A Study on the Acceptance of Stereotypical Gender Role Portrayals in Television Advertisements by the Pakistani Youth

Abstract

The basic aim of advertising is to promote a particular brand or a product, increase awareness and purchase action. Yet, advertising may also have a huge impact on the values, attitudes and behaviors of consumers. Gender roles and stereotypes have always existed in our society and have been a popular area of research by a variety of scholars. In the last few years, most research has been conducted on the existence of stereotypical gender roles across different cultures. However, researchers have not given much attention to the way television advertisements affect the perceptions of the youth and the manner in which they influence their attitudes and behavior. This particular research focuses on the representation of stereotypical gender roles in Pakistani television advertisements and how the Pakistani youth perceives them In order to determine the perceptions of Pakistani youth regarding stereotypical gender roles, their ‘level of education’ along with ‘amount of television consumption’ was taken into consideration as factors which could influence their acceptance of the portrayal of stereotypical gender roles in television advertisements. A sample size of 206 with 103 more educated and an equal number of less educated individuals in the age group 18-25 were selected in the vicinity of Islamabad and Rawalpindi for the research. Survey research method was used for the analysis. Moreover, this research highlights whether the youth accepts the portrayal of gender stereotyping in the Pakistani television advertisements or if they think it is according to their societal norms and values. In addition to that, this research helps us understand and determine the future of gender equality in Pakistani society and whether the youth is concerned about this issue and is interested in bringing about social change in the context of this area of research. According to the results of this research, the amount of television consumption and the level of education have no effect on the youth’s acceptance of stereotypical gender roles in Pakistani television advertisements. In fact, it can be deduced that there are other factors which influence their perceptions of stereotypical gender role portrayals in Pakistani television advertisements.