Acknowledgements I would like to thank the following people for their generous help and guidance. Without them the completion of this project would be

Sample project report Topic: What do male and female adolescents with different socio-economic statuses learn about female gender roles from media images? School: Hong Kong Baptist University Affiliated School Wong Kam Fai Secondary and Primary School Year: 2016 Comments by Professor Kara Chan: This is a very good project. The study was well-organized, and developed from current research literature. The data collected was detailed and the analysis was insightful. The report demonstrated mastering of visual research skills in design of study as well as reporting of results. Copyrighted materials: Not to be used without permission 2016 DSE 1

Acknowledgements I would like to thank the following people for their generous help and guidance. Without them the completion of this project would be impossible. Professor Chan I would like to thank her for the valuable advice she has given me so to carry out this study smoothly Interviewees I would like to thank them for their time in collecting the data and their valuable information given in the interviews Supervising Teacher I would like to thank him for the constructive comments given and the large amount of time in guiding me to finish this project 2016 DSE 2

Table of Contents Page 1 Introduction 4 5 2 Objectives 6 3 Methodology 7 8 1 Primary Research 2 Secondary Research 4 Literature Review 9 5 Findings 10 14 1 Primary Research 2 Secondary Research 6 Discussions 15 16 7 Conclusion and Reflection 17 1 Conclusion 2 Reflection 8 Appendices 18 46 1 References 2 Interview Transcripts 2016 DSE 3

1 Introduction Who Am I and What Can I Be? is the existential question that Erikson believes adolescents will ask in search of the roles they can play in young adulthood. 1 There are various agents of socialisation that will help adolescents find out what are the socially acceptable roles they can be. One of which is the mass media. 2 By stereotypical media images such as roles that different genders portray in television programmes and advertisements, teenagers are taught what to be and not to be when they reach adulthood. Currently, female gender images are more prevalent on the advertisement boards of Hong Kong and it is found that gender stereotyping still remain in the Hong Kong media (at the time 2009). Females are submissive and show gentleness, sympathy, shyness and understanding in printed and videographic advertisements. 3 Females assume a supportive role to males who succeed familial lines. 4 Females take charge of house-keeping, raising children and are often seen as less assertive and less dominant than males. These are examples of gender stereotyping that the mass media may use in their gender images. It is of interest to understand if adolescents come to acknowledge these media images and to what extent do these images affect them. Moreover, according to research, females and males process advertisements differently and gender differences in advertising responses exist. 5 Also, as Hong Kong is a Chinese community where family is the basic unit of the society, parenting can heavily influence children s thinking. Therefore, it is also of interest to see if male adolescents respond similarly or differently to these advertising images, so to compare the views between both genders, also, to compare the views of adolescents between social strata to see if there is a correlation between socio-economic statuses and gender stereotyping. With more talks on gender equality and the increase in the public s awareness on gender stereotypes, Hong Kong, as an international city, should have less stereotypical images about women. Yet, it is found that Chinese views and stereotypes still very much influenced the citizens. 6 Such stereotypes may limit females and cause gender inequality (males with the same ability can accomplish more than females) such as females are limited in the pursuit of professional development. For example, employers may favour to employ males over females viewing that females should be homemakers. Are these stereotypes still influencing Hong Kong s new generation? Are they more accepting to gender equality and have less stereotypical views than past generations? From a study analysing females roles in magazine advertisements in Hong Kong, it is found that females assume feminine and decorative roles, and are mostly selling cosmetics, skin care and 1 Erikson, Erik H. (1959) Identity and the Life Cycle. New York: International Universities Press 2 Erin Long-Crowell. Agents of Socialization: Family, Schools, Peers and Media. Education Portal. Available: http://education-portal.com/academy/lesson/agents-of-socialization-family-schools-peers-and-media.html#lesson 3 Study of Public Perception of Portrayal of Female Gender in the Hong Kong Media. Equal Opportunities Commission. Available: http://www.eoc.org.hk/eoc/upload/20095271242135396903.pdf 4 Yu Xi (2013). Gender and Family in Contemporary China. University of Michigan. Available: http://www.psc.isr.umich.edu/pubs/pdf/rr13-808.pdf 5 Lori D. Wolin (2003). Gender Issues in Advertising An Oversight Synthesis of Research: 1970 2002. Journal of Advertising Research, 43, pp 111-129. 6 Yu Xi (2013). Gender and Family in Contemporary China. University of Michigan. Available: http://www.psc.isr.umich.edu/pubs/pdf/rr13-808.pdf 2016 DSE 4

personal care products. 7 It can be concluded that similar stereotypes are being perceived by adolescents. There is a similar study investigating how teenage girls are influenced by advertising images conducted in 2012 when the relationship between youth and the media is deemed as an under-studied topic. 8 The methodology of the study (to be discussed below) serves as an outline to this project. Views from local and international school students were compared. That study concluded that local girls agree with feminine traits like gentleness and kindness, and they focus more on family and taking care of the young rather than professional development. This result (shown in the literature review section) helps differentiate traditional Chinese gender roles from modern gender roles. Such difference is to help compare the data obtained from adolescents of different genders and social strata to find out which category of gender roles they endorse. This project is different from past studies in that views from different genders and social strata will be compared, instead of just discussing the views of teenage girls and comparing local and international school girls views in the past study. 7 Chan, K. and Cheng, Y. (2012). Portrayal of females in magazine advertisements in Hong Kong, Journal of Asian Pacific Communication, 22(1), 78-96. 8 Chan, K., Ng, Y.L., and Williams, R.B. (2012) What do adolescent girls learn about gender roles from advertising images? Young Consumers, 13(4), 357-366. 2016 DSE 5

