The Image of Children in Magazine Advertisements From 1905 to 1990

This article studies the changing image of children in magazines from 1905 to 1990. Drawing on Goffman's Gender Advertisements, the author examines the portrayals of children in advertising to determine the extent to which, and in what way, the relationship between children and adults has changed. The data suggest that a real shift in the relationship between adults and children has occurred but that it occurred in different linear and cyclical patterns that must be both recognized and examined in relationship to each other and be understood in social and cultural contexts. The research suggests the need for a rigorous methodology for analyzing visual data.