MAINSTREAM MEDIAS PORTRAYAL OF WOMEN AND ITS AFFECTS ON MINORITY WOMENS ...

107 Pages·2014·0.66 MB·English

by  Kemp, Sharisse

MAINSTREAM MEDIAS PORTRAYAL OF WOMEN AND ITS AFFECTS ON

MINORITY WOMENS SELF-IMAGE

A Project

Presented to the faculty of the Division of Social Work
California State University, Sacramento

Submitted in partial satisfaction of
the requirements for the degree of

MASTER OF SOCIAL WORK

by

Sharisse L. Kemp

SPRING
2014
MAINSTREAM MEDIAS PORTRAYAL OF WOMEN AND ITS AFFECTS ON

MINORITY WOMENS SELF-IMAGE

A Project

by

Sharisse L. Kemp

Approved by:

__________________________, Committee Chair
Maria Dinis, Ph.D., MSW

____________________________
Date

ii
Student Name: Sharisse Lanae Kemp

I certify that this student has met the requirements for format contained in the University

format manual, and that this project is suitable for shelving in the Library, and

credit is to be awarded for the project.

________________________________, Graduate Coordinator _________________
Dale Russell, Ed.D., LCSW Date

Division of Social Work

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Abstract
of

MAINSTREAM MEDIA PORTRAYAL OF WOMEN AND ITS AFFECTS ON MINORITY

WOMENS SELF-IMAGE

by

Sharisse L. Kemp

The issues of media and gender have long been a major area of research in media studies. Studies
have focused on the way minority women have been portrayed, paying little attention to how
these images affect their self-perception. In this study, the researcher shifts the focus to examine
how minority women of various ethnicities interpret and internalize mainstream media images
that glorify white femininity as well as the portrayals of minority women. This qualitative,
exploratory content analysis research design applies Social Comparison Theory and Self-Schema
philosophical approach. Content analysis using latent and manifest coding was applied to the
interviews. Ten participants were selected through a snowball sampling design and identified as
women with any non-white, ethnic group. Four themes emerged: 1) Mainstream media generally
depicts women as sex symbols; 2) reliance on media perpetuates the use of stereotypes; 3) the
ideal image of women is depicted as white, tall, and thin; 4) minority women are taught that they
are inadequate and unworthy. Implications for social work practice and policy are discussed.

_______________________, Committee Chair
Maria Dinis, Ph.D., MSW

_______________________
Date
iv
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First and foremost, I give thanks to God for giving me the strength, courage, and
ambition to reach for the stars. Without the strength of God I would not have made it
through this journey. As a single mother, working full-time it was only God who could
bring me through.
Thank you to my princess and the love of my life, Amiyah Nichole Kemp. You
have helped mold me into the woman I am today. Each day you motivate me to want to
be a better person, a better mother. Your smile and beautiful personality brightens my
day-I could not have asked for a more wonderful daughter. This was our journey and
through it you continued to give me more love and patience than a mother could ever ask
for. I love you past the moon-you are my sunshine.
To my parents, without your love and support this would not have been possible.
Mom, thank you for the countless nights of encouraging me to keep going in my
moments of frustration. Over the past three years your flexibility and willingness to make
sure Amiyah was well taken care of has been a blessing! You have always been by my
side encouraging me to be all that I can be-I truly appreciate you. Dad and Adrienne,
thank you for always being available to keep Amiyah (even at the spur of the moment).
Thank you for showing us both unconditional love and guidance. Your support and
encouragement has been instrumental to my success.
Granny, thank you for being such an inspirational force in my life. You are so full
of love and compassion-you have taught me so much on this journey called Life. Thank
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you for always being my biggest fan and never doubting my abilities. You exemplify all
that strive to be and I am thankful to have you as my granny and my best friend.
Dr. Dinis, words cannot express the level of gratitude and appreciation I have for
you. Thank you for your expert advice and sound and speedy feedback. Thank you for
encouraging me and always having faith that I could successfully complete this project.
Your strength is amazing! Through all of life’s curve balls you maintained your promise
to see me through this and I am eternally grateful!
Jill Kelly, you are amazing! Thank you for always finding a way when others said
there wasn’t.
The ladies of Delta Sigma Theta, Inc., thank you to my sisters who supported and
encouraged me. Thank you for listening to me gripe and never judging me when I was
stressed out due to procrastination. To my sands, Dana (my Bestest) and Jasmine (my
Favorite), I can’t imagine my life without you two wonderful ladies. I appreciate you
both for your friendship, love, and sisterhood. You each have loved me for who I am and
have helped me grow in so many different ways. Thank you for being a listening ear and
that voice of reason-your support has been a guiding force in helping me to make it
through this year. I love you more!
Thank you to everyone who graciously supported me through this process, I did
it!