2 Objectives Research Objective This research aims to examine how adolescents perceive and interpret female gender roles from media images, comparing adolescents with different genders and different socio-economic statuses. Will female adolescents endorse traditional female images of gentleness, and being domestic and caring? Will males see female gender roles more stereotypically, because they may not be able to see as clearly as females, the severe disadvantages that females are put into because of traditional Chinese familial roles? 9 Will parents with higher income (can afford technology such as computers and smartphones for their children) make their children more open to the values in the Western world (e.g. it is acceptable to dress revealingly) as opposed to the more conservative Chinese society? Focus Questions 1. What are the similarities and differences of male and female gender roles in Hong Kong? (To be answered mainly by conducting second-hand research) 2. How do adolescents consume media images in Hong Kong? (To be answered mainly by conducting first-hand research) 3. What are the similarities and differences between genders and social strata in responding to media images in understanding female gender roles in Hong Kong? (To be answered mainly by conducting first-hand research) 4. What is the significance of the impacts of the media on gender images in Hong Kong? (To be answered by conducting first and second-hand research) 9 Yu Xi (2013). Gender and Family in Contemporary China. University of Michigan. Available: http://www.psc.isr.umich.edu/pubs/pdf/rr13-808.pdf 2016 DSE 6

3 Methodology 1 Primary Research This project is modelled on a past study by Prof. Kara Chan, HKBU. 2 face-to-face meetings are held with Prof. Chan to determine and refine the research method to be used in this study. Collection of videographic data and a face-to-face interview are determined to be methods used. As this project aims to investigate the media s impact on adolescents brought up in a local environment, 4 locally-schooled adolescents living in Hong Kong (same number for each gender) will be recruited for the project from personal networks. To classify interviewees into different socio-economic statuses, 2 people with families earning $25 000 per month 10 or less and 2 people with families earning $25 000 per month or more will be recruited for the study. Videographic Data From the similar past study, participants are requested to take 7 to 10 digital photographs each day for a week from any medium that are about what girls or women should be or should not be, or what girls or women should do or should not do, 11 restricting that the images must come from the mass media. Face-to-Face Interview They are then asked to review and interpret the images captured in a face-to-face interview. After consulting with Prof. Chan, she identified that the number of photographs required maybe too great, such that several photographs may reflect the same gender image. Therefore, she recommended that the request be amended to take 3 to 5 digital photographs each day for 3 to 5 days from any medium This makes the sample given by the interviewee easier to be analysed. To investigate how adolescents learn gender roles from advertising images, the images taken will be categorised into 7 categories according to the comments made by the interviewee. 12 They are: (1) Appearance; (2) Personality; (3) Skills and work; (4) Activities, interests and lifestyle; (5) Family; (6) Health and safety; and (7) Care for people and the environment. He/she may make comments with reference to more than one category for each photo. Views are generalised and then compared and contrasted between the two genders and social strata to generate 10 $25 000 is the median household income in the 1st quarter of 2015 correct to the nearest thousand 11 Chan, K., Ng, Y.L., and Williams, R.B. (2012) What do adolescent girls learn about gender roles from advertising images? Young Consumers, 13(4), 357-366. 12 Chan, K. (2011). Pre-pubescent girls evaluations of female images in Hong Kong media. http://www.coms.hkbu.edu.hk/karachan/file/jchildm_sep_2011.pdf 2016 DSE 7

findings. Limitations From past studies, it is identified that a limitation of the study may be caused by small sample size as this affects the representativeness of the results. The small sample size may also suggest it will be hard to find a general pattern among a small number of interviewees. Also, interviews are to be conducted in Cantonese. One respondent (Interviewee 3) has his mother tongue being Putonghua. This may have let him not to be able to express his ideas clearly, which may affect the accuracy of the results. 2 Secondary Research A review on the newspaper articles and academic reports about gender stereotyping in Hong Kong will also be conducted. This is to determine the stereotypical male and female roles in Hong Kong as a reference to see if respondents views coincide or deviate from the norm. Also, research on the relationship between mass media and gender stereotyping will be carried out, to see the impacts of mass media on the minds of Hong Kong people about gender roles. Limitations Second hand research can only be used for searching a wider social phenomenon. It is usually not matched with the specific researcher s needs. Also, the information may not be updated and people s views or stance towards a particular topic may change with the situation in the society overtime. Hence, there is a need to conduct first-hand research to collect the most relevant and updated data. 2016 DSE 8

