WOMEN CHARACTERISATION ON PAKISTANI MEDIA CDA AND SFL

WOMEN CHARACTERISATION ON PAKISTANI MEDIA: CDA AND SFL PERSPECTIVE Presented at ASFLA 2014 at University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia Hafiz Ahmad Bilal University of Sargodha PAKISTAN

• The study aims at highlighting the social dogma of derogatory representation of females on Pakistani media and to reveal how in a male chauvinistic society, they are socially derogated specially on mass media. • Pakistani society is experiencing mixed trends as far as the status of women is concerned. • Aspects that could create and promote awareness for gender empowerment among citizens are ignored, portraying an image where men are more equal than women, mirroring the centuries old patriarchal structure in the sub-continent.

WORKING QUESTIONS • What combination of modes are employed for representing women in advertisements? • How is language combined with women images in complex texts to construct implicit reality? • Which cultural, conventional, or social elements enhance stereo-typical representation of women in Pakistan?

FRAMEWORK • Experiential meanings: structure the internal relations of the depicted participants, things and actions they perform in a specific text. • Interpersonal meanings: build the social relations between interactants as well as the evaluative orientations that participants adapt towards each other and to the represented world of the text. • Textual meanings: comprise horizontal and vertical information • Horizontal: Presenting visual information as Given and New • Vertical: presenting visual information as Ideal n Real. • Main verbal text: heading and the main text

WORKING OUT ADVERTS - 1 • This discourse constructs the world of male chauvinism where women are shown as the facilitating sexual objects. • Through the interpersonal meaning we can assume the evaluative position. • There is a direct GAZE establishing an erotic relationship with male representation. • Distance is close showing very intimate relationship.

WORKING OUT ADVERTS • Horizontal angle is frontal rather than oblique • and vertical angle shows the relation of dominance. • Left-right organization shows sexual representation taken for granted • and top-bottom shows ideal or real. • This is real because it shows social construction.

INTERPRETING THE VERBAL TEXT • The title PIYARE AFZAL (the handsome and loving Afzal) suggests the same story. The qualitative adjective speaks it all. • The male character is given central position in the visual and the text. • The three female characters do not show the dominance as compared to one male character rather all the three appear to be struggling to win the only male character through representing them as a playing tool for him. • The way they look and pose approves that they are being presented as a mere object of physical attraction, and in being so feel they are the winners.

WORKING OUT ADVERTS - 2 • This media discourse constructs the world of female portrayal in capacity of sexual entities. • Evaluative stance can be assumed through interpersonal meanings. There is a direct lusty n tempting GAZE. Distance is halfclose on screen offering very intimate relationship. • Horizontal angle is frontal (attached) rather than oblique (detached) and vertical angle shows the relation of dominance. • Left-right organization shows sexual projection and top-bottom shows ideal or real. • This is real because it shows a typical social construction.

INTERPRETING THE VERBAL TEXT • The verbal text raises the question if the female hosts of morning TV shows of Pakistan represent the Pakistani culture. • The question mark is foregrounded, which tells that the hosts are not representing their so-called freedom, rather their focus is to appear more and more charming and physically attractive. • The looks of all the TV hosts arouse the sensuousness rather than presenting them as independent female social members, worthy of enjoying equal social status.

WORKING OUT ADVERTS - 3 • The advert builds the field commercial activity of consumer -ship of a deep freezer where a young girl is shown as a persuasion strategy. • Interpersonal meanings: a direct tempting look n smile attracts the customers. • Distance shown is close on screen offering a very intimate relationship.

WORKING OUT ADVERTS - 3 • Horizontal angle is frontal (attached) rather than oblique (detached) and vertical angle shows the relation of stereo-type portrayal. • Left-right organization shows sexual projection with one leg raised and crossed and top-bottom shows ideal or real. • This is real because it shows a typical so-called social construction.

