Summary
This report investigates the role of men’s caring in advertisements in Vietnam. It focuses on how men are depicted in ads and how this can affect their real-life perceptions of caregiving and traditional gender roles. The report also seeks to fill the research gap on stereotypical portrayals of men in advertising in Vietnam, as previous gender norms research focused more on the portrayals of women.
Drawing from over 60 TV commercials in 2022, the report highlights the current state of male caring and caregiving in both traditional and digital media. It outlines how the visual representation of men in ads reflects emerging changes in male caring and caregiving. The report also offers key takeaways and practical recommendations that can help guide businesses, policymakers, and civil society organizations to promote gender equality better and promote male engagement in caregiving.
As the report illustrates, media representation can shape and reshape how men approach caregiving. By leveraging this potential for positive change, businesses can create more equal gender roles and foster healthier relationships between men and women in society.
This report was originally published on the CARE in Vietnam website.
Highlights
- The report found that recent advertisings have adopted gender-progressive portrayals of men, but some stereotypes remain prevalent.
- Positive trends identified include: the “incompetent” dad stereotype (men performing caregiving roles) is being retired, and male caregivers are portrayed with multidimensional personalities.
- Negative stereotypes remain, including: negligent dad, career man, lack of mention on men’s caregiving struggles.
- The report also offers recommendations for advertising to become more gender-sensitive such as eliminate unconscious bias, diversify portrayals of men’s caregiving, and embrace more storytelling about the nuances and complexities of caregiving.
