Boys will be boys, girls will be women : A sociosemiotic analysis of gender norms in a children´s program

Sammanfattning

This study examines how responsibility and maturity are represented in relation to stereotypical gender roles in the children´s television program The Amazing World of Gumball. The analysis focuses on the relationship between brothers Gumball and Darwin and their little sister Anais, with attention to how humor is created through contrasts in their behavior, rationality and responsibility. Using a qualitive sociosemiotic approach, four scenes from the first episode in the series are analyzed through gender theories and research on children´s media and reception. The results show that Anais is consistently portrayed as mature, rational and responsible while her older brothers are represented as impulsive and irresponsible. The study argues that the humor of the series is largely based on these contrasts, which risks normalizing stereotypical ideas about gender. However, the study does not draw conclusions about how children are actually affected by the material but rather discusses how such representations may communicate ideas about gender stereotypes to a young impressionable audience. In an unrelated media production, a short film was made as a fictional campaign for the Swedish organization Tjejzonen, they fight for every girl´s right to be heard and supported. The production used mixed media animation and live action and focused on creating a feeling that might encourage people to volunteer for the organization. The purpose of the short film was to spread information about Tjejzonen and the volunteer task Storasyster.