Lab 3.1 - HHP Communities Website
3
Human Motor Development
Observing Marketing and Gender Stereotyping
Lab 3.1
Introduction We have discussed the fact that boys and girls generally make different choices in physical activity and sport. What we do not know is whether these gender differences are due to biological factors or to societal influences. Many argue that girls choose more passive activities and boys choose more active activities due in large part to societal influences such as the images of boys and girls in television and magazine advertisements and the ways toys and sports equipment are marketed to boys and girls.
Purpose To examine the marketing of toys and sports equipment as well as advertising images of boys and girls (and men and women) in play and sports contexts. This lab has four parts.
Procedure • Visit a local sports store or the sports section of a toy store. Find 10 pieces of sports equipment (e.g., balls, bats, soccer shoes, shin guards, badminton sets, bicycle helmets, goals) and examine their packaging. Using Worksheet 3.1A, note the name of the piece of sports equipment, whether it appears to be marketed for boys or girls (or both), and whether boys or girls (or both) are pictured on the package and what they are doing. • Examine a sport magazine or website such as Sports Illustrated (http://www.si.com/) or ESPN, the Magazine (http://insider.espn.go.com/insider/espn-the-magazine/) for these organizations. Using Worksheet 3.1B, note how many articles are dedicated to stories about men’s sports v. women’s sports. Count how many pictures you see of women active in sports versus women in static poses. Finally, note what the women in these magazines are wearing (e.g., swim suit, short dresses, sports clothes). • Watch the commercials before, during, and after a children’s television show. Using Worksheet 3.1C, note what was advertised, if the toy promoted passive or active play, if you felt the toy was marketed for boys or girls (or both), and how boys or girls (or both) were depicted in the commercial (e.g., passively sitting and watching or actively playing). • Summarize your findings by answering the questions in Worksheet 3.1D.
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Lab 3.1
Human Motor Development
WORKSHEET WORKSHEET 3.1 15.1A
Gender Marketing of Sports Equipment
Name: _________________________________________
Date: ____________________
Name of store: ___________________________________ City/state: ______________________________________ Date observed: __________________________________
Type of Sports Equipment
Target Market (Boys/Girls/ Both)
Description of Package Illustrations
1
2
3
4 5 6 7 8 9 10 2
Lab 3.1
Human Motor Development
WORKSHEET 3.1 B
Gender Marketing in Sport Magazines
Name: _________________________________________
Date: ____________________
Name of organization: ___________________________________ Date observed: __________________________________
No. of Articles About Men’s v. Women’s Sports
No. of Pictures of Women Engaged in Sports v. Selling Non-sport Products
Typical Apparel of Women Pictured in the Magazine (e.g. sports clothes, swimsuit)
1
2
3
4 5 6 7 8 9 10 3
Lab 3.1
Human Motor Development
WORKSHEET 3.1 C
Gender Marketing in TV Commercials
Name: _________________________________________
Date: ____________________
Name of TV station: ___________________________________ Name of TV shows: ___________________________________ Date/time observed: __________________________________
Product Advertised
Promotes Active or Passive Play
Marketed for Boys or Girls or Both
What the children in the ad are doing
1
2
3
4 5 6 7 8 9 10
4
Lab 3.1
Human Motor Development
WORKSHEET 3.1 D
Summary of Findings
1. Do you believe sports equipment is marketed more for boys than for girls? What are your reasons? Do you think marketing influences whether or not girls choose to participate in sports? Why?
2. Did you find any sports equipment that was marketed specifically for girls (e.g., WNBA endorsed basketball)? If so, what did you find? Are there as many choices of sports equipment marketed for girls as there are for boys? What might be some of the reasons for this?
3. What are typical images of girls and women in sport magazines or on sport sites? Do you think this influences whether or not girls choose to participate in sports? Why?
4. When watching the TV commercials, did you see differences in the types of toys marketed for girls and for boys? What differences did you see? How might these differences affect what boys and girls choose to play with and how they play?
