record and analyze the gender norms, roles and traits, and write a paper reflecting on what you have learned.

Estimated Time Commitment

2-4 hours, including viewing time.

Assignment Instructions

1. Design a Coding Frame. Think about the stereotypes in behavior and dress (norms), "personality" (traits), and jobs, activities, and education (roles) in the US based on gender. What are girls and women supposed to like, do, act like? What about boys and men? Make a chart of these common stereotypes that you could identify as you watch the program. Leave room for you to add norms, traits, and roles as you watch and are reminded of more. See an example below. Make a copy of the chart; you will use the same chart for each of the two programs (so you want two charts). You will complete the Feminine and Masculine traits for both programs - make sure to note the traits as shown below (using F/M to show whether males or females on the show are doing the traits; if the character is non-binary, or you cannot determine the gender, use a label like N or U and add that label to the "Codes").

2. Watch 2 TV shows geared toward children 3-8 years old (must be G or PG and Kid programming - so, yes, maybe you watched CSI as a kid, but that doesn't work for this). The shows must be different TV shows, not different episodes of the same show. Look for shows from standard channels/streaming apps, like PBS, NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, NICK, Disney, Hulu, or Netflix. If you do not have access to shows made for TV, you can watch two children's movies. If you need to watch the shows over YouTube or another platform that shows full shows as well as clips, that is OK, but you need to watch the full show so search for that. Children's shows are typically 26-30 minutes long, but you can, of course, watch longer shows (or movies). The shows you choose must be produced in the last 10 years and ideally will be one geared toward girls and the other boys.

As you watch the programs, make a note every time you see an example of one of the terms on your Coding Frame. Note if it is being performed by a female or male character (you can use notations like F/M); if the character is non-binary or the gender is unknown, add a code to the chart (like N). Remember, these are stereotypes so girls can perform masculine norms and boys can act in feminine norms.

3. Analyze your Results. After you have completed the coding of both shows, look at your results and compare those to what we have read in the textbook as well as your own ideas before doing the research as well as your experiences.

You will answer the following questions:

1. What are some of the stereotypical gender norms, traits, and roles you saw in the programs? Which ones stood out? Did anything surprise you?

2. How do you think exposure to these gender norms, traits, and roles impacts how children see themselves, how they act, and the future education and careers they pursue?

3. What do the gender norms, traits, and roles you saw in your research mean - think about what they mean in terms of how we interact with each other, understand each other, see ourselves, see the other gender, and/or are able to achieve our goals?

4. Submit your Assignment

Submit your Completed Coding Frame be sure to indicate how/where/when/what exact shows you watched for your research. (Your coding frame/sheet can be a file, picture, screenshot, etc.).

With your Coding Frame, in an attached file, or in the Text box, answer each of the questions above. Each answer should be one paragraph; the total written response should be three paragraphs (you can number them or not number them). Answers need examples from your coding frame/shows, as well as terms from the course.