4 Literature Review The study is based on previous studies conducted by Professor Kara Chan of the Hong Kong Baptist University. 13 The following summarises the findings of these studies. Adolescent Media Users Hong Kong Girls Canadian-Chinese Girls Views (What women should do) gentleness, domestic and caring ( traditional Chinese gender roles) be elegant, natural and healthy not use their bodies to gain personal advantages be married and have children independence and autonomy ( modern gender roles) have a personal life pursue career development have own interests not be a full-time housewife have work-life balance From the findings, it can be seen that Hong Kong girls endorse more traditional gender roles in Chinese society despite more talks on gender equality. They aspire to be housewives and mothers when they grow up. They also hold a more conservative view about females demonstrating sexiness. To be specific, they think girls should not use their appearance to charm their way to gain an upper hand than others. Canadian-Chinese girls hold a much more different view by embracing more modern gender roles. While they do not resent caring for their family, they think they have a right to work and pursue what they want. This is similar to more masculine gender roles in the Chinese society. Adolescent girls recognise that media portrayals of females are not always real. They think that photos in advertisements are mostly photoshopped to create flawless skin and body shape. Hence, they were critical of these images. These studies show the different views between Hong Kong and Canadian Chinese adolescents, demonstrating that the societal environment affects adolescents perception of gender roles. However, this has not been compared with male adolescents or adolescents with different family socio-economic statuses. Therefore this study is of interest to see how media images are seen differently in different adolescent groups. 13 Chan, K., Ng, Y.L., and Williams, R.B. (2012) What do adolescent girls learn about gender roles from advertising images? Young Consumers, 13(4), 357-366; Chan, K., Ng, Y.L., and Williams, R.B. (2012) "Adolescent girls interpretation of sexuality found in media image, Intercultural Communication Studies, 21(3), 63-81; Chan, K. and Ng, Y.L. (2013) Canadian Chinese adolescent girls gender roles and identities, Intercultural Communication Studies, 22(2), 19-39. 2016 DSE 9

5 Findings 1 Primary Research Four interviews were conducted. From each interview, 13-15 photos were collected from the interviewee. The backgrounds of the interviewees are shown below. Each mention or implication of a female gender role / what females should or should not do (a response ) is noted down and categorized. As the number of responses for each interviewee is different, they are compared by dividing against his / her own total number of responses to generate a comparable relative amount. Results are shown below: Figure 1: Relative number of responses by interviewee and category 2016 DSE 10

Figure 2 5 most popular responses What women should or should not do No. of times mentioned / implied by male interviewees No. of times mentioned / implied by female interviewees Should not dress too revealingly 6 1 7 Should be gentle 3 3 6 Should have a successful career 1 5 6 Should look elegant 3 2 5 Should be caring 2 3 5 Total Figure 3 Most popular responses by interviewee 2016 DSE 11

By Category Among the 7 categories, Appearance is the most popular one, all but individual 2 talked the most about appearance. They described women should be elegant (5 times, Figure 2) and look neat. They criticise women for having artificial outlooks, such as, dressing too revealingly (7 times, Figure 2) wearing heavy makeup, undergoing plastic surgery or being too slim. Among other popular categories are Personality and Skills and Work. They agree that women should be gentle (6 times, Figure 2) and caring (5 times, Figure 2), which are more submissive roles. They also say women should work hard and have a successful career (6 times, Figure 2). Each interviewee also spent no more than 3 photos to talk about Family and / or Health and Safety. They believe women should be homemakers and child carers. They think women should lead a healthy lifestyle and avoid doing dangerous jobs. Interviewee 1 mentioned once that women should have their own interests (Photo 4) ( Activities, Interests and Lifestyle ). Interviewee 4 mentioned that women should care for the young and the weak (Photo 15) ( Care for People and the Environment ) By Interviewee (Only more significant photos are discussed, please refer to the appendix for all comments) Interviewee 1 focussed more on women s personality (37.0%) and appearance (37.0%). For appearance, he was critical about women being too slim (Photos 12 & 13) but is the only one agreeing that women can dress in a more revealingly way (Photo 7). For personality, he thinks women in the service industry (Photos 5 & 6) and women who are mothers (Photo 9) represent ideal female roles as they are gentle, caring and polite. Women should also be non-violent (Photo 11). He briefly talked about women s role in the workplace and family, saying that he is impressed by certain women who can juggle work and family (Photo 10) and women should take care of the family (Photo 9). Interviewee 2 talked about women s personality (38.5%) and career (34.6%) the most. For personality, in contrary to traditional submissive female roles, she thinks women should be assertive, not conform to others, be brave and not give up (Figure 3), which are more masculine roles. This resonates with her comments on women s career, which is around 15% more than any other interviewee. She identifies with successful women (Photos 1 to 10), and mentions that women should be given more career opportunities in a currently more masculine workplace (Photo 1). Interviewee 3 spent the most time on appearance of women (71.4%). From Figure 3, he declared a total of 6 times that women should not appear over the top, often referring to the amount of cloth on the woman s body as indicator. He resented revealing clothing (Photo 4) and commented some women look exaggerated (Photos 3 & 10) with hairstyle and makeup. He said that women wearing suits (Photos 1, 2 & 7) look neat and professional. Among other views, he thinks women should be friendly and kind (Photo 2), should study (Photo 12) and work hard, and exercise often (Photo 11). Interviewee 4 mentions women in a very stereotypical traditional society. For appearance, where most comments devoted (34.8%), she mentions that women should look clean and neat (Photo 6), act elegantly (Photo 10), not undergoing plastic surgery (Photo 12) and have no tattoos (Photo 7). She mentions twice (Figure 3) that they should be gentle and caring, which agrees with her comment that women should take care of the young and the weak (Photos 4 & 15). She does not agree that women should work dangerous / labour-intensive jobs (Photos 11 and 13) unlike interviewee 2, but praises the effort of some high-achieving females (Photo 8). To maintain healthy image, she thinks women 2016 DSE 12

should not smoke (Photo 2). Across Gender and Social Strata (Comparison) Viewing across gender, males commented more on females appearance than females while females commented more on work or family than males. This can be seen from the appearance column in Figure 1. Interviewee 2 spoke most about work among all interviewees while interviewee 4 did the same with the family category. For appearance, males often refer to the way females are dressed. They think women should dress elegantly and not wear too much makeup. Interviewee 4 mentioned women should act elegantly instead to looking elegant as well. For work and family, interviewee 2 thinks females should be strong professional women while interviewee 4 believes females should take care of domestic work. It is also noted that both female interviewees think females should think about / help the family first before tend to themselves. In conclusion, males are more focussed on how women should present themselves while female adolescents are more on how women should act. 2016 DSE 13