5
Human Motor Development
Observing Marketing and Gender Stereotyping
Lab 3.1
Introduction We have discussed the fact that boys and girls generally make different choices in physical activity and sport. What we do not know is whether these gender differences are due to biological factors or to societal influences. Many argue that girls choose more passive activities and boys choose more active activities due in large part to societal influences such as the images of boys and girls in television and magazine advertisements and the ways toys and sports equipment are marketed to boys and girls.
Purpose To examine the marketing of toys and sports equipment as well as advertising images of boys and girls (and men and women) in play and sports contexts. This lab has four parts.
Procedure • Visit a local sports store or the sports section of a toy store. Find 10 pieces of sports equipment (e.g., balls, bats, soccer shoes, shin guards, badminton sets, bicycle helmets, goals) and examine their packaging. Using Worksheet 3.1A, note the name of the piece of sports equipment, whether it appears to be marketed for boys or girls (or both), and whether boys or girls (or both) are pictured on the package and what they are doing. • Examine a sport magazine or website such as Sports Illustrated (http://www.si.com/) or ESPN, the Magazine (http://insider.espn.go.com/insider/espn-the-magazine/) for these organizations. Using Worksheet 3.1B, note how many articles are dedicated to stories about men’s sports v. women’s sports. Count how many pictures you see of women active in sports versus women in static poses. Finally, note what the women in these magazines are wearing (e.g., swim suit, short dresses, sports clothes). • Watch the commercials before, during, and after a children’s television show. Using Worksheet 3.1C, note what was advertised, if the toy promoted passive or active play, if you felt the toy was marketed for boys or girls (or both), and how boys or girls (or both) were depicted in the commercial (e.g., passively sitting and watching or actively playing). • Summarize your findings by answering the questions in Worksheet 3.1D.
1
Lab 3.1
Human Motor Development
WORKSHEET WORKSHEET 3.1 15.1A
Gender Marketing of Sports Equipment
Name: _________________________________________
Date: ____________________
Name of store: ___________________________________ City/state: ______________________________________ Date observed: __________________________________
Type of Sports Equipment
Target Market (Boys/Girls/ Both)
Description of Package Illustrations
1
2
3
4 5 6 7 8 9 10 2
Lab 3.1
Human Motor Development
WORKSHEET 3.1 B
Gender Marketing in Sport Magazines
Name: _________________________________________
Date: ____________________
Name of organization: ___________________________________ Date observed: __________________________________
No. of Articles About Men’s v. Women’s Sports
No. of Pictures of Women Engaged in Sports v. Selling Non-sport Products
Typical Apparel of Women Pictured in the Magazine (e.g. sports clothes, swimsuit)
1
2
3
4 5 6 7 8 9 10 3
Lab 3.1
Human Motor Development
WORKSHEET 3.1 C
Gender Marketing in TV Commercials
Name: _________________________________________
Date: ____________________
Name of TV station: ___________________________________ Name of TV shows: ___________________________________ Date/time observed: __________________________________
Product Advertised
Promotes Active or Passive Play
Marketed for Boys or Girls or Both
What the children in the ad are doing
1
2
3
4 5 6 7 8 9 10
4
Lab 3.1
Human Motor Development
WORKSHEET 3.1 D
Summary of Findings
1. Do you believe sports equipment is marketed more for boys than for girls? What are your reasons? Do you think marketing influences whether or not girls choose to participate in sports? Why?
2. Did you find any sports equipment that was marketed specifically for girls (e.g., WNBA endorsed basketball)? If so, what did you find? Are there as many choices of sports equipment marketed for girls as there are for boys? What might be some of the reasons for this?
3. What are typical images of girls and women in sport magazines or on sport sites? Do you think this influences whether or not girls choose to participate in sports? Why?
4. When watching the TV commercials, did you see differences in the types of toys marketed for girls and for boys? What differences did you see? How might these differences affect what boys and girls choose to play with and how they play?
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