Secondary Research

Are Disney Princesses a good role model for young girls?:

Source- https://www.disneyinyourday.com/why-the-disney-princesses-are-good-role-models/
(Becky,2019)
“There are a lot of great personality traits that the princesses have to offer, but beyond that
they are all young girls or young women trying to find their way in the world. It might mean
they’re not always perfect, or not always strong. But are any of us?
Of course, I will admit that some of the older princesses are a product of their times. Snow
White, Cinderella, and Aurora may not be the most empowered women, but they still have
positive traits that we can point out to young girls and admire when they watch these films.
And we can talk about what those characters might do differently as well, so we can learn
from them and their situations. I would like to start by highlighting the Disney Princesses who
I feel are the best role models from my perspective, but I still want to touch on all of them
and share some of the good things they have to offer to young girls”

Here is an example of a disney princess with being a good model:

Rapunzel
“The most admirable thing about Rapunzel to me is her constant upbeat and positive
attitude, despite everything she’s been through. She wants to pursue her dream in spite of
seemingly impossible challenges. I don’t think Rapunzel gets enough credit for being brave,
either. She’s known nothing her whole life except one small tower and yet she leaves it for a
world she knows nothing about. She doesn’t hesitate to protect herself when necessary.
And she has a huge heart. She sees the best in Eugene even when he doesn’t see it in
himself.”

Evaluation: This source is very useful because it focuses on how they are positive role
models and uses an example to support the argument. An example of the disney princesses
being good role models would be that they are empowered women and that they are brave
which shows that young girls will feel motivated to achieve their aspirations and dreams.
This will help me because it shows examples of how Disney princesses are good role
models to young girls. They have used an example of a disney character, this character
being Rapunzel.
Source - https://insidethemagic.net/2020/09/are-disney-princesses-good-ad1/

(Alessia Dunn, 2020)

Conducted her own research:

Thirty-one young girls spoke about what empowered them when it comes to
princesses, and there are 4 main categories.

We can see that young girls watching these Disney princesses go on adventures are taking
away healthy and positive qualities. So no matter the film, any young child growing up will be
able to find something to help them grow into a better version of themselves.

1. Virtuous

This quality has nothing to do with appearance but rather what the princesses stand for.
“Some of them don’t even care that they’re princesses. … They’re normal people and they
fight for their freedom,”

2. Royalists

The next category Robinson said:

“Some girls were predominantly fascinated by the princesses’ royal lifestyle — the outward
beauty, gowns and crowns.”

3.Dreamers

I really liked this category because I still live in it. The Dreamers like to escape their reality
by watching another.
“They saw the lives of the princesses as a life that they would like to have, to be able to get
out of their current circumstances,”

4. Grrrls

This category is one I am so glad to know 10-year-old girls are feeling. The Grrrls mentality
is one that screams empowerment.
“Focused on empowerment, the “Grrrls” were more interested in what the princesses do
rather than who they are. They liked to see the princesses fight their own battles and
succeed.

We can see that young girls watching these Disney princesses go on adventures are taking
away healthy and positive qualities. So no matter the film, any young child growing up will be
able to find something to help them grow into a better version of themselves.”
Evaluation: This source is useful because the girl that wrote the article has found out her
own research by asking thirty one young girls about what empowers them when it comes to
Disney princesses. There are some interesting outcomes that I can use for when I write my
own essay based on disney princesses being good role models to young girls. This will help
me because it gives me a clearer understanding of the 4 main categories that make up the
characteristics of different disney princesses. These are: Virtuous, Royalists, Dreamers and
Grrrls. This source is also not as useful as there isn’t much information about Disney
princesses being good role models to young girls. It's more about thirty one girls' opinions .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1jXkBj9a5I

Good Morning Britain- Debate Erupts Over Whether Fairytale Princesses Are Good Role
Models

This source is useful because it talks about the stereotypes and how they are shown in
different Disney princesses but also the fact that the princesses can have a negative effect
on young girls but a new study has said that as children get older their princess culture are
more likely to have progressive views about women. They also use examples from
characters that are positive like Elza from Frozen or Moana are going to leave children with
Stereotypes to do with how they should look and behave or see them as strong and
independent role models. They also have two different people who discuss the positives and
the negatives of role models and how the role of disney princesses has changed in today’s
society. They also talk about the start of an introduction to diversity and the importance of it
within different disney princesses as a whole. They use an image of Cinderella which is
where they discuss the stereotypes of disney princesses such as: their bodies and the way
they look. There is also discussion around there needing to be more diversity within disney
princesses which should have started years ago but it’s only starting to happen now.
Stephanie says, “when she was a child, she wasn’t particularly aware of the body types of
these disney princesses and she was more focused on what they were singing. Stephanie
also talks about when they looked back at the research it can be looked at from a different
perspective, so it is a good thing that they revisited it as in the long term it will leave a
positive impact on the children. This will help children to take it more positively and use it in
their day to day lives, rather than having to be influenced around other gender stereotypes.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40682933

