A Diachronic Corpus Analysis of Gender Representation in Disney Animated Films (2000-2023)

Nor Fatin Abdul Jabar and Mohammad Iadid Ashrai Hassannuddin and Nurul Iman Alwani Ehsham (2025) A Diachronic Corpus Analysis of Gender Representation in Disney Animated Films (2000-2023). International Journal Of Education, Psychology and Counselling, 10 (61). pp. 906-920. ISSN 0128-164X

Text A Diachronic Corpus Analysis Of Gender Representation In Disney Animated Films (2000–2023).pdf Download (502kB)

Abstract

This research investigates the historical evolution of gender representation in Disney animated films from 2000 to 2023 through a corpus-linguistic analysis of 25 complete film scripts. This study utilizes collocational and keyword analyses to investigate the evolution of linguistic representations of male and female characters across three pivotal periods 2000–2010, 2011–2017, and 2018–2023 mirroring significant transformations in Disney's narrative strategies and corporate priorities. Adjective collocates show that there are a lot fewer adjectives that describe how women look. For example, words like "lovely" and "sweet" fell by more than 40% from Period 1 to Period 3, while words that empower women, like "brave," "powerful," and "intellectual," rose by 55–70%. Male characters, typically associated with stoicism or action-oriented traits, demonstrate a significant rise in emotional vocabulary; the words emotional, vulnerable, and kind appear more than twice as frequently in the 2018–2023 subset as in the initial period. Keyword analysis shows that the difference between men and women is getting smaller. For example, hedging phrases in women's speech go down, while strong verbs like "decide" and "lead" go up by more than 40%. This shows that women have more control over the story. Both genders are increasingly exhibiting traits such as strength and sensitivity, signifying a transition towards gender-neutral characterization. These linguistic modifications signify a broader ideological reorientation in Disney's narratives, aligning with contemporary movements towards inclusivity and fair female representation. This research offers empirical evidence to feminist media studies and developmental psychology, demonstrating how corpus methodologies can uncover subtle yet substantial ideological shifts in children's media discourse.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Disney Films; Gender Representation; Corpus Linguistics; Diachronic Analysis; Collocation; Children's Media; Feminist Media Studies.
Divisions:	Faculty of Education, Social Science and Humanities (FESSH)
Depositing User:	LIBRARY2 UPTM
Date Deposited:	15 Sep 2026 07:11
Last Modified:	15 Sep 2026 07:25
URI:	http://eprints.uptm.edu.my/id/eprint/6164

Actions (login required)

View Item