3.2 Data analysis
3.2.3 Description of the concept of analysis
“Top of mind” – associations
The proband´s first insights (spontaneous ideas) with regard to the representation of women in advertising.
Role Authority
The representation of women in advertising in authority roles.
The target group of woman is asked how women are represented in advertising and the media with focus on authority roles of being able to answer the research question of: „How women are actually represented in advertising and the media and what are the reasons for their attitudes?“
Role Authority / evaluation
The target group of woman is asked how they want to see themselves represented in advertising and the media with focus on authority roles of being able to answer the research question of: „How women want to see themselves represented in
advertising and the media and what are the reasons for their attitudes?“
General opinion / women Respondent´s general opinion of representation of women in advertising and the media with focus on authority roles.
Dominant roles / gender
If more women or men are represented in dominant roles in advertising
campaigns?
Evaluation 1
1 means “I do not really care about the portrayal of women in that certain kind of way and thus a change is not
desired”.
Evaluation 2
2 stands for “I desire that women are portrayed in that certain kind of way to a lesser extent”.
Evaluation 3
3 means “I desire that women are portrayed in that certain kind of way to a greater extent”.
Role Occupation
The representation of women in advertising in occupational roles.
The target group of woman is asked how women are represented in advertising and the media with focus on occupational roles of being able to answer the research question of: „How women are actually represented in advertising and the media and what are the reasons for their attitudes?“
General opinion / women Respondent´s general opinion of representation of women in advertising and the media with focus on
occupational roles.
Gender
If more women or men are represented in occupational roles in advertising campaigns?
Role Occupation / evaluation
The target group of woman is asked how they want to see themselves represented in advertising in the media with focus on the topic of occupation of being able to answer the research question of: „How women want to see themselves represented in advertising and the media and what are the reasons for their attitudes?“
Expert roles / gender
If more women or men are represented as experts in advertising campaigns?
Private setting / women
If women are more represented in private - or occupational settings?
Evaluation 1
1 means “I do not really care about the portrayal of women in that certain kind of way and thus a change is not
desired”.
Evaluation 2
2 stands for “I desire that women are portrayed in that certain kind of way to a lesser extent”.
Evaluation 3
3 means “I desire that women are portrayed in that certain kind of way to a greater extent”.
Role Non-Occupation
The representation of women in advertising in non-occupational roles.
The target group of woman is asked how women are represented in advertising and the media with focus on non-occupational roles of being able to answer the research question of: „How women are actually represented in advertising and the media and what are the reasons for their
attitudes?“ and of being in a position to answer the sub-research question of: “How women perceive the representation of women in advertising and the media as sexual objects and what are the reasons for their attitudes?”
General opinion / women Respondent´s general opinion of representation of women in advertising and the media with focus on non-occupational roles.
Housewives & mothers
If women in advertising campaigns are represented as housewives and/or mothers?
Sexual objects
If women in advertising campaigns are represented as sexual objects?
Role Non-Occupation / evaluation The target group of woman is asked how they want to see themselves represented in advertising and the media with focus non-occupational roles of being able to answer the research question of: „How women want to see themselves represented in advertising and the media and what are the reasons for their attitudes?“
Evaluation 1
1 means “I do not really care about the portrayal of women in that certain kind of way and thus a change is not
desired”.
Evaluation 2
2 stands for “I desire that women are portrayed in that certain kind of way to a lesser extent”.
Evaluation 3
3 means “I desire that women are portrayed in that certain kind of way to a greater extent”.
Role Beauty
The representation of women in advertising in beauty roles.
The target group of woman is asked how women are represented in advertising and the media with focus on beauty roles of being able to answer the research question of: „How women are represented in advertising and the media and what are the reasons for their attitudes?“ and of being in a position to answer the sub-research question of: “How women perceive the representation of beautiful and slim women in advertising and the media and what are the reasons for their attitudes?”
Young, wrinkle-free - and depilated skin, slim, tall, attractive
Is this the respondent´s opinion with regard to the representation of women in advertising?
