Personal Advertisements

Paper Summary:

This research paper replicates a content analysis of personal advertisements by homosexual and heterosexual men and women that was done by M.H. Gonzales and S.A. Meyers (1993). The paper compares and contrasts the characteristics offered and requested by homosexual and heterosexual men and women in ads in 2007. Although the specific advertisements are not listed, the author includes the data coding sheets for characteristics offered and sought as written in the the "Vancouver Province" and the "Georgia Straight" newspapers. The paper reports that, overall, women are portrayed as beautiful. When people are looking for a date, they want one that is fun, easy to talk to, humorous and attractive.

Table of Contents:
Data Coding Sheet: Characteristics Offered
Data Coding Sheet: Characteristics Sought
Other Studies

From the Paper:

"I have created two tables (adding a few categories: race, age, marital status, price and hair color) and will compare and contrast the characteristics offered and requested by homosexual and heterosexual men and women in ads in 2007 (14 years later!). I confess that this is not my idea of a great way to spend a day. Most happily married mothers read other things! My husband maintains that men don't place ads because women don't look in the paper for guys (I never did!). He says that women on the other hand do because men look at newspaper ads.'

Sample of Sources Used:

• Davis, S. (1990). Men as success objects and women as sex objects: A study of personal advertisements. Sex Roles, 23(1-2).
• Galliano, G. (2003). Gender - Crossing Boundaries. Wadsworth/Thomson Learning. Belmont: CA.
• Gonzales, M.H. & Meyers, S.A. (1993). 'Your mother would like me': Self-presentation in the personals ads of heterosexual and homosexual men and women. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 19 (2).
• An Experimental Study of Women's Internet Personal Ads. Strassberg, Donald S.; Holty, Stephen; Archives of Sexual Behavior, Vol 32(3), Jun 2003. pp. 253-260. [Journal Article]

More papers on Personal Advertisements:

• Analytical Essay # 130687 : "Consumer Culture and the Need for Personal Narrative"
• Analytical Essay # 135333 : "Advertisements in "Here's How"
• Term Paper # 98215 : "The Sonic 1000 Personal Digital Assistant"

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