Basic Content Analysis

I plan on conducting basic content analysis of the 30 episodes of the shows I have selected. By doing this I will be able to identify any key themes and see how female characters are portrayed (e.g. their behavior, appearance, etc.), as well as get a better idea of my coding scheme. I plan to use a mix of both quantitative and qualitative approaches in my analysis. In my quantitative analysis I plan on measuring the number of times female characters talk about boys, their appearance, and talk about any other stereotypical feminine topics/interests. I am planning on getting a better idea of other conversation topics, and interests, and hobbies as I begin to watch the shows. The qualitative approach to my sampling is where I will gain insight into the physical behaviors of female characters (e.g. how they dress (tomboy or girly), what their hobbies are, how they do their hair/makeup, their “role” in the show, etc.) This requires interpretive content analysis because I will be describing certain patterns and regularities found in the data. By qualitatively analyzing the shows I will be able to create a better narrative of major themes and how they might align with the stereotypes that were prominent during each show’s respective decade.