Source - (Cherry Wilson,2017)

A slim figure, housework skills, and the need to be rescued by a man are some of the
attributes often associated with Disney princesses.
But behind the clichés, the characters can also demonstrate determination, compassion,
ambition - and fearlessness.
The England women's football team believes the traits of Disney princesses are exactly
what you need to become a successful player.
The Football Association (FA) has joined with Disney on a campaign that focuses on the
character's strong attributes - to encourage more young females into football.
Striker Nikita Parris said: "My favourite Disney princess is Ariel from The Little Mermaid
because she was fearless.
"I was the same when it came to playing football with the boys in my home town. I had to be
determined in order to make it."
Captain Steph Houghton added: "Being brave, being strong and being kind are all
important attributes when it comes to building a successful team.
"They are all qualities that girls can learn from Disney princesses."
But can modern girls pick up anything from the likes of Disney's 80-year-old Snow White - who cleans
up after a bunch of men and needs a prince to save her?
Current Miss England Stephanie Hill, 22, thinks they can.
She dresses up as Disney princesses for children at Bluebell Wood Children's Hospice near
Sheffield.
She believes Disney princesses, both old and modern, can be positive role models for young
women.
"I think the more vintage Disney princesses that are scrutinised, like Snow White, Cinderella
and Sleeping Beauty, who people depict as waiting for success to come to them, can be
inspirational.
"In the end they had a similar drive. They wanted a better life and it just so happened male
figures came into that.
"The famous quote is Cinderella didn't ask for a prince, she asked for a night off and a dress.
"Every single Disney princess has had to go through trouble to get where they want to be.
"They show the struggle and that you can get through the other side with enough work and
support and a positive can-do attitude."
Over the years, Disney has moved away from depicting its princesses as delicate and
demure.
The late 1980s saw an ambitious mermaid Ariel defy her dad to achieve her dream of
becoming a human - even if she did sacrifice her voice for a man.
Belle in Beauty and the Beast and Jasmine in Aladdin had an independent streak, while
Mulan showed women could fight just as well as men - if not better.
In 2009, Tiana became Disney's first black princess and 2012's Merida from Brave showed
off an adventurous spirit and a love of archery.
Despite not being official Disney princesses, Frozen's Elsa and Anna have been praised for
putting sisterhood at the heart of their happiness.
And Disney's newest female heroine Moana was depicted with an average body type and
without a love interest.

Evaluation: This source is useful because it includes a range of people talking about how
they are good role models to young girls. It has been taken through England’s football team
and different Disney princesses. They have used two different examples about showing the
characteristics between sport and disney princesses. They have also used an example from
Captain Steph Houghton as she says, “Being Brave, being strong and being kind are all
important attributes when it comes to building a successful team”. This will inspire young
girls to look up to football players as well as disney princesses because they both use the
same attributes to achieve their own aspirations and dreams of achieving their own goals.
An example of this would be Miss England as she talks about going to Bluebell wood
Hospice as she dresses up as different disney princesses to show young girls how they
would act.

https://medium.com/female-voices/are-disney-princesses-good-role-models-for-children-
a9ab9e317a85
Source - (Rashmi Maya, 2020)
This website talks about the fact that Disney princesses are good role models for children as
they talk about the importance of everyone hearing about them or at least the stories of the
girls. The reason that little kids enjoy dressing up as disney princesses and can even have
disney princess parties. The website also talks about the fact that over time the speculation
has arisen about whether the disney princesses are good role models to young people.
Definitions of Beauty
The Disney Princess movies show that beauty is one of the most important things a
woman can have. Starting with their look themselves, all of the princesses are designed
to look beautiful. They all have incredibly skinny waists and centralise their beauty as
major parts of each story. Each of the princesses is deemed as “one of the most
beautiful” people in the story line. Beauty is also emphasised in Disney Princess stories
when all of the villains are portrayed as “less beautiful” and ugly. Think about — Arial vs.
Ursula, Snow White vs. Evil Queen, Rapunzel vs. Mother Gothel, Cinderella vs. her
Stepmother and Ugly Stepsisters, etc. All of the princesses are often set up against a
less than beautiful person to emphasise the fact that beauty is equivalent to good
character. This isn’t to say all the Disney Princesses are bad people. But, their
comparisons to villains are always to people less beautiful than them. This can cause
people to take away the message that beauty = moral.

