Evolution of Disney Princesses: Damsel in Distress to Damsel of Distress
Anna Ortiz Juarez-Paz
Grad student: Rhiannon Kallis
UG student: Yiwei Xu
Goals
Learn about conducting content analysis
From a multicultural perspective
From Guatemala, grad from USA, UG from China
Reaffirm portrayal of Disney Princesses over last 7 decades
Examining relationships, body type, behavior, abilities, conflict
How do princesses engage with conflict?
Methodology
Wrote a 10-page codebook, including examples.
Biased because it is on my view.
Took out skin color because of arguments with students.
Brave and Tangled
Inter-coder reliability at .83 on those two.
Coded for 4 main categories
Relationships
Behavior
Physical appearance (these codes were minimized)
conflict
Relationships (mother, father, siblings, partner, mentor, friends/pets)
Behavior (emotions, hobbies, peculiarity, strength, violence, courage, motivation)
Emotions controlled or not. What kinds of emotions?
Were they normal or strange for their society?
Physically strong.
Courageous and courageous without need.
Were they trying to rescue someone? Get revenge?
Physicality (hair, clothes, body type, abilities)
Did they have supernatural abilities? Physical or intellectual?
Ended up leaving out skin color, height, weight.
Conflict (flaws, resolution, creation, victimization)
Future research:
Juxtaposition between victim and heroine
Content analysis best way to study? What if researchers were from different
How do these depictions translate into merchandise?
Rest of Disney female characters? Tiana is not a Princess; why is she included in the Disney Princess franchise and not other women?