Viewing across social strata, it is notable that females are seen more stereotypically in lower social strata. For interviewees 1 and 2, they have no resentment towards females dressing revealingly. Interviewee 2 did not specifically state this while interviewee 1 thinks the current social situation makes it acceptable if the woman wishes to do so. However, interviewees 3 and 4 resent females showing too much, especially interviewee 3. On the other hand, interviewee 2 focussed a lot on successful professional women and interviewee 1 mentioned about superwomen juggling work and family. On the contrary, interviewee 4 said women should take care of the family and the needy while interviewee 3 thought women should work and study hard, but did not mention too much about career-successful women. This shows interviewees 3 and 4 see females more traditionally, not being a sex kitten and taking care of the family instead of working. As a summary, adolescents with lower family socio-economic statuses perceive female gender roles in a more traditional way than adolescents from a more well-off background. Figure 4 Sources of Interviewees Photos How are Media Images Consumed? The findings show that a majority of interviewees photos were obtained from the Internet. 64% of the photos were obtained online. It is noted that 90% of the photos obtained were shown on screens and only 10% were on printed matter. This shows that adolescents consume images mostly on their electronic gadgets. 2016 DSE 14

2 Secondary Research Gender Roles in Hong Kong According to different newspapers in Hong Kong 14 the society. Results are shown below: 15, males and females assume different roles in Males Males are often in a position of authority. They are often in a role to report or comment Personalities willing to take risks, defends own beliefs, independent, willing to improve, aggressive and assertive Occupations Reporters Commentators Directors / Managers Females Females are in charge of domestic work such as cooking and taking care of children Personalities maternal, shy, sensitive, gentle, compassionate, affectionate, sympathetic, and understanding Housewives Secretaries Nurses Occupations However, there are also news reports 16 showing that gender equality is increasingly accepted in the society nowadays. People are less restricted by the concept of men are the breadwinners and women are the homemakers in a family unit. Nearly half of the interviewees in the survey think that: both genders have the right to manage finances. Females do not look forward to marriage as much as before. Most think that men are more involved into child care but women still hold the major responsibility. The report concludes that men are the breadwinners is never more but women are homemakers is still deep-rooted in the society. Relationship between Media and Gender Stereotypes From a report by The Women s Foundation Gender Stereotypes in the Hong Kong Media: A Scoping Study 17, the media and gender stereotypes are in a causal relationship. The media reinforces the stereotypes in the minds of people. The media is in control of programmes / content and advertisements. The public perceives gender roles from the media as the media tells them what is right and what is wrong in the society. To demonstrate the causal relationship, research has found that 30% of the pages in a typical entertainment magazine are slimming advertisements. This may cause women to be dissatisfied with their own body shape more easily and go on a diet. It is found that cases of eating disorders have rapidly increased in recent years, which may be resulted from the impact of the media. 14 SCMP: Media in Hong Kong promote gender stereotyping, Women's Foundation says. Available: http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1793797/media-hong-kongpromote-gender-stereotyping 15 16 大公報 : 港性別定型普遍女性易不滿體型 Available: http://news.takungpao.com/paper/q/2015/0512/2996504.html 文匯報 : 港兩性漸平等男外女內不再 Available: http://pdf.wenweipo.com/2011/01/17/a26-0117.pdf 17 The Women s Foundation: Gender Stereotypes in the Hong Kong Media: A Scoping Study. Available: http://twfhk.org/system/files/eoc%20gender%20stereotyping%20in%20the%20media_final_0.pdf 2016 DSE 15

