Representation of Femininity and Masculinity in Televised Advertisements: The Paradigm Shift

Abstract

There has been a lot of change in the African media in the recent past, notably in the electronic media, especially television. Advertisements being viewed on the television have a great impact on the social representations of members of the target communities. This therefore underscores the need to investigate the nature of the adverts being aired on television and how these shape societal constructions of gender roles. This study seeks to examine the representations of femininity and masculinity in televised adverts vis-a-vis African cultural representations of on gendered roles. This study will take a critical and scientific analysis of adverts aired across mainstream televisions in Kenya. Specifically, the study will analyse the male and female representations in these adverts, with a view to establishing the shifts, if any, in the way femininity and masculinity are represented. This study will utilize qualitative research design. The researchers used document analysis and content analysis to collect the data. The study took a period of one month. Purposive sampling was used to select the adverts and the study sample. Transcripts of the televised advert and were analysed thematically to arrive at a conclusion. It is expected that the findings of this study will provide a useful basis for media houses, relevant authorities, advertisers, organisations as well as individuals to take up more in-depth studies on the representation of male and female roles in the media in relation to the African culture, which will in turn provide guidelines in advertising policies to advertisers and media houses.