LINGUISTICS OF CONSTRUCTIONS WITH GENDER CONNOTATION IN GERMAN BILLBOARDS

Abstract

The proposed article deals with the topic of gender linguistics or gender studies research. The focus is on the analysis of various visual means, demonstrating the social image of a woman and a man. The topic of gender linguistics is of particular interest to society as a whole, because language is part of each person's identity, and differences and similarities in gender-appropriate language can reveal the structure of society. Gender stereotypes in advertising still prevail, despite the changing roles of men and women over the years. Contrary to their social mission, advertising boards do not exhibit less gender stereotypes compared to state media. Gender marketing is becoming the norm around the world. But not all countries have adopted gender-normative language in the same way. Targeted marketing is not only ethically dubious but can be harmful to business in today's world. Gender stereotypes on billboards refer to role behavior and physical characteristics and thus function as a means of promoting or selling a product. On the other hand, advertising in public places stereotypically distorts the gender sign from the point of view of professional deformation and therefore prevents the achievement of the main goal of gender equality policy. Many of the illustrated aspects of gender polarization, hierarchy, or dichotomization can also be found in the field of advertising. Next, it will be demonstrated how these structures are transformed into mass media, especially into the concept of image advertising. It primarily concerns dimensions such as sexism or sexisms, forms of representation of hierarchical gender order, and procedures for stereotypical and binary gender clarity. In addition, research perspectives on the asymmetric attitude to gender in various mass media and in the teaching situation are determined. This article is unique for those exploring gender studies in marketing and consumer behavior from a more scholarly perspective.