6 Discussions Focus Question 1: What are the similarities and differences of male and female gender roles in Hong Kong? From the study, it is found that traditionally, females are portrayed as a more submissive role than males. It is found that both genders have very different roles. Males are often breadwinners but that situation seems to be diminishing with females granted more job opportunities in the workplace due to their caring and kind nature being suitable in the service industry, one of the major economic driving forces of Hong Kong. This leads to the emergence of more professional women and househusbands, an indication of the switch in division of labour in the families of Hong Kong. Nevertheless, females being the homemakers seem to be a deep-rooted value in the Hong Kong society, which is unlike those career-aspiring Canadian-Chinese in previous studies. The second hand data research serves as a baseline to see if adolescents interviewed endorse stereotypical female gender roles or not (more masculine roles instead). Focus Question 2: How do adolescents consume media images in Hong Kong? The study interviewed 4 adolescents. It is discovered that all 4 are active Internet users and more than half of the photos are found on the Internet. This indicated that they have access to not only regional, but global media, unlike those without the connection being only able to perceive the media by television and newspapers, which are local sources. About a quarter of the photos come from television programmes or television advertisements, and only one-tenth comes from printed media. Focus Question 3: What are the similarities and differences between genders and social strata in responding to media images in understanding female gender roles in Hong Kong? The study found the following areas where adolescents respond similarly: Appearance is the most popular category discussed by the interviewees. This can be accounted by the media objectifying women and placing how women should look in top priority. The media defines good looking as having a slim figure, undergoing plastic surgery and wearing heavy makeup. However, the interviewees are critical about these images and recognise that they are just photoshopped for a dramatic unrealistic effect ( over the top and exaggerated, as interviewee 3 mentioned). This finding is consistent with previous studies, where interviewees think looking neat and natural seems more acceptable and normal. Interviewees all agree that females should care for their own families by taking care of children and doing housework (e.g. cooking). Some say that family is prioritised over individual. This shows that women are still very responsible to domestic affairs. This is consistent with the second-hand research conducted which claims women are still the homemakers. However, interviewees are still appreciative of successful professional women. They think that they deserve the position because of hard work, a more submissive trait found in both genders, instead of assertiveness and aggression found commonly in male leaders. A greater variation is found in the personality category. This is inconsistent, however, from the previous studies. Since a wide range of personalities are registered, gender stereotyping is not clearly 2016 DSE 16

shown in this category. Interviewees 1, 3 and 4 agree that females should be kind, gentle and caring. Some mentioned that women should persevere and never give up. Interviewee 2 mentioned about masculine characteristics such as being courageous and assertive. Nevertheless, because of the small sample size, we cannot conclude if this belongs to a majority or a minority. Regarding the differences shown across gender, it is previously mentioned that males are more on women s looks while females are more on women s acts. This can be simply explained by the interviewees relationship with the female gender. Adolescent girls will enter the society after learning who am I and what can I be?, the existential question that Erikson believes adolescents will ask in search of the roles they can play in young adulthood. They are learning the behaviour of women from media images instead of just how to look. Male adolescents, who are obviously not playing the female role, are just learning how to interact with females. When meeting the opposite gender, first impressions, which are mostly visual, is the probable reason why males focus on the appearance more than females. On the other hand, males may not understand the difficulties of the social environment for females well. For example, they do not register why females may be discriminated in the workplace. Hence, they are not in the struggle so they may not have much to say about other categories they cannot observe from a male perspective. Regarding the differences shown across social strata, adolescents from lower social strata hold more conservative views towards revealing clothing and the workplace. One may turn to the physical constraints bounding the less fortunate adolescents. It is hypothesised that lack of connection to the Internet may cause adolescents from lower social strata to have a narrower, regional vision. They may not resonate with Western values of right-to-work as they are unfamiliar with it. However, reference with the data proved that it is not the case. All interviewees have photos from the Internet. Perhaps Hong Kong is so connected to the Western world that even less well-off families can manage an Internet connection or use the Internet in public libraries. A reason to explain the conservativeness may be because of the influence of parents. Parents are also a powerful agent of socialization. Children will follow the footsteps of their parents and use them as a guide to learn social norms. Parents may have more gender stereotypical views that may come down to different beliefs, difference in exposure to western values or even different educational levels. However, due to the scale of this study, such combination of factors is hard to be investigated. Parents may have influenced their children on media use by their own media uses. This may explain why living in a family with lower socio-economic status leads to more conservative views on gender roles. Focus Question 4: What is the significance of the impacts of the media on gender images in Hong Kong? Media s interpretation of gender roles can lead to great impacts. It may lead to incorrect self-image and low self-esteem. It may cause females to build incorrect values which adversely affect physical and mental health. For example, the slimming trend may cause females to become underweight, anorexic, depressed and / or suffer from anxiety. Males may have incorrect perception of females, objectifying them as sex kittens. This creates an unhealthy social atmosphere regarding the role of females. The good news is that all of the interviewees are critical about objectifying women and preferred a healthy female image. 2016 DSE 17

7 Conclusion and Reflection 1 Conclusion Hong Kong s media is a powerful agent of socialization that is able to impact the views of people on gender roles and responsibilities. It helps create gender images and roles which infiltrates into every aspect of the daily lives of Hong Kong people. From the study, a wide variety of photos are collected from the adolescents. They admire the actions of some women while holding a critical view towards others. This shows they do not just register that media images, but have judged whether the gender roles portrayed are appropriate or not. For the differences seen across genders, male adolescents are more concerned about the way which females present themselves. They learn that females should be neat and elegant when interacting with other people and should not be over the top in terms of wearing makeup and clothing. On the other hand, females are more concerned about how women should act. They learn from the media that women should stand up for themselves in the workplace but should also be caring to others, especially the family. In terms of gender roles, both genders agree that females assume a more subtle, soft caretaker role which agrees with traditional Chinese values. However, female adolescents are advocating that females should be independent and assume a more masculine role. For the differences seen across socio-economic statuses, those less well-off are holding more conservative views. They endorse more maternal roles such as taking care of children instead of working and rejected images of women not dressed appropriately. Therefore, they learn that females have to assume a caring and maternal role. On the other hand, those coming from better family background, are less critical about the appearance of women. They learn females can be what they want to be and can strive for what they want in terms of appearance and professional development. Therefore, this differs from traditional stereotypes in that women are not bound by the rules and restrictions set by the society and can be more independent. The project provides a view of how adolescents nowadays perceive gender roles in media images. However, as the scale of the project is very small, further studies are required to increase the reliability of the results and to examine the influences of different factors (e.g. beliefs, parents influence, etc.) that lead to such findings. 2 Reflection This project is only made possible by a talk from Professor Chan about conducting research projects relating to gender roles. This makes me interested about these kinds of projects and I am interested to know how different factors affect an individual perceiving information given to him/her. In the research process, I sought advice from Prof. Chan who guided me to accomplish the task by refining the methodology and subsequently lowering the difficulty of data collecting. Moreover, by taking reference to a similar study, I can understand more of the background of the research and possible outcomes and expectations. I learnt that having a clear framework when planning the study is important, as it clarifies the concepts and procedure to be used in the next stage. Although it is a huge challenge to integrate the data, I finally overcame it and gained vital problem solving skills. I also understand the limitations of my research and the need for further explorations to investigate other factors influences. After conducting the research, I become more interested in the topic as there are 2016 DSE 18

