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Nobody’s Business? White Male Privilege in Media Coverage of Intimate Partner Violence
Joanna R. Pepin
Sociological Spectrum
Portrayals of celebrities perpetrating Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) are ideal for understanding the association between gender and racial privilege in representations of social problems. Unlike prior scholarship on framing of IPV, with celebrity perpetrators, race can be analyzed as an important aspect. Using 330 news articles about 66 celebrities, I find patterns of reporting consistent with male privilege that sanctions men’s violence against women, whereas the differential treatment of Black men fosters a racialized interpretation that pathologizes Black men. Black men’s IPV is more often criminalized, with criminal imagery included 3 times more often in articles about Black celebrities than White celebrities. By presenting violence as an escalation of mutual conflict and excusing it due to mitigating circumstances, such as inebriation, White men’s violence is justified 2½ times more often than Black men’s IPV. These findings contribute to sociological understandings of racial privilege in the social construction of IPV.
What Kind of War? “Mommy Wars” Discourse in U.S. and Canadian News, 1989-2013
Melissa A. Milkie, Joanna R. Pepin, Kathleen E. Denny
Sociological Inquiry
The “Mommy Wars” is a cultural frame asserting the existence of a battle between employed mothers and homemakers. We perform critical discourse analysis of U.S. and Canadian news articles using this term from 1989 through 2013 (N=402). Building upon the concept of symbolic annihilation, we highlight how the frame distorts and trivializes mothers’ experiences. First, ironically, although some authors describe the Mommy Wars as not real, usage grows rapidly over time. Moreover, the meaning expands to include “alternative wars” on a multitude of childrearing differences and on disputes outside of mothering altogether (e.g., type of water); this serves to equate trivialities like tap versus filtered water with work-family conditions, effectively rendering them equally inconsequential battles among “mommies.” Finally, the frame trivializes social problems through a focus on (middle-class) mothers’ individual choices as a solution to Mommy Wars. Privileging maternal “choice” with only passing mentions of fathers and the state absolves these groups of responsibilities for the next generation. The use of Mommy Wars rhetoric acts a divisive, symbolic wedge, ultimately perpetuating a war against mothers.
Joanna R. Pepin
Sociological Spectrum
Portrayals of celebrities perpetrating Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) are ideal for understanding the association between gender and racial privilege in representations of social problems. Unlike prior scholarship on framing of IPV, with celebrity perpetrators, race can be analyzed as an important aspect. Using 330 news articles about 66 celebrities, I find patterns of reporting consistent with male privilege that sanctions men’s violence against women, whereas the differential treatment of Black men fosters a racialized interpretation that pathologizes Black men. Black men’s IPV is more often criminalized, with criminal imagery included 3 times more often in articles about Black celebrities than White celebrities. By presenting violence as an escalation of mutual conflict and excusing it due to mitigating circumstances, such as inebriation, White men’s violence is justified 2½ times more often than Black men’s IPV. These findings contribute to sociological understandings of racial privilege in the social construction of IPV.
What Kind of War? “Mommy Wars” Discourse in U.S. and Canadian News, 1989-2013
Melissa A. Milkie, Joanna R. Pepin, Kathleen E. Denny
Sociological Inquiry
The “Mommy Wars” is a cultural frame asserting the existence of a battle between employed mothers and homemakers. We perform critical discourse analysis of U.S. and Canadian news articles using this term from 1989 through 2013 (N=402). Building upon the concept of symbolic annihilation, we highlight how the frame distorts and trivializes mothers’ experiences. First, ironically, although some authors describe the Mommy Wars as not real, usage grows rapidly over time. Moreover, the meaning expands to include “alternative wars” on a multitude of childrearing differences and on disputes outside of mothering altogether (e.g., type of water); this serves to equate trivialities like tap versus filtered water with work-family conditions, effectively rendering them equally inconsequential battles among “mommies.” Finally, the frame trivializes social problems through a focus on (middle-class) mothers’ individual choices as a solution to Mommy Wars. Privileging maternal “choice” with only passing mentions of fathers and the state absolves these groups of responsibilities for the next generation. The use of Mommy Wars rhetoric acts a divisive, symbolic wedge, ultimately perpetuating a war against mothers.
Supernanny’s Solutions for Families: An Ethnographic Content Analysis of Parenting Messages on Reality Television
Elizabeth Kuhn-Wilken, Toni Schindler Zimmerman, Jennifer L. Matheson, James H. Banning, and Joanna Pepin
Journal of Feminist Family Therapy
Parenting messages in 15 episodes of the television show Supernanny were investigated through an ethnographic content analysis. Using feminist, social learning, and cultivation theories, nine themes emerged: Children are Misbehaving, Parents Need Help, Maintain Control, Don't Be Harsh, Be a Couple, Engage with Kids, Techniques and Skills, Change Takes Work, and It Works. Results showed that mothers were frequently being told to seize control of their children and employ certain parenting techniques. Fathers were encouraged to help with housework, engage with their children, and not be harsh. Issues related to the themes, as well as implications of the study for parent educators and clinicians, are discussed.
