Gender roles in animated movies and tv series: stereotypization and emancipation in tv programs of tv3, lnk and ltv

The aim of this paper is to analyze gender role dynamics in three Lithuanian televisions (TV3, LNK, and LRT) which took place in twenty years (1995, 2005 and 2015) and see how it (not) changed during this period. The theoretical part of the paper is based on three theories: gender (according to J. Butler), social learning theory (according to A. Bandura) and stereotypization (according to S. Hall). The object of this paper are animated movies, and TV shows created in USA, Japan and USSR (later in Russia), which were analyzed with four discerned gender stereotype categories. Four task were raised to achieve the goal of the thesis. 1. To create theoretical basis. 2. To create the analytical tool which lets to distinguish four leading gender stereotypes‘ categories. 3. Using quantitative and qualitative analyze of animated movies, and TV shows broadcasted in three Lithuanian televisions from 1995 to 2015, determine what kind of gender role stereotypes are dominating. 4. Summarize results of the research and show central tendencies which differentiate USA, Japanese, and Russian animation, and show how main characters in animation were (not)changed during twenty years. The findings of this analysis are the following (shortened): 1. After analyzing 398 animated movies and TV shows which were broadcasted in three Lithuanian televisions from 1995 to 2015, it can be seen that the biggest part of televised production had traditionally stereotyped main characters and such tendency tends not to change over the years. It means that all televisions always broadcasted animated movies and TV series with such stereotypization of main characters and such animation was always on the quantitative lead. 2. Other types of stereotypization had dynamics. Contrastereotypization, neutral stereotypization, and opposing stereotypization were found in TV programs, but they always were in smaller numbers than traditional stereotypization. However, during the years more and more animated movies and TV series were found having such representation of main characters. Other conclusions: 1. Russian animation was the one where neutral stereotypization was one of the most popular. This is due to the fact that many of TV series made in USSR have young age animal characters as their main protagonists. Further analysis of this animation can be done in order to understand gender politics in animation. 2. Contrastereotypization of women in animation was supposed to be one of the main tactics. However, this paper shows that it is not entirely accurate. Furthermore, this paper emphasize the need to analyse men contrastereotypization, because it is a rarely found type of representation in animated movies and TV shows. 3. Animal gender representation can be done in other researches too because this paper concluded that there are no similar types of representation of such characters in animation. 4. Comparative analysis of gender representation should be done by other researchers to compare American, Japanese, Russian and Lithuanian animation. 5. Other, similar type of studies, should try to include more countries and make shorter time periods (instead of 10 years, make it 5) in order to see the dynamics of gender representation and changes of it throughout the years. Other countries’ animation broadcasted in Lithuanian televisions should also be analyzed in a view to see the real and full pallet of the gender representation situation in animation. 6. The aim of this paper was to understand how throughout the year's such animation might have an influence on the first Lithuanian generation after the regain of the Independence, and have an impact on how young people who grew up watching such productions see gender nowadays in general. This paper might be a starting point to cause talking about and understand why society still can’t find a similar view to gender roles