Depiction of women in the advertisements from 1950 to 2005 Essay

Depiction of women in the advertisements from 1950 to 2005 - Essay Example This "Depiction of women in the advertisements from 1950 to 2005" essay outlines how the advertisements and their depiction of women altered and reflected society throughout history, from 1950 to 2005. It was found out that in 1970, advertisements emphasised that a woman’s place was in the home, though there were 29 million women in the labour force at that time. Women were shown as independent only when inexpensive items or simple decisions were involved, sending the message that women do not make important decisions or do important things. It was observed that Women were generally isolated from their sex within the ads, thus signalling that women are dependent and constantly require men’s protection. In addition, Women were often found in decorative roles having little relationship to the product, thus saying that men regards women primarily as sexual objects and are not interested in them as people. In contrast, the portrayal of men (Lovdal, 1989) was as independent people who are intelligent and fully involved in a career. Men, shown in authoritative positions, were depicted 78% of the time in out-of-home settings. Belknap and Leanord II (1991) analysing women's magazines from 1940-70, discovered that the feminine ideal was one of child-bearer, child-rearer and homemaker, with the advertisements depicting women as possessing characteristics of passivity and dependency. For example, in the advertisement shown here, the quote runs, â€Å"you trust it’s Quality†, implying that the woman as a nurse or helper is someone you can trust.