even more unanswered questions, especially for the aspect of socio-economic status. I learn that not everything can be completely explained. One can only repeatedly verify and perfect his/her theories. 8 Appendices 1 References (A) Books and Academic Journals [1] Erikson, Erik H. (1959) Identity and the Life Cycle. New York: International Universities Press [2] Study of Public Perception of Portrayal of Female Gender in the Hong Kong Media. Equal Opportunities Commission. Available: http://www.eoc.org.hk/eoc/upload/20095271242135396903.pdf [Last accessed 23 November 2014] [3] Lori D. Wolin (2003). Gender Issues in Advertising An Oversight Synthesis of Research: 1970 2002. Journal of Advertising Research, 43, pp 111-129. [4] Yu Xi (2013). Gender and Family in Contemporary China. University of Michigan. Available: http://www.psc.isr.umich.edu/pubs/pdf/rr13-808.pdf [Last accessed 23 November 2014] [5] Chan, K., Ng, Y.L., and Williams, R.B. (2012) What do adolescent girls learn about gender roles from advertising images? Young Consumers, 13(4), 357-366. [6] Chan, K. and Cheng, Y. (2012). Portrayal of females in magazine advertisements in Hong Kong, Journal of Asian Pacific Communication, 22(1), 78-96. [7] Chan, K. (2011). Pre-pubescent girls evaluations of female images in Hong Kong media. http://www.coms.hkbu.edu.hk/karachan/file/jchildm_sep_2011.pdf [Last accessed 23 November 2014] [8] Chan, K. and Ng, Y.L. (2013) Canadian Chinese adolescent girls gender roles and identities, Intercultural Communication Studies, 22(2), 19-39. [9] Chan, K., Ng, Y.L., and Williams, R.B. (2012) "Adolescent girls interpretation of sexuality found in media image, Intercultural Communication Studies, 21(3), 63-81; 2016 DSE 19

[10] The Women s Foundation: Gender Stereotypes in the Hong Kong Media: A Scoping Study. Available: http://twfhk.org/system/files/eoc%20gender%20stereotyping%20in%20the%20media_fina l_0.pdf [Last accessed 18 August 2015] (B) Newspapers [11] 黃家樑. (17 January 2011). 港兩性漸平等男外女內不再. Wen Wei Education. Page A26. [12] Eldes Tran, Chris Ip and Vanessa Ko. (16 December 2010). HK women struggling to close the gender gap. South China Morning Post. [13] SCMP: Media in Hong Kong promote gender stereotyping, Women's Foundation says. Available: http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1793797/media-hong-k ongpromote-gender-stereotyping [Last accessed 18 August 2015] [14] 大公報 : 港性別定型普遍女性易不滿體型 Available: http://news.takungpao.com/paper/q/2015/0512/2996504.html [Last accessed 18 August 2015] [15] 文匯報 : 港兩性漸平等男外女內不再 Available: http://pdf.wenweipo.com/2011/01/17/a26-0117.pdf [Last accessed 18 August 2015] (C) The Internet [16] Erin Long-Crowell. Agents of Socialization: Family, Schools, Peers and Media. Education Portal. Available: http://education-portal.com/academy/lesson/agents-of-socialization-family-schools-peers-and -media.html#lesson [Last accessed 23 November 2014] [17] Socialization. Available: http://anthro.palomar.edu/social/soc_1.htm [Last accessed 23 November 2014] [18] What do we mean by "sex" and "gender"? World Health Organization. Available: http://www.who.int/gender/whatisgender/en/ [Last accessed 23 November 2014] [19] Gender & Gender Identity. Planned Parenthood. Available: http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-info/sexual-orientation-gender/gender-gender-ident 2016 DSE 20

ity [Last accessed 28 November 2014] 2 Interview Transcripts Transcript 1 (Male, Family Income > $25 000) Date: 8 August 2015 Time: 10:00 10:30 N o. 1 Photo Comment 這張相片顯示了一個女子在自拍 現在很多女孩子喜歡將自己的生活照上傳社交網站 我認為這樣不是很恰當, 因為這樣反映了她們有點自戀, 而且我覺得她們亦不應將這麼多個人資料放上社交網站, 因這樣可能會危及她們自己的個人安全及私隱 2 這張相片顯示了一個女孩子在打扮 現在的女孩子很多都是非常注重外表, 但我覺得她們忽略了內涵 其實內涵亦十分重要, 而我認為內涵其實比外在美更為重要 2016 DSE 21

