Magazines' Influence on the Socialization of Teen Girls & Young Women

Introduction

#1 Fan — Sat, 02 May 2009 01:45:48 +0000

Welcome to my blog discussing the impact that magazines have on the socialization of teens and young women. It is important to look closer at this topic because magazines can influence culture (Neogy, 1966). Teenagers are still trying to determine who they are, and for this reason, they are especially vulnerable to the information and suggestive images in magazines (Durham, 1998). Much of the research discussed in the following posts focuses on content in magazines like Seventeen, YM, Sassy, Bravo!, and Teen, but studies are also discussed that examine advertisements featuring young girls, which also can influence teens. This blog will briefly summarize the studies that have been conducted on the way magazines influence teenage girls and young women and will provide additional insight and media to help determine its effect. It is divided into seven categories—body image, diversity and racial stereotypes, feminism, occupations, relationships, rite of passage, and sexuality.

Queens and Teen Zines: Early Adolescent Females Reading Their Way toward Adulthood

#1 Fan — Sat, 02 May 2009 01:35:15 +0000

Finders (1996) researched how early adolescents use teen magazines as a way help transition into teenagers. She conducted a study during the 1992-1993 school year learning the habits of four seventh grade girls. Finders accompanied the girls on outings, in class, slumber parties, and other life events and, as a result, found three themes. Reading the magazines was an exclusive social event and was used to obtain social status. In addition, experiences reported in magazines were accepted by the girls as their own and were related to on a personal level.

(Stevie Exxxx, 2008)

This study is important because the articles and photos in magazines are often used as tools to aid in girls’ physical and mental development, but the girls in this study proved that sometimes the magazines themselves can be used as a tool to foster social development. Though I cannot verify if socializing over magazines is the norm, if girls were to use this time to dispel common stereotypes and beauty ideals found within magazines’ pages, young women could provoke a movement that would help editors and advertisers reconsider such content.

From Girls to Women: Scripts for Sexuality and Romance in Seventeen Magazine, 1974-1994

#1 Fan — Sat, 02 May 2009 01:33:48 +0000

Carpenter (1998) conducted a study examining how young women’s subjectivity was depicted in Seventeen magazine. The researcher chose to analyze articles related to sexuality and romance from 1974, 1984, and 1994. Altogether, 244 articles were used in the study. Carpenter used quantitative and qualitative methods to measure the frequency of the media messages and to reveal any thematic shifts. The most significant finding in this study is that women went from being portrayed mainly as sexual objects and victims to being recognized as agents of their own sexual desires. Seventeen also increased positive recognition of homosexuality and masturbation and acknowledged fellatio. Carpenter found that these new themes were still presented less favorably than established themes. She also surmised that articles portraying women as agents of their own sexual desires may help teens to take charge of their sexual lives and scripts that portray readers’ diverse sexual desires may encourage safer sex practices, as young women are more likely to connect with people they feel are legitimate. If teens feel a connection with those mentioned in the articles, they are more likely to apply the practices described in their own lives.

While I agree that teens needs people that they can relate to in the articles that Seventeen promotes, a study conducted by The Heritage Foundation proved that parents are still who teens consider to be the most influential in their decisions about sex. This finding only supports the many public service announcements that promote parents talking to their children about drugs, alcohol, and of course, sex. The subject may be an uncomfortable one for many parents, but it appears that no matter how bad you may think the discussion is going, saying something is better than saying nothing.

Dilemmas of Desire: Representations of Adolescent Sexuality in Two Teen Magazines

#1 Fan — Sat, 02 May 2009 01:33:29 +0000

Durham (1998) analyzes the gendered ideologies of sexuality in Seventeen and YM magazines. The study examined all written texts and images relating to sex and sexuality in both magazines from January through November 1996. The author found that both magazines consistently offered sexual advice and information (often advising readers to wait and portraying males as the initiators), yet they also encourage girls to present themselves as hot and desirable. They also suggest successful heterosexual relationships can be attained by “socially normative standards of femininity and sexuality” Durham, 1998, p. 380). Durham interprets these findings as stating that girls are encouraged to accept that they are objects of male desire, but they should not succumb to that desire or acknowledge their own. These magazines were also determined to sustain and support the existing system that keeps females subordinate to males.

Just what we're talking about....

(Finch, 2009)

The Dolce & Gabanna ad above represents the content that teens see and must rationalize. What many people shrug of as just another risqué advertisement designed to grab consumers’ attention actually influences our society more than most people like to believe. It is not that a young girl will interpret this ad as reality, but as a young woman, even I have to question, is this really how men see me?

