Analysis of the Gender Perceptions of Generations X, Y, and Z through Advertisements

Gender perception, which is greatly affected by the socio-cultural characteristics of societies, varies from society to society. Gender perception is greatly influenced by the media’s representations of men and women. Initiatives such as the Unstereotype Alliance Platform have increased the number of advertisements that seek to change gender perceptions. In this context, the problem of the study is to reveal the gender perception of generations X, Y and Z through 3 advertisements published in Turkey. Phenomenological design and maximum variation sampling were preferred in this study, which is an example of qualitative research. Within the scope of the study, advertisements of 3 brands that are members of the Unstereotype Alliance Platform were selected, and structured in-depth interview questions were prepared. The selected commercials were shown to 24 people from generations X, Y, and Z. As a result of the study, most of the X, Y, and Z generations expressed a positive opinion about men and women doing housework together and they found the message given in the selected advertisements positive. In addition, participants requested advertisers to increase the number of advertisements showing men doing housework. It was emphasized that normalizing men’s active role in housework could be a positive step towards gender equality.