3 這張相片顯示了一班女孩子拿著很多購物袋 現在都有很多女士熱衷購物 但我認為胡亂花費金錢是不恰當的 對青少年來說, 這樣會浪費父母給她們的零用錢 ; 對成年人來說, 這樣可能會造成收入開支不平衡, 甚至導致購物狂的出現 這樣反映了她們在管理金錢上出現問題 4 這裏有兩個女孩子正在影貼紙照 我認為她們的行為都是恰當的, 因為她們有自己喜歡的活動, 她們這樣做亦可增進自己和朋友之間的友誼 現在的女生應該擁有她們自己的社交圈子 5 & 6 第 5 張相片顯示了一名空姐而第 6 張相片則顯示了一名酒店內的接待員 我認為她們都代表了女性的優雅的形象, 而我認為這樣的形象亦令女性適合擔當服務性行業的職位, 因為我認為女性都是比較善良及平易近人的 2016 DSE 22

第 7 張相上就顯示了一名女子衣著比較曝露 第 8 張就顯示一名女子穿著比較保守, 因為她的身體各部分都被衣服蓋著, 而我認為相片中的女子衣著比較守舊 現在時代改變了, 而且西方文化流入, 所以我認為第九張相片中的女子穿著比較時髦 7 & 8 2016 DSE 23

9 這張相就顯示了一名女子在教她的孩子煮食, 而我認為她的行為是十分恰當的, 因為她盡了一名母親的責任 現在雖然說男女平等, 但是男性仍然擔當著外出工作的責任, 而女性則負責家頭細務以及照顧小朋友 10 這張相片就顯示了一名事業成功的女性 我覺得女性應擁有自己的事業, 因為現在男女平等 其實現在很多女性同時兼顧家庭和事業, 要擁有女強人的形象 我認為她們都十分厲害 11 這張相片就顯示了一名女子要求她的男朋友跪在地上, 及後她不斷地掌摑她的男朋友 我應為她這樣十分不恰當, 非常暴力, 不應該是女性擁有的形象 我亦認為她這樣做, 給人一種有公主病的感覺以及一種嫁不出去的感覺 2016 DSE 24

12 & 13 這兩張相都是顯示了一些纖體的廣告, 相中宣傳女士應該要瘦身及追求瘦的形象 現在很多女士都認為瘦即是等於漂亮, 但是瘦並不代表漂亮, 因為漂亮的標準每人亦不, 而且內在美亦十分重要 她們應該要接受父母給予自己的身體, 而且她們亦不應追廣告中的所謂完美身材, 因為廣告中的完美身材大部分都是經過電腦加工製成的 她們盲目地去瘦身反而會造成不良的效果, 會造就自己擁有像有厭食症般的身型 2016 DSE 25

Transcript 2 (Female, Family Income > $25 000) Date: 24 July 2015 Time: 20:00 20:30 No. Photo Comment 1 我認為她十分有型, 她能夠做到一種通常是男性為主導的工作, 我覺得她很有勇氣 其實我認為隨著社會上男女日漸平等, 女性和男性所擁有的能力其實不相伯仲, 因此女性亦可勝任男性的工作, 社會亦應給予她們這些機會 2 我認為利君雅十分厲害, 因為她雖然不是中國人, 但仍然能在無綫報導新聞 她說的廣東話字正腔圓, 顯示出她非常努力 3 我認為她十分有領袖的風範 她是一個很懂得策劃及組織的人 她給人感覺十分冷靜, 有清晰的頭腦 我認為這是一個專業女性需要具備的條件 2016 DSE 26

這是藝員黃翠如 我認為她的事業頗成功, 因為她的形象頗正面 她非常細心但亦有開朗性格, 我因此喜愛她 4 我認為這齣戲中的女主角十分值得我們學習 她為了保住妹妹的性命而犧牲自己 我認為女性應該要以保護家庭為先 另外, 她永不放棄的精神亦值得我們學習 5 2016 DSE 27

這位女主角則十分有計謀 我認為女性有智慧及計謀是十分厲害的 6 2016 DSE 28

我認為這位女主播十分有氣質 她亦臨危不亂, 例如在讀錯東西的情況之下仍然處變不驚, 及時糾正 我認為她十分專業及有風範 7 8 我認為這位歌手十分值得我們敬佩, 因為她經過一番努力, 堅持不懈, 終於有今天的成就 另外, 她行事十分有原則我認為這也是一個很好的地方 2016 DSE 29

這位教師非常用心地教導每一位學生 即使學生最後的成績未必全部都非常優秀, 但是她仍然全心全意地教好每一位學生 9 2016 DSE 30

我認為這位女士十分專注, 在事業上有很大的成就 我認為她的儀容雖然整潔, 但缺乏了一點精神 若果她能夠以容光煥發的樣子示人便更好了 10 我認為她十分有威嚴, 她的衣著經過悉心的打扮 她穿著西裝十分整齊, 但我認為有點不女性化 11 2016 DSE 31

這張相片是從一段新聞中影下來的 這名女子幾年前突然消失, 到今日才現身 我認為女性不應該做一些這樣的事情讓家人擔心 12 我認為這個廣告中的女子像 barbie 一樣缺乏了自然美 我認為女性不應該化這樣濃的妝, 而免掩蓋了自然的美態 13 2016 DSE 32

