•  
  •  
 

Butler Journal of Undergraduate Research

Abstract

The present study examines whether there has been a change in the portrayal of female criminal investigators over the past two decades. Cultivation theory suggests that media profoundly influences the views of the larger society, thus indicating significant implications of this portrayal. Five popular shows (Chicago P.D., Criminal Minds, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Hawaii Five-0, and Law & Order: SVU) were explored, with 200 episodes examined between the series using a mixed-methods approach. The main characters in each show’s first season and most recent season were coded and analyzed. Characters were coded for depth, authority, helplessness, and sexualization, among other variables. The percentage of women as main characters across the shows increased from 27.59% to 37.84% between 1998 and 2022. More specifically, 0% of characters who led the fictional investigative teams in the first seasons were women, but 40% in the later seasons were women. These findings suggest that the representation of women in crime dramas has improved as the years have progressed, though women are still seen as subordinate to their male counterparts. The improvement in the representation of female investigators demonstrates to young girls that they can join the law enforcement profession and fosters more respect for the work of female investigators currently in the investigative field.

Download

Share

COinS