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JOURNAL OF MARKETING DEVELOPMENT AND COMPETITIVENESS
Do Women Still Hold Up Half the Sky? Portrayal of Women in Chinese
Advertising: 1980-2001
Author(s): Lilly Ye, Catherine Ashley-Cotleur, Carol Gaumer
Citation: Lilly Ye, Catherine Ashley-Cotleur, Carol Gaumer, (2012) "Do Women Still Hold Up Half the Sky? Portrayal of Women in Chinese Advertising: 1980-2001," Vol. 6, Iss. 3, pp. 67 - 82
Article Type: Research paper
Publisher: North American Business Press
Abstract:
“Women can hold up half the sky” was a popular slogan in China in 1970’s. The slogan reflects the belief of Chinese socialists that men and women are completely equal, both physically and mentally. In 1979, China changed its socialist economic system into a more capitalistic market economy. As a result of this transformation, those selling goods had to compete for buyers. Consequently, advertising, which was relatively unknown in China, began to take hold. This paper explores the impact of magazine advertising in China on the image and portrayal of women within Chinese society over a 20 year period, 1980-2001. This time-frame is significant because it marks the beginning of China’s capitalist economic experiment up to the point that China is accepted into the World Trade Organization (WTO).