Sporty, dynamic, health conscious, vital
Is this the respondent´s opinion with regard to the representation of women in advertising?
Cosmetic surgeons
Is it common that women in advertising campaigns advertise for cosmetic surgeons?
Mental health / health products Is it common that women in advertising campaigns advertise for health
products?
Which products do they represent in advertising campaigns with regard to this topic?
Nudity Lingerie Cosmetic Cars
Role Beauty / evaluation
The target group of woman is asked how they want to see themselves represented in advertising and the media with focus on beauty roles of being able to answer the research question of: „How women want to see themselves represented in
advertising and the media and what are the reasons for their attitudes?“
Fashion Luxury Hide age Retouching Healthy eating Light products
Evaluation 1
1 means “I do not really care about the portrayal of women in that certain kind of way and thus a change is not
desired”.
Evaluation 2
2 stands for “I desire that women are portrayed in that certain kind of way to a lesser extent”.
Evaluation 3
3 means “I desire that women are portrayed in that certain kind of way to a greater extent”.
Role Age
The representation of women in advertising focussing the role of age.
The target group of woman is asked how women are represented in advertising and the media focussing on the role of age being able to answer the research question of:
„How women are represented in
advertising and the media and what are the reasons for their attitudes?“
Role Age / evaluation
The target group of woman is asked how they want to see themselves represented in
Grandmothers
If women in advertising campaigns are represented as grandmothers?
Young/old / women
If women in advertising campaigns are represented rather older or younger?
Evaluation 1
1 means “I do not really care about the
advertising and the media focussing on the role of age of being able to answer the research question of: „How women want to see themselves represented in
advertising and the media and what are the reasons for their attitudes?“
portrayal of women in that certain kind of way and thus a change is not
desired”.
Evaluation 2
2 stands for “I desire that women are portrayed in that certain kind of way to a lesser extent”.
Evaluation 3
3 means “I desire that women are portrayed in that certain kind of way to a greater extent”.
Role Ethnic Minorities
The representation of women in advertising focussing the role of ethnic minorities.
The target group of woman is asked how women are represented in advertising and the media focussing the role of ethnic minorities of being able to answer the research question of: „How women are represented in advertising and the media and what are the reasons for their
attitudes?“
Role Ethnic Minorities / evaluation The target group of woman is asked how they want to see themselves represented in advertising and the media focussing on the role of ethnic minorities of being able to answer the research question of: „How women want to see themselves
represented in advertising and the media and what are the reasons for their
attitudes?“
General opinion / women Respondent´s general opinion of representation of women in advertising and the media focussing the topic of ethnic minorities.
Evaluation 1
1 means “I do not really care about the portrayal of women in that certain kind of way and thus a change is not
desired”.
Evaluation 2
2 stands for “I desire that women are portrayed in that certain kind of way to a lesser extent”.
Evaluation 3
3 means “I desire that women are portrayed in that certain kind of way to a greater extent”.
Role Women in a humiliating, degrading or violent way
The representation of women in advertising focussing the role of women in a humiliating, degrading or violent way.
The target group of woman is asked how women are represented in advertising and the media focussing the role of women in a humiliating, degrading or violent way of being able to answer the research question of:
„How women are represented in
advertising and the media and what are the reasons for their attitudes?“ and of being in a position to answer the sub-research question of: “How women
perceive the representation of women in advertising and the media in a
humiliating, degrading or even violent way and what are the reasons for their attitudes?”
Role Women in a humiliating, degrading or violent way / evaluation
The target group of woman is asked how they want to see themselves represented in advertising and the media focussing the role of women in a humiliating, degrading or violent way of being able to answer the research question of: „How women want to see themselves represented in
advertising and the media and what are the reasons for their attitudes?“
General opinion / women Respondent´s general opinion of representation of women in advertising and the media focussing the role of women in a humiliating, degrading or violent way.
