Reflections on the small screen: The changing role of women in American society as portrayed by prime-time television

Television's depictions of women have had significant influence upon the construction and representation of women's roles, both in contributing to change and acting as gatekeeper. It has imprinted our collective consciousness with images of roles that women may appropriately play in relationships with men and in the workplace. Gender roles presented on television reinforce social role expectations of the American culture. Many times, these show a complex and paradoxical synergy. This study gathered information about women's role portrayals from selected series found in television's 50-year national network broadcast history. Programming was divided into eras, representing evolving social and political dialogues. Social discourse markers and parallel policy developments in the area of changes regarding women's rights/roles in the home and the workplace were identified and used to assess the manner in which television mediated social debate and transformation.