Nobody to Somebody: Portrayal of Disabled People in Primetime Dramas

Abstract

Media is a major source of education for the society, directing social behaviors, attitudes, and patterns. How the media assigns or denies recognition and portrayal to a subject, the society considers the subject significant or insignificant, positive or negative accordingly. Drama in media performs this function as a socializing agent. This study analyzed the depiction of people with mental disabilities in Pakistani primetime dramas through a qualitative content analysis. Based on the Framing theory and Fitzgerald’s adaptation of Clark’s Model of Minority Representation (2010), the study analyzed two primetime dramas; “Ilteja” and “Nazo” of two entertainment channels; ARY Digital and Urdu 1. The findings reflect the representation as predominantly negative with stereotypical concepts of the disabilities. The content offered no socially acceptable role to the disabled characters that were represented as maladjusted individuals. They were ridiculed and verbally abused while those closely associated to them were found blaming themselves for the disability of the character. Moreover, shame and public stigma were portrayed as among the major obstacles in medical treatment of mental disability. The findings also revealed that having a disabled child had an adverse effect on marital relations of the parents. The characters of father were portrayed as lacking a sense of responsibility while the mother characters were seen raising a disabled child on their own. Study’s findings highlight the contemporary representation of the disabled community in Pakistani media content. The researcher believes that assignment of socially acceptable roles to mentally disabled individuals in entertainment content is essential to break the related conventional stereotypes and build a positive, and accepting reception of the disabled in society.

Media is a major source of education for the society, directing social behaviors, attitudes, and patterns. How the media assigns or denies recognition and portrayal to a subject, the society considers the subject significant or insignificant, positive or negative accordingly. Drama in media performs this function as a socializing agent. This study analyzed the depiction of people with mental disabilities in Pakistani primetime dramas through a qualitative content analysis. Based on the Framing theory and Fitzgerald’s adaptation of Clark’s Model of Minority Representation (2010), the study analyzed two primetime dramas; “Ilteja” and “Nazo” of two entertainment channels; ARY Digital and Urdu 1. The findings reflect the representation as predominantly negative with stereotypical concepts of the disabilities. The content offered no socially acceptable role to the disabled characters that were represented as maladjusted individuals. They were ridiculed and verbally abused while those closely associated to them were found blaming themselves for the disability of the character. Moreover, shame and public stigma were portrayed as among the major obstacles in medical treatment of mental disability. The findings also revealed that having a disabled child had an adverse effect on marital relations of the parents. The characters of father were portrayed as lacking a sense of responsibility while the mother characters were seen raising a disabled child on their own. Study’s findings highlight the contemporary representation of the disabled community in Pakistani media content. The researcher believes that assignment of socially acceptable roles to mentally disabled individuals in entertainment content is essential to break the related conventional stereotypes and build a positive, and accepting reception of the disabled in society.