Genus i livsstilsmagasin – bevarande eller brytande av könsstereotyper? -En semiotisk analys av svenska livsstilsmagasins visuella framställning av genus

In the current media landscape, visual content is an influential and contributing part in the shaping of societal attitudes, conceptions and norms about gender. The main purpose of this qualitative study is thus to research how gender is visually displayed on the cover pages of two Swedish lifestyle magazines. Moreover, the aim is to investigate how the magazines visual portrayal of gender maintains, or challenges, traditional stereotypes about masculinity and femininity. The analysis is mainly based on Goffman’s theory of Gender Advertisements. Through a visual semiotic analysis, this study examines the cover models physical attributes, along with other semiotic resources such as setting, color and camera angle. From the overall results of the analysis, the conclusion drawn is that both men and women are depicted mostly in line with traditional gender stereotypes, with only small amounts of challenging characteristics made visible