The DNA Space: An Investigation of Spatial Templates of Gender

The relationship between space, which is the primary subject of architecture, and gender defines a large area of interest and includes many different perspectives. The gender phenomenon formalizes a basic distinction of human beings and divides the population into two different groups: female and male. According to this distinction, society attributes different roles and responsibilities to women and men. The gender difference brings forward a spatial differentiation as well. The advertising industry is one of the key areas where the relationship between gender and space closely mirrors social assumptions. Advertisements are in direct relation to socio-cultural structure of the society and its consumption culture. The borders between femininity and masculinity can be re-presented, not only in the socio-cultural field, but also in the spatial organization of an advertisement through the role models and their stereotypical behaviours. Through commercials space can be attributed with the gender codes XX ? XY which in turn can acquire new meaning. Furthermore, new representations of gendered spaces can be demonstrated. In this study, through the selected representations of domestic ? albeit constructed or fictional ? spaces in the IKEA Catalogues, the relationship between gendered stereotypes and these commercialized spaces are analysed. Images which appeared in 2010, 2011, and 2012 IKEA Catalogues have been studied with respect to the relationship of gender-space and gender codes possessed by domestic spaces.