Over Time and Beyond Disney—Visualizing Princesses through a Comparative Study in India, Fiji, and Sweden (original) (raw)
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Social Sciences, 2019
Disney animated princesses are broadcasted around the world through Disney Channel and its global affiliates, as well as through numerous other networks that purchase distribution rights. In an attempt to provide diversity Disney in the last 25 years has featured non-western princesses -- such as Aladdin (1992), Pocahontas (1995), Mulan (1998), and Moana (2016). This study examines how princess in animated Disney movies are perceived and understood by girls (8-15 years) in three different countries, over two time-periods with a gap of nearly a decade (2009 & 2018). The primary research question, considering Disney’s global reach, is how race, culture, presence of a royal family interact with transnational access to the same media content, in the perception of princess concept and about being a girl. The selected countries provide an opportunity to explore differences in perception of Disney princesses between girls raised in country with and without a royal family, and between girls in non-western and western countries. Differences in the perception are attributed to local and national cultures that allow a different lens to view the same content. A mixed method combining interviews, focus groups and participant generated images was used to gather data in India, Fiji and Sweden. Results indicate Disney princesses, with their ubiquitous presence in various formats, e.g. media content, costumes and school stationery have created a uniform idea of beauty across countries. Princesses in Disney were perceived by participants as being caucasian and American, regardless of the race or country they represented. Girls in India and Fiji did not identify with Jasmine or Mulan, who they considered ‘American’, whereas girls in Sweden considered Jasmine and Mulan as princesses of non-western origin. Girls in India and Fiji did not think they could be princesses because of their skin color, and did not want to lead a life ‘restricted with responsibilities’, but girls in Sweden considered the same question from the place of a choice, i.e. they preferred not to lead a ‘boring’ and regulated life like that of a princess. Participants from Fiji, with the least access to domestic programming that shows girls of Fijian origin were least likely to consider themselves capable of being a princess.
The Gender Role Portrayal Of Disney Princesses And Its Impact On The Audience
With the voices from past literature and research, this paper explores areas of Disney princess movies over the decades in terms of the transitional female lead characters and the perceived impact of the said change on the audience in terms of their behavior and decision making. Disney as a global corporation has imposed on the psychological development of children in regards to identity management, gender performance, and racial stereotypes, forming an overall structure society has been reduced to confine in. The primary objective of this study therefore, is to find out how the characterization of gender perception of Disney princesses over the decades has left an impact on the audience and how the transition of Disney princesses and the portrayal of gender roles affect the audience. The research for this study has taken a qualitative approach by conducting interviews of exploratory nature consisting of open-ended question among audiences with the core focus on adolescents. This st...
Social Sciences
Both popular and academic discourse has noted progressive change in the gender role portrayals of much-loved Disney princess characters. However, at present, little is known about children’s recognition of such changes, or of their interpretation of princesses’ gendered behavior. This study therefore asked 131 8–9-year-old UK children to attribute various feminine and masculine characteristics to ‘princesses’ both before and after watching an ‘old’ (Sleeping Beauty) versus ‘new’ (Moana) Disney princess movie. Post-movie they were also asked to attribute these characteristics to the princess characters (Aurora and Moana respectively) and were assessed on their labelling of thirteen popular female characters as ‘princesses’. Results showed that whilst children recognized the largely feminine versus androgynous gendered profiles of Aurora versus Moana respectively, viewing a ‘newer’ Disney movie did not change their perception of ‘princesses’ more broadly. Moreover, a large proportion ...
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Previous quantitative research examining Disney movies has highlighted that whilst prince characters display largely balanced gender profiles, princesses exhibit biased gender role portrayals—performing mostly feminine characteristics, rarely participating in rescue behavior, and concluding movies in romantic relationships with the prince. However, such research, as well as public commentary, has also suggested that princess characters in movies released across the 2000s and 2010s may have more positive gender role portrayals. This study aimed to test these assertions by utilizing content coding analysis to examine the behavioral characteristics, rescue behavior, and romantic conclusions of prince and princess characters in five iconic Disney films released between 2009 and 2016 (The Princess and the Frog, Tangled, Brave (released under Pixar), Frozen, and Moana). Comparisons were also made with earlier titles to assess historical changes. Results showed that princesses in “2000s to...