Every Girl Needs a Man

This is probably one of the worst, both one of the most prominent messages portrayed in
the Disney Princess Movies and stories. Almost every Disney Princess is saved by a
guy. Most of the princesses have an ongoing problem with their “less beautiful” villain,
and they seem only able to achieve their goals once a man shows up. Most of the stories
emphasise the patriarchal ideal that men should be the saviour for women. All of the
original princesses need to have a prince that either saves their life or saves the story.
It’s as if a male presence makes women more likely to succeed. These ideals that can
appear from the Disney Princess movies are not good role models for younger children.
It should be noted, however, that more recent Disney movies have shielded away from
making a male prince an important part of the story (take Brave, Moana, and Elsa from
Frozen for example). But, the original stories of some Disney Princesses are often
biassed in how they support patriarchal ideals. Being aware of these underlying
messages can be important to any adults, parents, even babysitters, etc. There are
countless stories that are made for children that even promote people of colour as the
main characters which are better routes. Turning away from the most obvious choices for
child entertainment can be a good step in not supporting stories that promote ideals
society wants to move away from. The messages that can be taken away from these
movies are often seen in social media too as children grow up. Many women are told
that they don’t fit in with the definition of beauty and that beauty makes people “better”. A
lot of girls are also told that every girl needs a guy to save them.

Evaluation: This source is useful because it talks about the importance of young girls hearing
about them or their stories as this will influence them to aspire and dream to be whatever
they wanna be. It also is useful as it indicates the fact that the speculation has changed over
time about whether disney princesses are good role models to young girls.

https://ecommons.udayton.edu/uhp_theses/37/

Source - Vorachek,2014
“one may clearly see positive messages. Moreover, interactions between the female
protagonists and animals in the stories showcase the princesses’ progressive qualities and
highlight the ways in which these individuals may be seen as reputable women who set a
worthy example for young girls. In fact, one may argue that these women are model citizens
of their respective time periods who advocate for gender equality, while promoting healthy,
functional relationships and pursuing happiness.”

Evaluation: This source is useful because it talks about the differences between female
protagonists and animals in the stories that showcase the princesses’ progressive qualities
and highlight the ways in which these individuals may be seen as reputable women that set
a worthy example to young girls.

The Guardian - (Catherine Shoard, 2016)

Disney issues a 10-point checklist for modern aspiring princesses.

Principles focus on inner characteristics as opposed to outer beauty, following study that
found Disney brand to contribute to body esteem issues in young girls
The Walt Disney Company has sought to combat accusations of outmoded gender
stereotyping by issuing a 10-point guide for would-be princesses, none of which mention
appearance.
The checklist, which is available in poster form for free download or in Disney stores,
focuses on inner qualities and moral values rather than a polished tiara or well-kept castle.
Disney’s 10 principles for a modern princess are as follows:
1. Care for others
2. Live healthily
3. Don’t judge a book by its cover
4. Be honest
5. Be a friend you can trust
6. Believe in yourself
7. Right wrongs
8. Try your best
9. Be loyal
10. Never give up
The three available posters all feature the motivational words and have been designed by
female UK illustrators: Kate Moross, Rose Blake and Kate Forrester.
A study earlier this year found that Disney princesses reinforce “limiting” gender stereotypes
in young girls and contribute to body esteem issues.
Published by Brigham Young university’s Sarah M Coyne, the study examined the effects of
the pervasive “princess culture” that revolves around the Disney Princess marketing brand –
concluding that it is not as “safe” as many parents suppose.
On Monday, Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings & Honeymoons unveiled a new range of gowns
so brides can “wear a dress fit for a princess”.

This source is useful because it focuses on the inner characteristics as opposed to outer
beauty, following a study that found the Disney brand to contribute to body esteem issues in
young girls. This source also has a Checklist which also focuses on the inner qualities and
moral values. The checklist shows what a modern day princess should be like. This source
also mentions three different posters that feature the motivational words and have been
designed by three different Female illustrators. As well as this the source also talks about a
study that was produced earlier on this year about how princesses are perceived.

