Essay: Disney Princesses, Gender, Body Image, and Prosocial Behavior

This essay explores the significant impact of Disney Princesses on children, specifically focusing on how these media products reinforce gender-stereotypical behavior, influence body image, and affect prosocial behavior during early childhood. The analysis begins by acknowledging the historical progression of Disney Princess movies, categorizing them into earlier, middle, and current films. The essay then delves into the ways in which Disney films shape societal perceptions, particularly among young girls, by setting unrealistic standards of beauty and femininity. It discusses how these portrayals can lead to the objectification of girls and the internalization of harmful body image ideals. Furthermore, the essay examines the influence of Disney movies on children's pro-social behavior, highlighting how the characters and stories depicted can significantly shape their attitudes and responses to the world. The essay also notes a shift in more recent Disney films, which attempt to challenge gender-based stereotypes. The essay concludes by emphasizing the importance of understanding these influences to mitigate the negative impacts on children's development.

Running head: ENGLISH
Humanities
Name of the Student:
Name of University:
Author Note

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The impact and influence of Disney has been huge, on society as a whole. It is because of
how it shapes thoughts, culture, beliefs, morals, values and perception of the world. Disney has
continued to impact societal thoughts for over generations, not only on the children but also the
adults. However, it also sets standards in such a manner that it give rises to stereotypical beliefs
and thoughts (Coyne et al. 2016). The thesis of this paper is to discuss the relation of Disney
products and how they create gender stereotypes, body images and impact pro-social behavior
among children.
The image of Disney princess are greatly influential as they set perceptions about how
women and young girls should be like. The ideals of feminine beauty are very stereotypical,
which set expectations in the society, Young girls too are compelled to believe that they must
conform to the set notions of beauty, which even creates a sense of devaluation of the self.
Arguably, it can be said that the movies, very much unintentionally make girls objectified by
categorizing them into body types and images (Coyne et al. 2016). Hence, it creates a notion of
beauty and femininity which is standardized to be widely accepted and met by young girls and
women, because they aspire to become like the princesses they witness in Disney movies.
The most alarming thought with such stereotypes being depicted is that the movies set
unrealistic body image and esteem through fairy tales. A princess, generally as depicted in the
Disney movies are tall, fair, have long hair, small waist, enlarged eyes and sharp body structure
with well-defined hips and breasts too. The image created by these movies, of a girl, set harmful
and unrealistic standards of beauty, which society starts imbibing slowly as the standard for
beauty (Ewert 2014). It is also true that the body image in images lack anatomical substantiality
while their innocence is often compromised for the sexual objectification to the greater audience,
the movies are directed at (Johnson 2015). The movies are also associated with gender specific

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and stereotypical behavior which make children learn about the attitudes and behavior which are
socially appropriate and desirable solely on the basis of perceived or biological sex.
The depictions made in the Disney movies are powerful to transform and make way into
the culture, beliefs, and thoughts of the society (Ewert 2014). The movies are most viewed by the
children and influence their perception and world view. The development of children’s pro-
social behavior are very much influenced by what they watch and learn about the world. Disney
movies have become integral part of childhood. Pro-social media, thus influence behavior of
young children and their attitudes towards the world. The characters and stories depicted in the
Disney movies are very much related to, by the audience, which mostly comprise of children.
Therefore, the depictions play a very crucial role to shape their responses towards the world,
especially based on the gender stereotypes, body images and notions of beauty, which they
slowly imbibe as the accepted standards (Coyne et al. 2016).
However, a shift can be noted from the Earlier movies, the middle movies and the current
ones, as Disney is trying to shatter the Gender based stereotypes which have been created
through the movies which are not only harmful for their perception, objectification and
standardization of beauty, behavior and body image but also impact the pro-social behavior of
children in their early years, while they grow up watching Disney movies and relate to the fairy
tales and world view offered by them.

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References
Coyne, Sarah M., Jennifer Ruh Linder, Eric E. Rasmussen, David A. Nelson, and Victoria
Birkbeck. "Pretty as a princess: Longitudinal effects of engagement with Disney princesses on
gender stereotypes, body esteem, and prosocial behavior in children." Child development 87, no.
6 (2016): 1909-1925.
Ewert, Jolene. "A Tale as Old as Time-An analysis of negative stereotypes in Disney Princess
Movies." Undergraduate Research Journal for the Human Sciences 13, no. 1 (2014).
v, Rachael Michelle. "The evolution of Disney princesses and their effect on body image, gender
roles, and the portrayal of love." Educational Specialist 6 (2015).