Exploring the gendered portrayal of care work in business magazines: A quantitative content analysis

This study examines gendered representations in profile articles published between 2018 and 2023 in three leading U.S. business magazines. Through a systematic content analysis, we compare male and female profiled individuals in terms of frequency of coverage, amount of space allocated, and the presence of references to care work and romantic partnerships. While men were featured more frequently overall, the average length of articles did not differ significantly by gender. However, women’s profiles were significantly more likely to include repeated references to caregiving roles and romantic partners. These findings highlight persistent gendered narratives in business media and raise important questions about the portrayal of professional identities and private life in elite journalistic outlets.