Journal of Children and Media, 2020
For years the Disney Princesses have been at the top in box office tickets and their merchandising sales have reached into the billions. With this success there has been concern about the influence these princesses have on preadolescent girls' lives and their self-esteem. The purpose of this study was to ask preadolescent girls why there is such a strong attraction toward, adoration for, and devotion to the Disney Princesses. The study was conducted using Q methodology, a behavioral research approach that allows for the measurement of attitudes, opinions, and beliefs. The results produced four factors labeled The Virtuous, who looked at the princesses' positive personality attributes, The Royalists who liked the princesses because of their beauty, gowns, and royal status, The Dreamers who seemed to yearn for the princesses' lifestyle and creating a better life for themselves, and The Grrrls who liked the princesses who were confident and strong. Overall, this study indicates that preadolescent girls do not take the princesses at face value and recognized the actions and behaviors of the princesses first. They see beyond the physical attributes of the princesses and understand they do not have to be beautiful to be confident and kind to others.
Gender Role Portrayal and the Disney Princesses
The popular Disney Princess line includes nine films (e.g., Snow White, Beauty and the Beast) and over 25,000 marketable products. Gender role depictions of the prince and princess characters were examined with a focus on their behavioral characteristics and climactic outcomes in the films. Results suggest that the prince and princess characters differ in their portrayal of traditionally masculine and feminine characteristics, these gender role portrayals are complex, and trends towards egalitarian gender roles are not linear over time. Content coding analyses demonstrate that all of the movies portray some stereotypical representations of gender, including the most recent film, The Princess and the Frog. Although both the male and female roles have changed over time in the Disney Princess line, the male characters exhibit more androgyny throughout and less change in their gender role portrayals.
Disney animated movies, their princesses, and everyone else
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In April 2021, The Walt Disney Company (Disney) announced the Ultimate Princess Celebration, 'a year-long event spotlighting the courage and kindness these Disney heroines inspire in fans all around the world' (Deitchman, 2021). Princesses have remained an important element of Disney's identity and the movies they create. Broadening research beyond these characters and examining a larger sample demonstrated distinctions in the characteristics present in Official Disney Princess (ODP) movies, Actual Princess (AP) movies, and the 45 in the full catalog (All-Movies) that are or share characteristics with Disney Princess Movies. This article compares the race, class, and gender of the protagonist and antagonist as well as other story elements of 45 animated or partially animated movies that typify Disney's 'Classics Period' between 1937 and 2017 across those three groups. This work examines the ways in which the ODP and AP are different from the overall catalog and violate some of the Disney norms to which we are accustomed while fully embracing others. The research found that while the Official Princess movies had more racial diversity in the main characters than the overall catalog, for example, they also had more stereotypical female villains, more magic, and more romance. Acknowledging these divisions can lead to more robust research where a research sample can be critically collected based on the topic of interest. This article provides a foundation for those examinations.
Damsels in Distress An analysis of Gender roles in Disney princess films
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Abstract: In today’s society movies have become an integral resource which influence a person’s identity. This paper is designed to study the gender roles and the construction of identity in Disney movies. Earlier researches have suggested that Disney movies are not beneficial for children as they propagate certain male dominant ideas by portraying females in a dependent role .This research analyses two texts notably “Cinderella” and “Aladdin” from two different eras and comes to the conclusion that though the societal framework and the roles have changed over time, yet the female character depiction remains the same. The paper also looks at the impact of this sexism on its target audience and reinstates the responsibilities of movies to project females in an elevated role. This helps them to break free of the structure that already discriminates and marginalizes them. Keywords: feminism, patriarchy, stereotype.
Young Girls Perception of Beauty in Disney Princess Movies
International Journal of Asian Social Science, 2018
Disney princesses are an icon for young girls. Their admiration towards the princesses can be seen through their familiarity with the characters in each film. Disney animated films are always associated with beauty which leads to stereotyping. The protagonists in the movies are always associated with beauty and positive qualities while the antagonists possess all the negative traits. This study was conducted to examine how Malaysian young girls define beauty in Disney princess movies and to explore whether the definition of beauty influences the way they reflect on themselves as a beautiful being. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 participants aged 4 to 6 years old in a kindergarten in Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia. Analysis of the interview data reveals that the young girls define beauty in terms of physical appearance and positive traits. However, they do not consider beauty as the most important quality a person should have. They are also aware that the Disney princesses are just an animated character, hence their beauty cannot be translated into the real life. This paper concludes that the Disney movies, to some extent, have shaped the children's conceptualization of beauty, but the children are aware that they should not imitate the characters in their attempt to be a beautiful girl.