This thesis discusses self-presentation of men and women in personal ads in print and online media. It focuses on distinctions in a way of self-presentation between the two genders. The Slovenski narod newspaper, a type of print media, was a revolutionary transition of partner-searching, which took place through an intermediary media channel and indicated a deviation of classical dating. Today's dating moved to the web, which enabled users to create and interact through multimedia content. The thesis explores changes that were brought by media development and how these changes impacted gender self-presentation. In comparison to men, women in advertisements are presented as subordinate to men and dependent upon their financial status. Men seem to dominate all areas and have power over women. The thesis analyses how these stereotypes have changed through internet usage and digital communication. In the case study, 60 personal advertisements have been chosen from different media platforms: Slovenski narod, Salomonov oglasnik, Vzajemnost, Najdiljubezen.si, Ona-on.com and Tinder. The discourse analysis looked into the content of ad descriptions. In the semiotic analysis, photographs of personal advertisements were studied. Our aim was to explore which characteristics men and women are emphasising about themselves and which ones about their potential partner. It was concluded that sexual hierarchy still exists, however, it is expressed in a different way today. In the past, material status and long lasting relationships were of utmost importance. Today, the focus is on individuals’ personality and on shorter, more superficial relationships.
|
