Rudy, Popova, and Linz (2010), "The Context of Current Content Analysis of Gender Roles"

Rudy, Popova, and Linz (2010) argue that feminist content analysis research is generally based on four broad goals.

1. To support feminist claims

Rudy, Popova, and Linz (2010) argue that a primary reason for content analysis of gender in the media is to support feminist claims that the media are biased against women. The authors argue that content analysis is a productive way of demonstrating the media's unfair portrayals of women over time.

2. To compare media with reality

Content analysis can also be used to demonstrate the differences between representations in media texts and in reality. Historically, the authors argue, media has shown limited distribution of women in terms of race, gender performance, occupation, and other factors. Research in this area may then compare current statistics of representation with historical representations in order to determine shifts in realistic gender representation.

3. To predict effects of media on audiences

Citing theorists like Bandura, Gerbner, and Goffman, the authors note that many content analyses aim to demonstrate the potential impact of imbalanced gender representation on their audiences. Rudy, Popova, and Linz (2010) argue that, since media exposure can influence audience perception and behavior, it is important to study what kinds of messages comprise the media.

4. To detect effects of media producers on media content

Since media producers are influenced by the societies in which they live, media content may reflect producers' ideological surroundings. Therefore, Rudy, Popova, and Linz (2010) explain that content analysis can be used to make assumptions about current cultural movements and perspectives. Often this type of work compares media produced by women to media produced by men in order to understand the inner workings of production.