Influence and Portrayals of Women

7/29/2019 Influence and Portrayals of Women

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Influence &Portrayals of Woman in TVSerials

Anubha Gupta Anvita Trivedi

Siddharth Gupta Sauhitya GarabaduVaibhav Moondra KhushbooNitnawareRishi Raj Singh Nishita Verma

Ashish Garg



IntroductionIn the multi-media world of today,television has emerged as an importantinstrument of transmission of knowledge

and information.

Purpose - Inform, Educate and Entertainits viewers.

More profound and persuasive impact onits viewers, particularly women.

Women are treated as “specialaudience groups”, so that appropriate

measures can be taken to cater to their



•

Soap Operas• One of the most popular genres on television

and as a cultural produce, this format isextremely popular among the masses.

• Soap operas are of two basic narrativetypes:

i. "open" soap operas, in which there is noend point toward which the action of thenarrative moves.

ii."closed" soap operas, in which, no matterhow attenuated the process, the narrative



Examples• U.S. soaps in the 1980s (Dallas,

Dynasty, Falcon Crest).

• Indian soaps as Balika Vadhu,

Uttaran, Pavitra Rishta .• The closed soap opera is more

common in Latin America, whereit dominates primetimeprogramming from Mexico to

Chile.• In India, Geet, Dil Mil Gaye fall in

this category.

• The term itself signals an

aesthetic and cultural



• Have a predominantly female audience• Some feminist theorists have arguedthat soap operas spring from a feminineaesthetic, in contrast to most prime-timetelevision.• Women are stereotyped in soap operasbut the image of the modern women haschanged.

• From being a meek, docile, subservienthousewife, she has grown and evolvedinto a strong individual.•She excels profession with homemaker.

AUDIENCE AND SOAP OPERAS



PORTRAYAL IN SOAP OPERAS

•

The portrayal of both men and women ontelevision is largely traditional andstereotypical.

• With femininity are associated traitssuch as emotionality, prudence, co-operation, a communal sense, andcompliance.

• Most of the daily soaps potrey,

'good' women are presented assubmissive, sensitive and domesticated;

'bad' women are rebellious, independentand selfish.

'dream-girl' stereotype is gentle, demure,



’Hum Log’, the first soap on Indiantelevision - Represented the values,thinking and beliefs of the middle-class

Indians.

Balika Vadhu ( Colors) are referred toas being 'realistic' in that they focus on

the domestic and personal, and oneveryday concern and problematicissues such as death, friendship,marriage, romance and divorce,personal relationship and the role of

the female in the marital home.



Portrayal of women

• Serials have moved a great deal fromportraying strong women characters likeRajni, Kalyani (Udaan) of 1980s, whichinspired middle class women and challengedthe mainstream ideology.

• Most of these soaps show "home" or thedomestic sphere as the core setting and thefundamental theme is centered on womenwith primary concern on family relationships.

• In this context, women's achievement isvalued in terms of their responsibility forrunning a successful household, settling downin matrimonial bliss, bearing children and

making them ‘ideal’ human beings.



Portrayal of Stereotyped Ideologie

•

• Since television represents mainstream ideology, theSince television represents mainstream ideology, the

construction of gender stereotypes on televisionconstruction of gender stereotypes on television

reinforces the stereotypical definitions of Indianreinforces the stereotypical definitions of Indian

womanhood.womanhood.

• Most serials are found to be reinforcing andMost serials are found to be reinforcing andstrengthening the gender stereotypes already presentstrengthening the gender stereotypes already present

in Indian society.in Indian society.

•

Women are mostly portrayed in the light of approvalWomen are mostly portrayed in the light of approvalor disapproval.or disapproval.

• Reflect the typical patriarchal mindset; where theReflect the typical patriarchal mindset; where the

housewife ishousewife is favoured while the women in power(power hungry and full of vices) are often depicted as



Portrayal of Stereotyped Ideologie

• A prominent image of Indian womanhoodthat has dominated for long in the Indianideology, creating an indelible impact onthe Indian mindset is that of a pativratawoman.

• The central protagonists of most popularprime-time soap operas are typicalprototype of the pativrata and the‘glorious motherhood’ images.

• Another prominent observation is that allwomen in the serials appear on screen withheavy makeup, wearing expensive jewelleryand attire, ready to attend a marriage party

any minute.



The Idealistic: ‘Superwoman’

• Unrealistic ‘superwoman’: the super wife,the super daughter-in law and the supermother.

• Qualities -loyalty, compassion, devotion,her domain is her home and her family

justifies her very existence.

• In the role of a mother she sacrifices herhappiness for her children and family, sheis the panacea for all ills that might

plague the family.

• Balika Vadhuhave educationhow it ruins a girl's life when she is

forced to marry at a young age.Programmes on such issues lets the



VampishWoman:A New

Genre

• Ekta Kapoor’s teleserials gaveEkta Kapoor’s teleserials gave

Indian television a new genre of Indian television a new genre of

women characters and thewomen characters and the

success of these characters callssuccess of these characters calls

for questioning our changingfor questioning our changingidols.idols.

• Women if not shown portrayingWomen if not shown portraying

stereotyped, superhumanstereotyped, superhuman

characters; are shown ascharacters; are shown asschemers, manipulators, home-schemers, manipulators, home-

breakers or as vamps Kamolikabreakers or as vamps Kamolika

in Kausati Zindagi Ki…etc.in Kausati Zindagi Ki…etc.

•

Kidnappings, killings, creatingKidnappings, killings, creatingfamily dispute and maritalfamily dispute and marital

disharmony are some of the roledisharmony are some of the role

attributes that are essayed byattributes that are essayed by

such female characters in onesuch female characters in one

episode after the other.episode after the other.

•



Positive Female Stereotypes• There are positive examples of intelligent, empowered younggirls and women as well.• Serve as role models for girls who are looking for femalecharacters to exemplify.

• Lisa Simpson from the popular cartoon sitcom, TheSimpsons is a classic example of a positive female stereotype.An intelligent and gifted girl, this character thinks for herself andsticks to her ideals, traits that young girls should be able to findin the media.



Positive Female Stereotypes• • The television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer focuses on aresourceful and powerful young woman, who is a fair matchagainst supernatural enemies.

•Dora the Explorer is an inquisitive, adventurous young seven-year old girl, who is not only a positive female character, but oneof the few minority heros or heroines of children's television.



Why This is Harmful

Ingrain in society the stereotypes of incompetentfemales who are in need of male help.Children's shows are especially dangerous.

They also absorb ideas of what they are actuallyable to do.

People who watch fifteen hours or more of television weekly are likely to believe what theysee on television as reality .

Sitcoms especially show professional momskeeping an immaculate house while raisingbeautiful children and going to work.



CONCLUSION• Television is a cultural commodity.

• Media are very effective, powerful and influential indisseminating new knowledge, useful for behaviorchange among women, thus influencing women’sempowerment variables as well.

• Reflecting the participation of women in decision –making, inter family communication and role-negotiationof women at home which can help in achieving betterquality of life.

• The viewers sustain a steady relationship with thecharacters that relate to themselves and thesecharacters help the viewers find their own inner self.

• They are a reflection of the viewer’s life. It helps the

viewers deal with their own problems and it motivatesthem to do what normall women consider the



Thanks

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Influence and Portrayals of Women