Elizabeth Kuhn-Wilken, Toni Schindler Zimmerman, Jennifer L. Matheson, James H. Banning, and Joanna Pepin
Journal of Feminist Family Therapy
Parenting messages in 15 episodes of the television show Supernanny were investigated through an ethnographic content analysis. Using feminist, social learning, and cultivation theories, nine themes emerged: Children are Misbehaving, Parents Need Help, Maintain Control, Don't Be Harsh, Be a Couple, Engage with Kids, Techniques and Skills, Change Takes Work, and It Works. Results showed that mothers were frequently being told to seize control of their children and employ certain parenting techniques. Fathers were encouraged to help with housework, engage with their children, and not be harsh. Issues related to the themes, as well as implications of the study for parent educators and clinicians, are discussed.
Relationship Advice in Top-Selling Men’s Magazines: A Qualitative Document Analysis
Roy Spalding, Toni Schindler Zimmerman, Christine A. Fruhauf, James H. Banning, and Joanna Pepin
Journal of Feminist Family Therapy
The bulk of men's magazines contain advice columns which counsel readers on relationships. The viewers heed the information provided to them and apply it to their own lives and relationships. As a result, it is imperative to study the relationship advice men are seeking in these magazines. The purpose of this study was to analyze the intimate relational content and advice contained in five top-selling men's interest magazines. Findings indicate the magazines contain messages consistent with stereotypic gender socialization which reinforce male masculinity. Sex was depicted as a top priority in relationships, and the sexual lives of men were portrayed as idealistic. Most advice was contrary to research on the formation of deep friendship and intimate relationships.
Roy Spalding, Toni Schindler Zimmerman, Christine A. Fruhauf, James H. Banning, and Joanna Pepin
Journal of Feminist Family Therapy
The bulk of men's magazines contain advice columns which counsel readers on relationships. The viewers heed the information provided to them and apply it to their own lives and relationships. As a result, it is imperative to study the relationship advice men are seeking in these magazines. The purpose of this study was to analyze the intimate relational content and advice contained in five top-selling men's interest magazines. Findings indicate the magazines contain messages consistent with stereotypic gender socialization which reinforce male masculinity. Sex was depicted as a top priority in relationships, and the sexual lives of men were portrayed as idealistic. Most advice was contrary to research on the formation of deep friendship and intimate relationships.
Here Comes the Bride: An Ethnographic Content Analysis of Bridal Books
Angie Besel, Toni Schindler Zimmerman, Christine A. Fruhauf, Joanna Pepin, and James H. Banning
Journal of Feminist Family Therapy
Weddings are the most common ritual used to mark a change in a person's relationship status. Engaged couples in the United States are inundated with messages about how to plan this significant event. Weddings serve as rites of passage and assist in role transitions. When preparing for a wedding, many couples turn to wedding planning books. It is important for professionals who work with couples, particularly premarital couples, to be aware of the messages that are given in wedding planning books. The purpose of this research was to examine advice in wedding books targeted to brides in terms of gender and creating healthy relationships. Wedding books were analyzed from a feminist lens and the overarching themes that emerged are: Women in Weddings, Men in Weddings, Relationship Advice, Changes in Weddings, and Looks are Important. The primary finding of this research is that the advice given to engaged couples maintains and promotes inequality in the planning of this important ritual.
Angie Besel, Toni Schindler Zimmerman, Christine A. Fruhauf, Joanna Pepin, and James H. Banning
Journal of Feminist Family Therapy
Weddings are the most common ritual used to mark a change in a person's relationship status. Engaged couples in the United States are inundated with messages about how to plan this significant event. Weddings serve as rites of passage and assist in role transitions. When preparing for a wedding, many couples turn to wedding planning books. It is important for professionals who work with couples, particularly premarital couples, to be aware of the messages that are given in wedding planning books. The purpose of this research was to examine advice in wedding books targeted to brides in terms of gender and creating healthy relationships. Wedding books were analyzed from a feminist lens and the overarching themes that emerged are: Women in Weddings, Men in Weddings, Relationship Advice, Changes in Weddings, and Looks are Important. The primary finding of this research is that the advice given to engaged couples maintains and promotes inequality in the planning of this important ritual.
An Analysis of Wedding Books for Grooms: A Feminist Perspective
Joanna Pepin, Toni Schindler Zimmerman, Christine A. Fruhauf, and James H. Banning
Journal of Feminist Family Therapy
Messages about engagements and weddings are pervasive in our society and media. The purpose of this study was to understand one aspect of these messages by conducting an ethnographic content analysis of 12 wedding books for grooms published from 1995 to 2006. A feminist theoretical perspective guided this study and an in-depth review of the literature is provided in order to understand weddings as a ritual in society. Five overarching themes emerged suggesting that during the engagement the groom should act as a manager, define masculinity through oppression, preserve masculinity, maintain traditional gender roles, and act as a social coordinator. A discussion of the meanings and implications of these results is presented.
Joanna Pepin, Toni Schindler Zimmerman, Christine A. Fruhauf, and James H. Banning
Journal of Feminist Family Therapy
Messages about engagements and weddings are pervasive in our society and media. The purpose of this study was to understand one aspect of these messages by conducting an ethnographic content analysis of 12 wedding books for grooms published from 1995 to 2006. A feminist theoretical perspective guided this study and an in-depth review of the literature is provided in order to understand weddings as a ritual in society. Five overarching themes emerged suggesting that during the engagement the groom should act as a manager, define masculinity through oppression, preserve masculinity, maintain traditional gender roles, and act as a social coordinator. A discussion of the meanings and implications of these results is presented.