The First Time/Das Erstes Mal: Approaches to Virginity Loss in U.S. and German Teen Magazines

#1 Fan — Sat, 02 May 2009 01:32:28 +0000

Carpenter (2001) examines 76 stories about virginity and virginity loss in two popular teen magazines—one German (Bravo!) and one American (Seventeen). These two publications are compared because they both are the most popular in their respective countries and both countries are highly developed nations, share similar European traditions, have high life expectancy and low fertility rates, and teens typically engage in vaginal sexual intercourse at 16 to 17 years of age. Carpenter uses the content analysis method to examine the similarities and differences of Bravo! and Seventeen. Similarly, both studies recommended that teens: “develop a close, loving relationship; take their time exploring sexual activities before coitus; and use effective contraception,” (Carpenter, 2001, p.48). However, the experiences in Germany were far more positive than those of American teens. Overall, virginity loss depicted in Bravo! typically showed positive aspects as balanced or outweighed by negative aspects, but it was usually described as a negative experience with few positive aspects in Seventeen. The author concludes that the magazines are consistent with their country’s societal norms about adolescent sexuality. In addition, the study finds that the U.S. would likely benefit from Germany’s more sex-positive strategy that links contraception to increased sexual pleasure. This may help lower the high child-bearing and STD infection rates.

The study really highlights the ineffectiveness of America’s sex education practices. America has an extremely high teen pregnancy and STD rate for a developed country. When compared to other European nations, the U.S. takes the lead or ties in every category. The following charts help convey the severity of the disconnect between teens in the U.S. and proper prevention methods.

Teen Pregnancy Rate

Chart Obtained from Advocates for Youth Website

Teen Abortion Rate

Chart Obtained from Advocates for Youth Website

HIV Rate in Young Women

: Chart Obtained from Advocates for Youth Website

Educators, policymakers, and others in positions of influence in the U.S. should consider the findings in Carpenter’s (2001) study and should consider reinforcing the positive perceptions and implementing methods that are used in other countries that have significantly more favorable pregnancy and STD rates than the U.S.

Reviving Lolita?

#1 Fan — Sat, 02 May 2009 01:12:31 +0000

Merskin (2004) conducted a study that analyzed use of preadolescent and adolescent girls in advertising and its implications on this groups’ psychological and physical well-being. The author examines four advertisements using Dr. Galician’s seven-step disillusioning model to understand the effect of implied underage sexuality in advertisements. Merskin uses detection to identify the sexualized ads. Description is the second step, where she determines the message the image conveys. She then uses deconstruction to interpret what the four advertisements studied hoped to convey—sexuality as a component of adolescence. Based on these findings, she provides a diagnosis on what these ads say about our society, which is that there is a curiosity about children as sexual beings. She goes on to suggest a design for better advertising ideas. The debriefing process explains the affect these ads may have on society including, “(a) soft porn portrayals encourage the sexual exploitation of girls, (b) sexual portrayals contribute to the fetishization of girls and women in the media, and (c) passive and eroticized images foster an overall climate that does not value girls’ voices or contributions to society,” (Merskin, 2004, p. 126). The last step is dissemination, which is knowledge followed by action, to help prevent this type of advertising.

One of the sexualized ads featuring underage girls mentioned in this study is the 1981 Calvin Klein ad featuring a 15-year old, Brooke Shields. The ad was very controversial when it was first printed and aired. I was able to find the televised advertisement for those who may have missed it in the 80’s (or were barely born, like myself). More Calvin Klein ads can be found in the VodPod section.

(CPMS1212, 2007)

Merskin’s (2004) examination concluded that these representations have the potential to contribute to child sexual abuse and can negatively impact pregnancy rates, sex slavery, sexually transmitted disease rates, eating disorders, and suicide.

Ideally, teens would not view or be subject to these types of advertisements, but this is unrealistic. The only other option, outside of banning these types of ads, is for parents to arm their children with an understanding that they are inappropriate and demoralize young women. If this generation understands the harm it inflicts, they may help end and prevent the use of these types of advertisements in the future.

Is He Boyfriends Material?: Representation of Males in Teenage Girls’ Magazines

#1 Fan — Sat, 02 May 2009 01:10:54 +0000

Firminger (2006) conducted a study examining two issues of five popular girls’ magazines. Seventeen, YM, CosmoGirl, ELLEgirl, and Girls’ Life. The author coded issues from December 2002 and July 2003 to account for seasonal differences in content. The study showed that males were typically portrayed as having a high sex drive, emotionally inexpressive, physically superficial, having a fear of rejection, and occasionally having the potential to be a “keeper.” The magazine themselves were on average 19.7% focuses on males. The author concludes that the magazine encourages teenage girls to view boys as previously mentioned, use beauty and fashion products to attract them, and apply the information provided to understand and keep them. The study found that “girls are being socialized by the magazines’ norms and expectations,” (Firminger, 2004, p. 307).

