The image of women in magazine fiction : changing perspectives, 1987-1990

This study examined how women's magazine fiction in recent years has responded to rising levels in women's education and employment. A content analysis was conducted of 93 short stories in McCall's, Ladies' Home Journal, and Good Housekeeping between February 1987 and February 1990. Following the research design used by Bailey (1969) and Loughlin (1983) in their fictional analyses of the same three magazines, data was collected on employment, education, goals, age, marital status, and other heroine characteristics. Results were then compared to: (1) United States census data on women's education and employment; (2) statistics on readers of the magazines in the study; and (3) heroine traits data presented by Bailey and Loughlin. In addition, telephone interviews were conducted with editors from each of the magazines to shed light on the fiction selection process. Brief plot summaries of typical short stories from each magazine were also included. Quantitative data showed an increased responsiveness on the part of the magazines to changes in women's employment and education. Yet a large percentage of the stories either treated heroine education and employment superficially or omitted these topics altogether. Moreover, most heroines who worked held positions considered stereotypically feminine. Almost 63 percent of heroines pursued romantic love as their primary goal-a sixfold increase over Loughlin's findings. Overall, the results supported the persistence of what Bailey described as the magazines' "basic conservatism." Although substantive advances were made in their fictional portrayals of women's social status, the magazines continued to socialize readers to accept stereotypical, limiting perceptions of themselves.