The Guardian - (Andrew Pulver,2016)

Disney princesses contribute to 'body esteem' issues among

young girls, finds study
Pretty as a Princess, which examines studio’s output, discovers ‘princess culture’ leading to
less experimentation and increased self-consciousness
It’s official: Disney princesses reinforce “limiting” gender stereotypes in young girls, and
contribute to “body esteem” issues.

A study published by Brigham Young university’s Sarah M Coyne, titled Pretty as a Princess,
examined the effects of the pervasive “princess culture” that revolves around the Disney
Princess marketing brand – concluding that it is not as “safe” as many parents suppose.
“We know that girls who strongly adhere to female gender stereotypes feel like they can’t do
some things,” Coyne said. “They’re not as confident that they can do well in math and
science. They don’t like getting dirty, so they’re less likely to try and experiment with things.”
Coyne based her study on a set of almost 200 pre-school children, both boys and girls, and
how much their behaviour appeared affected by their consumption of Disney Princess
material.
The study also showed that, over time, girls with body esteem issues were more likely to
“engage more with the Disney Princesses over time”. According to Coyne: “Disney
Princesses represent some of the first examples of exposure to the thin ideal. As women, we
get it our whole lives, and it really does start at the Disney Princess level, at age three and
four.
Coyne also suggested she was supportive of the 2013 protests against the “glam” version of
the Merida character from Disney’s Brave, which saw the company hit with a petition when it
issued a redesigned image of the Scottish princess. “What drives me crazy is when you get
a princess who’s not gender stereotyped, like Merida from Brave. I took my daughter to see
it, and afterward we had a great conversation about how strong, brave and independent
Merida was in the movie. And then in the marketing, Disney slims her down, sexualises her,
takes away her bow and arrow, gives her makeup – feminises her.”
Disney debuted its Princess brand in 2000, and through the sale of toys, games, figurines
and multiple fashion accessories, has made an estimated revenue of more than $5.5bn for
the company. However, it has come in for repeated criticism since Peggy Orenstein’s
celebrated 2006 New York Times article, What’s Wrong with Cinderella?

This source tells us about princess culture and also talks about the limitations of gender
stereotypes in young girls that also contribute to body esteem issues. They have also used
an example from A study that was published by Brigham Young University’s Sarah M Coyne,
which explains about the effects of the pervasive “princess culture” that revolves around the
disney princesses marketing brand. Coyne decided to set her study based on 200 pre-
school children, both boys and girls and how much their behaviour appeared affected by
their consumption of Disney Princess material.

Disney Princesses: Not Brave Enough

University Communications News - (Brooke Adams, 2016)

Study finds Disney Princess culture magnifies stereotypes in young
girls

Parents tend to be careful about what media their children consume and often look to ratings
to guide their movie choices. But one symbol might be more powerful than any rating or
review—the Disney logo. Heralded by adults and kids alike, Disney Princess animated
movies are the quintessential “kids’ movies,” positive and enjoyable for all.But new research
from BYU family life professor Sarah M. Coyne shows that engagement with Disney
Princess culture isn’t so harmless—it can influence preschoolers to be more susceptible to
potentially damaging stereotypes. These stereotypical behaviours aren’t bad in and of
themselves, but past research has shown that they can be limiting in the long term for young

women.“I think parents think that the Disney Princess culture is safe. That’s the word I hear
time and time again—it’s ‘safe,’” Coyne said. “But if we’re fully jumping in here and really
embracing it, parents should really consider the long-term impact of princess culture.”

The study, published in Child Development, involved 198 preschoolers and assessed how
much they interacted with Disney Princess culture (watching movies, playing with toys, etc.).
The assessments of princess engagement and gender-stereotypical behaviour were based
on reports from parents and teachers and an interactive task where the children would sort
and rank their favourite toys from a varied collection of "girl" toys (dolls, tea sets), "boy" toys
(action figures, tool sets) and gender-neutral options (puzzles, paint).
The researchers found that 96 percent of girls and 87 percent of boys had viewed Disney
Princess media. And while more than 61 percent of girls played with princess toys at least
once a week, only four percent of boys did the same.
For both boys and girls, more interactions with the princesses predicted more female
gender-stereotypical behaviour a year later.
Gendered behaviour can become problematic if girls avoid important learning experiences
that aren’t perceived as feminine or believe their opportunities in life are different as women.
“We know that girls who strongly adhere to female gender stereotypes feel like they can’t do
some things,” Coyne said. “They’re not as confident that they can do well in maths and
science. They don’t like getting dirty, so they’re less likely to try and experiment with things.”

