Just for Men: the Representation of Masculinities in Grooming Product
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Just For Men: The Representation of Masculinities in Grooming Product Advertising Casey Scheibling A Thesis in The Department of Sociology and Anthropology Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts (Sociology) at Concordia University Montreal, Quebec, Canada April 2014 © Casey Scheibling, 2014 CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY School of Graduate Studies This is to certify that the thesis prepared By: Casey Scheibling Entitled: Just For Men: The Representation of Masculinities in Grooming Product Advertising and submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts (Sociology) complies with the regulations of the University and meets the accepted standards with respect to originality and quality. Signed by the final Examining Committee: _____________________________________________ Chair Dr. Meir Amor __________________________________________ Examiner Dr. Anthony Synnott __________________________________________ Examiner Dr. Greg M. Nielsen _________________________________________ Supervisor Dr. Marc Lafrance Approved by ______________________________________________________ Chair of Department or Graduate Program Director _______________ 2014 _____________________________ Dean of Faculty ABSTRACT Just For Men: The Representation of Masculinities in Grooming Product Advertising Casey Scheibling The purpose of this study is to analyze advertisements for grooming products in order to uncover what these texts communicate about contemporary men and masculinity. To support the present research, a theoretical framework consisting of three sections is provided. First, the concepts of ideology, representation and communication are discussed, with regards to how they operate in advertising. Second, critical social and cultural research on theorizing the body is integrated. Third, theories on the social construction of gender and shifting conceptions of masculinity are outlined and evaluated. Next, a literature review gives insight to how men, masculinity and male bodies are represented in magazine advertising. The examination of this research makes clear the timely relevance of exploring grooming product ads specifically. Cosmetics, once reserved to beautify the bodies of women, are now being aggressively aimed at men. This begs the question of whether this shift in marketing denotes a break with certain normative gendered representations within the mass media. Through conducting a thematic discourse analysis on a sample of advertisements from 2011 to 2013, I argue that advertising for male grooming products are coded as necessarily gendered and inherently ‘manly’. While the act of grooming one’s body has been historically associated with femininity, advertisers often draw upon traditionally masculine conventions, ideals and stereotypes. However, masculinities are also constructed as heterogeneous and pluralized; as a fragment of the male identity that varies across ages, classes and ethnicities. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to take this opportunity to express my utmost gratitude for a number of people who have helped me along this journey. First, to my supervisor Dr. Marc Lafrance, I must thank you for your continual dedication to and support of my work. I truly believe that you go above and beyond your duties as a professor to ensure that your students have the most fulfilling academic experience possible. You have made an impact on me – as a teacher, as a role model and also as a friend – which I will cherish for the rest of my life. Second, to Dr. Anthony Synnott, whom I consider to be my second supervisor, I would like to thank you for all you have done for me over the years. You have helped me through academic engagement, but also by providing invaluable advice and kindhearted words of encouragement. I wish you all the best in your upcoming retirement. Third, I would like to acknowledge Dr. Beverley Best, Dr. Avi Goldberg and Dr. Greg Nielsen for stimulating my interest in Sociology and offering various forms of assistance. Additionally, I want to express an appreciation of my colleagues Amanda Weightman and Cheryl MacDonald for the camaraderie and, at times, consolation. Also, to Ian Gartner, thanks again for providing me with high-resolution scans of several ads used in this research. Last, but certainly not least, love and thanks to my parents for both economic and emotional support. I could not have done this without you. And, to Emma Savino, for enduring the distance between us these past two years and reassuring me in the decisions I have made. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ________________________________________________________________________ List of Figures..................................................................................................................vii Introduction........................................................................................................................1 Chapter 1 – Theoretical Framework................................................................................6 1.1 Ideology, Representation and Communication...............................................6 1.1.1 On Ideology......................................................................................8 1.1.2 Representation: Language, Meaning and Discourse.....................15 1.1.3 Communication: Encoding, Decoding and Audiences..................20 1.2 Bodies and Embodiments in a Biopolitical Age...........................................26 1.2.1 The Body as a “Project”................................................................27 1.2.2 Foucault’s Biopower and Care of the Self.....................................29 1.2.3 Embodiment and Disembodiment..................................................32 1.3 The Social Construction of Gender and Masculinity....................................34 1.3.1 Performing Gender........................................................................35 1.3.2 Theorizing Masculinity..................................................................38 1.3.3 Shifting Conceptions of Masculinity..............................................44 Chapter 2 – Literature Review.......................................................................................55 2.1 Representing Men in Magazines and Advertising........................................55 2.2 The Exposure of the Male Body...................................................................59 2.3 Male Bodywork and Grooming Products.....................................................63 Chapter 3 – Methodology................................................................................................68 3.1 Sample...........................................................................................................68 3.2 Methodological Approaches to Analyzing Advertising Texts......................70 3.3 Thematic Discourse Analysis: An Overview and Application.....................72 3.3.1 Phase I: Familiarizing Yourself With Your Data..........................72 3.3.2 Phase II: Generating Initial Codes................................................76 3.3.3 Phase III: Searching For Themes..................................................80 3.3.4 Phase IV: Reviewing The Themes..................................................82 3.3.5 Phase V: Defining and Naming Themes........................................83 3.3.6 Phase VI: Producing the Report....................................................83 Chapter 4 – What Do These Ads Communicate?.........................................................85 4.1 “Body Responsibility and Control”..............................................................85 4.2 “Manning Up”...............................................................................................91 4.3 “Explicit and Implicit Heterosexuality”........................................................97 4.4 “Work and Family”.....................................................................................103 4.5 “Nostalgia”..................................................................................................110 v Chapter 5 – How Do These Ads Communicate?.........................................................116 5.1 Composition and Settings...........................................................................116 5.2 Intertextuality: Celebrities, Sports Associations and Other Professionals..119 5.3 Pluralizing Masculinity by Age, Class and Ethnicity.................................121 5.4 Mixed-Media Advertising and Interactive Properties................................123 Conclusion......................................................................................................................127 Bibliography...................................................................................................................132 Appendix: Additional Advertisements........................................................................142 vi LIST OF FIGURES ________________________________________________________________________ Figure 1: Frequency Distribution of Grooming Product Advertisements in Esquire Magazine 2011 Figure 2: Frequency Distribution of Grooming Product Advertisements in Esquire Magazine 2012 Figure 3: Frequency Distribution of Grooming Product Advertisements in Esquire Magazine 2013 Figure 4: Grooming Product Advertisements by Brand in Esquire Magazine (2011-2013) Figure 5: Gender Distribution in Grooming Product Advertisements in Esquire Magazine (2011-2013) Figure 6: Race Distribution in Grooming