(More Women Graduate. Why?, 2006)

Interestingly, this study did not find any articles that helped females to attract a mate using her mind. Considering more women are now graduating from college than men and many men have come to appreciate what it means to have a two-income family, you would think that teen magazines would inform their readers that being beautiful is cool, but being intelligent is even better.

Masculinities in Teen Magazines: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

#1 Fan — Sat, 02 May 2009 01:09:15 +0000

Prusank (2007) conducted a study on the way males are portrayed in magazines geared toward adolescent females. This study used a qualitative analysis to examine content pertaining to relationships and males from Seventeen, Teen, and YM magazines from 1965 through 2000. Prusank divided the themes into three categories—“the good,” “the bad,” and “the ugly.” The good theme proved that the magazines were dominated by images of “the new man.” He has characteristics that are more nurturing and vulnerable. He is more likely to open up and express his feelings. The bad theme proved that boys are also portrayed as incapable of functioning appropriately in relationships, which is shown in contrast to females’ natural competence. Their inability seemingly excuses males’ bad behavior. The ugly theme is the magazines’ portrayal of men as wanting nothing more than sex, to break girls’ hearts, and to cheat on their girlfriends. Prusank explains these findings as implying that “the ultimate message to teen girls about boys is that she should desire them while she fears them, engage them while she protects herself from them, and be close to them while she waits for them to abandon her,” (2007, p. 175).

And they seemed so happy....

(Chris Brown Sends Gifts to Rihanna on Her Birthday, 2009)

Of course, a prime example of why girls should be leery of guys was brought to mainstream media’s attention by Rihanna’s alleged abuse by Chris Brown. The couple seemed so happy and Chris Brown appeared to be one of the boys that this study defined as one of “the good” ones, but it appears that Mr. Brown may actually have a bad and ugly side. While it was a very unfortunate situation for Rihanna, it has helped encourage people to speak openly about teen abuse.

Modeling Work: Occupational Messages in Seventeen Magazine

#1 Fan — Sat, 02 May 2009 01:07:06 +0000

Massoni (2004) examined how teenage magazines help girls perceive the work world and possible career options. Using four issues of Seventeen magazine (January, April, July, and November of 1992), the author used quantitative and quantitative strategies to determine how occupations are presented in the publication. The author identified four work-related themes: “All the World’s a Stage,” “Where the Boys Are,” “Power to the (Male) People,” and “Model Citizens.” “All the World’s a Stage” speaks to Seventeen’s promotion of entertainment careers as a prestigious option. “Where the Boys Are” refers to the magazine’s tendency to refer to men as job holders twice as often as women. “Power to the Male People” refers to the portrayal of men largely holding the power in the work world. Lastly, “Model Citizens” represents theublication’s promotion of modeling as the superior career option for women. The overall finding of the study is that women continue to work, but it still is a male dominated world, where women have supporting roles.

Many people don’t quite understand why America is falling behind in science and math; well here is major component. Magazines and other media in our culture promote the “fun” jobs over the careers that take hard work, patience, and a lot of studying. I’ve watched a few modeling shows where the girls complain about how hard it is to learn to walk on a runway, but I still think it hardly compares to staying up all night for a calculus exam! I suppose there is no real shame in wanting to take the easy way out, but Seventeen should acknowledge that not everyone is cut out for modeling and should promote a variety of careers equally to suit the diversity of their readers.

Not everyone is a model….

Do’s and Don’t Hit the Beach, n.d.

Socialization of teenage girls through teenage fiction: The making of a new woman or an old lady?

#1 Fan — Sat, 02 May 2009 01:05:19 +0000

Peirce (1993) conducts a study examining whether fiction stories in magazines for teens are helping to cultivate independent and self-sufficient women or women who are dependent on or subordinate to men. The author gathered fiction stories in Seventeen and Teen magazines between 1987 and1991 and analyzed women’s dependence and occupational status. The study showed that 62% of the characters relied on someone else to solve their problems, 43% of conflicts dealt with boys, women were assigned to stereotypical positions (secretaries, teachers, nurses, and social workers), and men were also listed in positions that are commonly thought of as masculine (doctors, lawyers, judges, bankers). Both magazines proved to perpetuate stereotypical gender roles and occupations in American culture.

(Whitehouse and Company, n.d.)

Teen magazines have the opportunity to shape the way teens view the world. The author explains that children will reject stereotypes if they are shown counter stereotypes. If teen magazines print more stories that portray women in various occupations and roles, young women will be more likely strive for aspirations that are traditionally seen as more masculine. In a society that claims to thrive off of diversity, women balancing male-dominated fields could help bring new insight.