Disney has come a long way, but still has some work to do, says Coyne.
Greater female stereotypical behaviour isn’t worrisome for boys because the boys in the
study who engaged with Disney Princess media had better body esteem and were more
helpful to others. These beneficial effects suggest that princesses provide a needed
counterbalance to the hyper-masculine superhero media that’s traditionally presented to
boys.
However, the negative effects for girls aren’t limited to damaging stereotypical behaviour
alone. The study also shows that girls with worse body esteem engage more with the Disney
Princesses over time, perhaps seeking out role models of what they consider to be beautiful.
“Disney Princesses represent some of the first examples of exposure to the thin ideal,”
Coyne said. “As women, we get it our whole lives, and it really does start at the Disney
Princess level, at age three and four.”
The Fantasy and Reality of Your Royal Identity | Sarah M. Coyne
Children don’t have to completely disengage with princess culture—it’s not realistic to avoid
the abundant princess movies, toys and branded merchandise. Instead, parents should
foster a wide variety of interests and talk to their kids about media influences.
“I’d say, have moderation in all things,” Coyne said. “Have your kids involved in all sorts of
activities, and just have princesses be one of many, many things that they like to do and
engage with.”
For both genders, the study discovered that parents who discuss princess media with their
children have a significant effect on their children's behaviour. Coyne adds that it’s important
to be careful about the way in which parents talk to their kids about princesses.
“It’s frustrating when the dentist sees my daughter and says, ‘Look at the little princess!’
because she’s so much more than that,” Coyne said. “When we talk to little girls, we hear
less of ‘You’re so smart, you worked so hard, your body can do great things!’ but that is the
more important message we should be sending.”
Parents also shouldn’t be afraid to discuss the good and bad of Disney Princess culture.
Coyne says not to get too heavy with younger children, but pointing out the positives and
negatives can help kids be more aware of the media they’re consuming. She’s even done
this with her own daughter:
What drives me crazy is when you get a princess who’s not gender stereotyped, like Merida
from Brave. I took my daughter to see it, and afterward we had a great conversation about
how strong, brave and independent Merida was in the movie. And then in the marketing,
Disney slims her down, sexualizes her, takes away her bow and arrow, gives her makeup—
feminises her. So then we’re at the supermarket and see this ‘new Merida’ on fruit snacks
and soup cans, and I point it out to my daughter and we have a conversation about the
difference. And now when we’re at the store, she’ll see the soup can herself and say, ‘That’s
not the real Merida and I’m not buying it.’
Coyne is not alone in her thinking. In 2013, a petition on change.org from A Mighty Girl has
more than 260,000 supporters to #KeepMeridaBrave.

Coyne’s daughter was three years old when work began on the study, and while it’s rare for
Coyne’s research to impact her life directly, these findings hit close to home.
“This study has changed the way I talk to my daughter, the things I focus on, and it’s been
really good for me as a parent to learn from this study,” Coyne said. “I usually can’t say that
my research findings have such a personal impact on my life.”
Coyne has authored more than 80 studies on media influences, gender, aggression and
developmental psychology in top peer-reviewed publications. Her work on how profanity in
the media increases teen aggression appeared in Pediatrics and another study on how
video games can be good for girls was published in the Journal of Adolescent Health.
Coyne's coauthors on this study included Jennifer Linder from Linfield College, David Nelson
from the School of Family Life at BYU and Victoria Birkbeck, a BYU undergraduate student
at the time of the research.
Coyne recently gave a devotional address at BYU where she used her Disney Princess
research and related superhero studies to contrast cultural stereotypes with our divine
potential as daughters and sons of God. Watch her whole speech here.

Evaluation: This source is useful because it gives both sides of the argument making you
think of the impact of Disney Princesses on young girls. This article also displays bias
towards females as boys generally aren’t interested in Disney Princesses. This article also
talks about the actual genre that is only appealing to a female audience as there is very little
to attract a male audience. They may be one male character and some supporting
characters that are animals and this isn’t enough to attract the male audience. The Disney
princesses have different expectations than the average female as they don’t believe they
have to try other things other than being a Disney princess. This message is then passed on
to a female audience. Disney as a brand and Disney princesses are very influential. This
makes the female audience feel like they have the rights to become a princess. The
difference between the female character and the male character is that the male has all the
power whereas the female is sitting pretty and looking like a princess.