Gendered Race in Mass Media: Invisibility of Asian Men and Black Women in Popular Magazines

• Published in: Psychology of popular media culture 2017-07, Vol.6 (3), p.222-236
• Main Authors: Schug, Joanna, Alt, Nicholas P., Lu, Philip S., Gosin, Monika, Fay, Jennifer L.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Asians; Black People; Cross Cultural Differences; Female; Femininity; Human; Male; Masculinity; Mass Media; Popular Culture; Racial and Ethnic Differences; Racial and Ethnic Groups; Stereotyped Attitudes
• ISSN: 2160-4134; 2160-4142
• DOI: 10.1037/ppm0000096

According to gendered race theory, racial stereotypes can contain a gendered component whereby certain racial and ethnic groups are viewed as being more prototypically masculine or feminine. A number of studies investigating gendered race stereotypes have found that Blacks in North American society are represented and conceived as prototypically masculine, while Asians are represented and conceived of as prototypically feminine. This study examined whether patterns consistent with gendered race prototypes appear in mass media depictions, specifically in popular magazines, such that Asian men and Black women are proportionally less likely than other groups to be depicted. The perceived race and gender of 8,672 individuals depicted within 5 issues each of 6 popular magazines were examined quantitatively to examine whether individuals from nonprototypical gendered race categories were less likely to be depicted. The results indicated that Asian women were more likely to be depicted than Asian men, while Black men were more likely to be depicted than Black women, relative to Whites. These results suggest that, consistent with theories of gendered race and intersectional invisibility, individuals deemed less prototypical of their race and gender categories are rendered invisible in societal representations.