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page

Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................. v
Chapter
1. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................ 1
Background of the Problem ............................................................................................ 3
Statement of the Research Problem ............................................................................... 6
Purpose of the Study ........................................................................................................ 6
Research Question ............................................................................................................ 7
Theoretical Framework ................................................................................................... 7
Social Comparison Theory ................................................................................ 7
Self-Schema ......................................................................................................... 8
Application of Social Comparison Theory ................................................................... 9
Application of Self-Schema Theory ............................................................................ 11
Definition of Terms ........................................................................................................ 12
Assumptions .................................................................................................................... 13
Justification ..................................................................................................................... 13
Delimitations ................................................................................................................... 14
Summary ......................................................................................................................... 15
2. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ............................................................................ 17
Historical Background: Mainstream Media’s depiction of Minority Women ....... 17
Asian Women .................................................................................................... 21
Black Women .................................................................................................... 25
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Latina Women ................................................................................................... 28
Positive and Negative Images....................................................................................... 30
Idealized Body Image .................................................................................................... 34
Self-Image ....................................................................................................................... 36
Gaps In Literature .......................................................................................................... 40
Summary ......................................................................................................................... 43
3. METHODS .................................................................................................................. 44
Research Study Question .............................................................................................. 44
Research Study Design .................................................................................................. 44
Study Population ............................................................................................................ 47
Sample Population ......................................................................................................... 47
Instrumentation ............................................................................................................... 48
Data Collection Procedures ........................................................................................... 50
Data Analysis .................................................................................................................. 52
Protection of Human Subjects ...................................................................................... 52
Summary ......................................................................................................................... 53
4. STUDY FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION ................................................................. 54
Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 54
Demographics ................................................................................................................. 54
Sex Symbols ...................................................................................................... 56
Reliance on Mainstream Media Images ......................................................... 60
Ideal Image: White, Tall, and Thin ................................................................. 64
Minority Women: Unworthy and Inadequate ................................................ 68
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Summary ......................................................................................................................... 71
5. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ..................................................... 72
Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 72
Conclusions ..................................................................................................................... 72
Recommendations .......................................................................................................... 77
Future Research ................................................................................................. 77
Media and Policy ............................................................................................... 78
Limitations ...................................................................................................................... 79
Implications for Social Work Practice ........................................................................ 80
Conclusion....................................................................................................................... 82
APPENDIX A. Consent toPaticipate as a Research Subject ............................................ 84
APPENDIX B. Interview Questions ................................................................................. 85
APPENDIX C. Human Subjects Application Approval ................................................... 86
REFERENCES ................................................................................................................. 87

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1

Chapter 1
INTRODUCTION
Images in mainstream media are complex, unrealistic, and sometimes present
dangerous standards of feminine beauty and behaviors that can have a powerful influence
on the way women view themselves (Shaw, Ramirez, Trost, Randall, & Stice, 2004).
This chapter will provide in greater detail, the complexities surrounding images of
women in mainstream media and how these images affect minority women’s self-image.
The researcher will describe the research question and why the question is of interest and
why it is important. A background of the problem followed by a statement of the research
problem will be provided along with a description of the purpose of the study. In
addition, this chapter will also provide: an examination of the theoretical framework for
the research, definition of terms used, statement of the assumptions, and a discussion of
how the research will benefit the field of social work. Lastly, a description of the
limitations of the research, a summary of the chapter, and a summary of other chapters
will be included.
This study will explore how mainstream media’s portrayal of women impacts
minority women’s self-image. Specifically focusing on the messages that are presented in
mainstream media and how they affect minority women and what these messages suggest
about body image. The research will explore the questions: what is considered the ideal
image? What factors must minority women consider to be considered acceptable? Are
mainstream media images of minority women truly representative of the culture? Is a
minority woman who does not conform to the ideal body image portrayed differently