A LAB OF HER OWN - PORTRAYALS OF FEMALE CHARACTERS ON CHILDRENS EDUCATIONAL SCIENCE PROGRAMS

Television teaches children gender-specific behaviors, attitudes and c haracteristics. By observing male and female characters on television, children learn to label certain characteristics and behaviors as masc uline or feminine andro assign traditional gender-role stereotypes to careers. This study examines the portrayals of female characters on fo ur popular television series for children and discusses those portraya ls in the light of other research on television and socialization. The study found that over twice as many male characters as female charact ers and twice as many male scientists as female scientists were shown these series. Females were most often seen as pupils or apprentices, l aboratory assistants, or science reporters, and less often as expert s cientists. Of the 86 females appearing in these programs 68 were portr ayed in secondary roles as students or laboratory assistants.