Women At Work: An Analysis Of The Portrayal Of Female Characters In The Workforce On Prime-Time Television Sitcoms

Abstract

This study looks at the depiction of female characters in the workforce on primetime television sitcoms. There appears to be a gap in the research on the subject of the portrayal of women in the workforce on television, with the most recent published studies researching the television programming of the late 1980’s. This study will use a coding schema developed by Vande Berg and Trujilo (1989) to determine the occupational identity of main and sub-main characters on each of the television sitcoms broadcasted during the prime-time hours. An adapted version of a coding schema developed by McNiel (1975) will be used to determine how substantially occupational role is integrated into the identity of both male and female characters, compared to marital status, and parental status.