Evaluation 1
1 means “I do not really care about the portrayal of women in that certain kind of way and thus a change is not
desired”.
Evaluation 2
2 stands for “I desire that women are portrayed in that certain kind of way to a lesser extent”.
Evaluation 3
3 means “I desire that women are portrayed in that certain kind of way to a greater extent”.
Dove-campaign
Representation of women in advertising like in Dove´s campaign.
The target group of woman is asked how they think about the representation of women in advertising like in Dove´s campaign to answer the research question of: "How are women actually represented in
advertising and the media?" and to answer the sub-research question of:
“How women perceive the representation of such advertisements like Dove´s
campaign and what are the effects of such kind of advertising campaign on women?”
Well rounded women Perception / women How women perceive the
representation of women in advertising and the media like in Dove´s
campaign?
Role Others
Other role models with regard to the
representation of women in advertising which emerged during the focus group discussions.
The target group of woman is asked how women are represented in advertising and the media of being able to answer the research question of: „How women are represented in advertising and the media and what are the reasons for their
attitudes?“
Women represented as superwomen
Products
The use of products with regard to the representation of women in advertising
Products / women
For which products do women advertise in advertising campaigns?
Buying products / women Try to answer the sub-research question of: “Does a portrayal of women in a working role (a less traditional role) in advertisements, for example, make the product more desirable, than if women are
represented as, say, housewives or mothers or in a sexual-object - or fashion-object role and what are the reasons for their attitudes?”
Equation / comparison with
products / women
Are women in advertising campaigns often equalised or compared with products?
Decision making process / gender If more women or men are making decisions when buying products?
Decision making process / involvement
If women make product decisions, do they decide on their own? If yes, which products do they decide on their own?
If no, who else is involved?
Roles in life
The target group of woman is asked how they want to see themselves represented in advertising and the media focussing different life-roles of being able to answer the
research question of: „How women want to see themselves represented in
advertising and the media and what are the reasons for their attitudes?“
Realistic - /idealistic situations / women
Should women in advertising
campaigns be represented in realistic - or rather idealistic situations?
Personal - /impersonal situations / women
Should advertising campaigns address women personally or rather
impersonally?
Emotions/non-emotions / women Should women in advertising
campaigns be represented in emotional situations or should emotions be left out?
Inform/entertain / women
Should advertising campaigns inform or rather entertain the target group of woman?
Diverse buying behaviour / different phases in life
Do e.g. mothers have other buying behaviours as e.g. working women? If yes, is it necessary to show this difference in the representation of women in advertising?
Single-household / women Should this kind of role change be represented with regard to women in advertising campaigns?
Buying behaviour men / women
Viewers women / men
Does women or men watch more advertising campaigns?
Intensity of representation / gender Are more women or men represented in advertising campaigns?
Impacts
The target group of woman is asked how they think about the discussed
representation of women in such
questionable role models to answer the research question of: “What are the impacts of such questionable role models/representations on the target group of woman?”
Cosmetic surgeons
Is it possible that the discussed topics of representation of women in
advertising have impacts such as increased use of cosmetic surgeons on the target group of woman?
Wellness spa´s / beauty farms Is it possible that the discussed topics of representation of women in
advertising have impacts such as increased use of wellness spa´s or beauty farms on the target group of woman?
Anorexia Nervosa (AN)/Bulimia Nervosa (BN)
Is it possible that the discussed topics of representation of women in
advertising have impacts such as Anorexia Nervosa (AN) / Bulimia Nervosa (BN) on the target group of woman?
Greater dissatisfaction with the own body
Is it possible that the discussed topics of representation of women in
advertising have impacts such as greater dissatisfaction with the own body on the target group of woman?
Social anxiety
Is it possible that the discussed topics
of representation of women in advertising have impacts such as social anxiety on the target group of woman?
Lower self-confidence
Is it possible that the discussed topics of representation of women in
advertising have impacts such as lower self-confidence on the target group of woman?
Table 5 Defined categories and subcategories for the two focus group discussions