Transcript 3 (Male, Family Income < $25 000) Date: 15 July 2015 Time: 13:15 13:45 No. Photo Comment 這張相片是從工作網上找到 的, 相中的女性穿著西裝十 分整潔, 反映出工作上應該 要規規矩矩 1 這位發言人外表十分整齊 我認為由女性去擔當發言人的工作比較適合, 因為女性給人的感覺比較和善, 擔任公關工作的效果比較好 2 2016 DSE 33

我認為女生這樣穿著十分浮誇, 可能這是因為廣告的緣故, 因此她的打扮才這樣浮誇 無論如何, 這樣穿著我覺得都是不合適的 3 4 & 5 第四張相片內的女生穿著太曝露, 讓人感覺這場選美大賽只著重外在美, 但其實內在美也十分重要 相反第五張相片好得多, 因為她們的衣著並不嘩眾取寵 2016 DSE 34

我認為女性在普通的場合中都不需要化妝, 只有在比較隆重一點的場合才化一個淡妝就已經可以 因此我認為相中的女子塗口紅其實也不必要 6 2016 DSE 35

這位新聞主播所穿著的服裝是合適的, 反映出一位女性穿著應該端莊 專業 7 這些女性穿著比較時髦 當中有些人的打扮比較誇張, 尤其是他們的髮型, 基本上在日常的生活中很少見到有女性有這樣的打扮 8 & 10 2016 DSE 36

9 圖片中的女性讓人感覺十分好動活躍, 運動型, 給予人一個十分健康的形象 我認為女性也不應該整天留在家來照顧小朋友及打理家頭細務, 亦應顧及自己的身體, 定時做運動 2016 DSE 37

這位女性穿載十分高貴, 像是去晚會的樣子 我覺得她十分有儀態, 給人一個十分優雅的樣子 11 12 我認為這位女性應該花了很多努力在學業方面, 很難得才有這樣的成就 我十分佩服她 我認為這位女性應該是一個很有遠見及學識的人 2016 DSE 38

我認為她的打扮是一個比較性感的打扮, 我認為這尚且合適的 13 2016 DSE 39

Transcript 4 (Female, Family Income < $25 000) Date: 11 August 2015 Time: 11:00 11:30 No. Photo Comment 1 這是一個空姐, 我認為這些服務性行業比較適合女性, 因為他們比較溫柔 體貼 更了解乘客的需要 他們亦經常面露笑容, 讓乘客能夠舒服一點 他們亦有化一點妝, 讓人感覺儀容整潔 我認為女性是不應該吸煙的 尤其是這位女性穿著西裝, 仍在街上吸煙, 我認為這是十分粗魯及破壞自己形象的行為 她吸完煙後回去工作, 會騷擾到別人, 亦同時影響自己健康 2 2016 DSE 40

我認為這也是不好的 這位女士裸露上身在沙灘上走來走去, 非常曝露 我認為女性不應該以這樣的方法去吸引他人的目光 3 4 我認為這是正確的行為, 女性生下小朋友後有責任去照顧他 雖然男性亦有責任, 但我認為女性在照顧小朋友方面仍勝一籌 圖中的母親在餵小朋友及剪碎食物 我認為女性會在這方面較男性有耐性 2016 DSE 41

我認為女性要懂得煮飯 女性應該在處理自己的事情之前, 要照顧好家庭 5 我認為女性應該要懂得化妝, 但亦不應化太濃的妝 化妝會讓人感覺比較精神和整潔, 能給予別人一個良好的第一印象 6 2016 DSE 42

我認為這是不對的 或許很多人認為紋身是十分有型及新潮的事情, 但我認為紋身的女性十分粗魯, 給人感覺十分不友善 7 8 相片中只有數位女性 她們應該是十分盡力以及進取才能有今日的成就 雖然很多工作機會都是屬於男性, 但我認為女性仍然有十分多的優勝之處 因此女性在工作上應該一樣要那麼認真 2016 DSE 43

這是一個纖體廣告 廣告中的楊思琦十分瘦 我認為女性不應該盲目相信這些纖體廣告, 更不應該因為要瘦身而去不進食 9 我認為這幾位女性十分無儀態 她們不應在地鐵上坐在地下休息 這樣做會讓人覺得非常反感及讓人認為她們十分粗魯 10 11 這張圖片顯示了一名女性在搬貨 我認為這些體力勞動的工作應該由男性去做, 因為畢竟女性沒有男性有力氣, 況且這樣做可能會令自己的身體受傷, 這是女性十分不應該做的行為 2016 DSE 44

我認為女性去整容是不對的行為 我認為女性不應該無故改變自己原有的外貌亦不應該因為一些明星或社會風氣的原因而去整容 12 我認為女性不應該從事消防員的職業, 因為消防員的裝備十分重, 而且體能的要求十分高 我認為女性會做不來 而且消防員的工作環境十分危險而女性十分膽小, 所以我認為女性不適合從事這項工作 13 2016 DSE 45

我認為這是不對的行為 雖然很多女性都十分喜歡購物, 但我認為這樣不但會浪費金錢, 更會浪費家內的空間 女性應該要懂得節制 14 15 我認為女性的性格十分適合擔當這類型的工作 女性細心及照顧別人的形象令他們適合擔當護理員 護士 幼稚園教師等工作 在老人院與老人溝通是必須具有十分大的耐性的 而我認為女性的性格特點令她們更能勝任這項工作 2016 DSE 46