This study used content analysis to analyze gender representations in post-recession workplace sitcoms using a typology developed using Maslow's Hierarchy of needs. 100 episodes of programming were analyzed by five graduate researchers for a total of 2579 cases. Though men dominated the sample, results were dissimilar from previous findings within some of the literature on televised representations of gender. Findings indicated that need type for most commonly expressed needs were split fairly evenly by gender, but that less expressed needs were more polarized with regard to gender representation. Women also met their own needs more than men did, and had others meet their needs more than men, though men more often had their needs met by happenstance.
","abstract_html":"<p>This study used content analysis to analyze gender representations in post-recession workplace sitcoms using a typology developed using Maslow's Hierarchy of needs. 100 episodes of programming were analyzed by five graduate researchers for a total of 2579 cases. Though men dominated the sample, results were dissimilar from previous findings within some of the literature on televised representations of gender. Findings indicated that need type for most commonly expressed needs were split fairly evenly by gender, but that less expressed needs were more polarized with regard to gender representation. Women also met their own needs more than men did, and had others meet their needs more than men, though men more often had their needs met by happenstance.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Bost, Gwendolyn Logan"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Arts in Communication (MA)","degree_level":"Thesis","degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Walker, Kasey L.","Schulte, Stephanie R."],"advisors":["Warren, Ron"],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2014,"date_issued":"2014-08-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2014-08-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T00:59:32Z","subjects":["Agency","Gender","Humor","Television","Mass Communication"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://scholarworks.uark.edu/etd/2223","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Walker, Kasey L.","Schulte, Stephanie R."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Warren, Ron"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Bost, Gwendolyn Logan"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date","label":"Dc Date","values":["2014"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2024-02-06T08:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Arts in Communication (MA)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Agency","Gender","Humor","Television","Mass Communication"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://scholarworks.uark.edu/etd/2223"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This study used content analysis to analyze gender representations in post-recession workplace sitcoms using a typology developed using Maslow's Hierarchy of needs. 100 episodes of programming were analyzed by five graduate researchers for a total of 2579 cases. Though men dominated the sample, results were dissimilar from previous findings within some of the literature on televised representations of gender. Findings indicated that need type for most commonly expressed needs were split fairly evenly by gender, but that less expressed needs were more polarized with regard to gender representation. Women also met their own needs more than men did, and had others meet their needs more than men, though men more often had their needs met by happenstance.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Gender, Humor and Quality of Life in Workplace Sitcoms: A Content Analysis Examining Agency in Post-Recession Situation Comedies"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Walker, Kasey L.","Schulte, Stephanie R."],"dc:contributor.advisor":["Warren, Ron"],"dc:creator":["Bost, Gwendolyn Logan"],"dc:date":["2014"],"dc:date.available":["2024-02-06T08:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["This study used content analysis to analyze gender representations in post-recession workplace sitcoms using a typology developed using Maslow's Hierarchy of needs. 100 episodes of programming were analyzed by five graduate researchers for a total of 2579 cases. Though men dominated the sample, results were dissimilar from previous findings within some of the literature on televised representations of gender. Findings indicated that need type for most commonly expressed needs were split fairly evenly by gender, but that less expressed needs were more polarized with regard to gender representation. Women also met their own needs more than men did, and had others meet their needs more than men, though men more often had their needs met by happenstance.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://scholarworks.uark.edu/etd/2223"],"dc:subject":["Agency","Gender","Humor","Television","Mass Communication"],"dc:title":["Gender, Humor and Quality of Life in Workplace Sitcoms: A Content Analysis Examining Agency in Post-Recession Situation Comedies"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Arts in Communication (MA)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T00:59:32Z"}