Relational Themes in Men's and Women's Popular Nonfiction Magazine Articles

Popular magazines serve as an important source of relational information for millions of individuals in this culture. Dependency Theory (Ball-Rokeach & DeFleur, 1976), which specifies a tripartite media-audience-society model, serves as the framework for the present study which explores similarities and differences in relational issues and the manner in which they are discussed in popular men's and women's magazine articles. The sample of nonfiction articles (N= 108) was drawn from three men's (Playboy, Penthouse, and GO) and three women's (Cosmopolitan, Glamour, and Self) popular magazines. The articles were compared on types of relation-ships (e.g. marriage, dating, friendship, etc.), relational issues (e.g. conflict, sexual relations, initiating relationships, etc.), and rhetorical presentation. Results indicate similarities between men's and women's magazine articles regarding the relationship types and issues discussed. Differences were found between the men's and women's magazines in the portrayal of relationships and in the advice proffered. The implications of the results and suggestions for future research are discussed.