Stereotipi di genere nella rappresentazione dei bambini nella pubblicità commerciale
Gender stereotypes in the representation of children in commercial advertising

Summary/Abstract: The article analyses the notion of stereotype, understood as expression of collective social opinion, a kind of statistical average of current opinions reflecting a series of prejudice in contemporary society. Every stereotype is highly abstract, distant from reality and aiming at generalization and simplification of its concrete significance. We refer only to some stereotypes belonging to our patriarchal society, namely: the inferior condition of the woman in relation to the man, that is the social discrimination of women, implicitly. Advertising is a kind of subjective, not objective, communication, its aim being to influence opinions, to form tastes, to modify attitudes, to determine choices in a consumerist society. Advertising is a social phenomenon, a cultural and psychological one, the stereotype thus becoming obvious and succeeding in creating a strong semiotic impact. Stereotypes and prejudice deeply rooted in people’s minds and conveyed from generation to generation are very persuasive factors. Commercial advertising offers, this way, not only a product to be used, but also life models, legitimate behaviour, perpetuating a style to follow.

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