INTERPRETING THE VERBAL TEXT • The text in the ad says: ‘to purchase COOLBANK (name of the product) is the real wisdom’. • The advertisement is about a deep-freezer named Cool. Bank but the picture of the girl and the qualitative adjective COOL tells a different story. • Cool is a word used to represent female as a physically attractive and charming lady, e. g. She is cool (she is sexy). • The image reflects the name of the product i. e. both are cool.

WORKING OUT ADVERTS - 4 • In this ad of shoes, the woman is voluptuously represented to victimize audience in a seductive manner. • The make-up, the costume, the posture and the gaze of the female model in provocation of “black shoes” represent a suggestive act of interpersonal communication • The look is erotic and the gesture is seductive. • The portrayal of the woman is typical, i. e. a sexual entity.

INTERPRETTING THE VERBAL TEXT • When in doubt, wear black. • The text is alluring for the females. If they cannot decide what to wear, they need not worry – just wear black. • Now the verbal representation again presents the females as a symbol of physical beauty and attraction. • ‘Worry about what’ – to look pretty and charming to their male counterparts. • The imperative mood not only instigates women to buy the product suggesting that it would end their worries but also highlights the typical role of women i. e. how to look more attractive.

WORKING OUT ADVERTS - 5 • Compare the two faces: the foregrounded face is that of a girl with a smiling face and shining eyes, full of confidence. • The back-grounded face is sad and woeful. • The ad suggests that only ‘fairness’ wins the day. All the other individual traits have no place. • Fairness is an attribute attached to females to look more and more attractive and to get the attention of the males. • The representation of the female is stereotypical.

WORKING OUT ADVERTS - 5 • This is the ad of the same product with another model. • The ideology or the concept is the same. • The four faces gradually turn into something very seductive. • The face is gradually turning with a confident yet seductive look as if she is now sure she will achieve her target of winning a male heart. • The portrayal is typical alluring the women to purchase the product to look more pretty and fair.

WORKING OUT ADVERTS - 6 • This is another ad that claims that this particular product will make you the most beautiful and attractive. • The lady with big shiny eyes (symbol of beauty and attraction in the society) and a smiling face is portrayed with the slogan ‘the fresh face is the beautiful face’. • The image and the slogan attract the women to use the product and get the freshness and beauty as the model has. • The question is why to look beautiful. The answer is simple: to attract the male.

WORKING OUT ADVERTS - 7 • A new brand of a cell phone is being launched. • It is felt compulsory to promote the product by hiring a female model. • There can be a male model as well but the reason of taking a female model is certainly to add some glamour and attraction in the advertisement. • The seductive smile and the frank look adds charms to the ad, thus a stereotypical representation.

WORKING OUT ADVERTS - 8 • This is an ad of Mango Juice. • Again, a female model has been introduced for the promotion of the product. • Look at her facial expressions, especially her eyes and lips. • She shows a sensual delight in eating mango or drinking that juice. • Her presentation is to grasp the attention of the viewers, and the best tool to get attention is the female beauty.

WORKING OUT ADVERTS - 9 • This is a bit different ad in the sense that here the female portrayal is not as a subject but she is an object. • The verbal claims are strengthened with the images. • Here it is not the female model looking for the male attention, but it is the male who is looking for the female attention. • The presentation of the female is the same, i. e. she is a sex object, meant only to get physical pleasure, a typical image prevailing in the society.

WORKING OUT ADVERTS-10 • Another ad of body spray. • The message is the same but more powerful. • Using this particular body spray will lead you to the height of sensual ecstasy. • Stereo-typical female presentation is obvious. • Males are attracted to the product by the idea of being attracted by women. • The images of the girls are quite seductive with a male lying in the middle trying to avoid this onslaught.

SURVEY QUESTIONS • The opinion of the young Pakistani students is also gathered with the help of a questionnaire comprising various questions. • Graphical presentation of a few responses is shared here to present the social picture. • A few questions were asked from female students only and a few from their male counterparts, though a few were directed to both.

SURVEY QUESTIONS • The Portrayal of Women in Advertisements on Pakistani Media is Real / Ideal? • Do you think presentation of women in advertisements on Pakistani Media is Stereotypical? • Do you think women, especially young girls try to look beautiful to get the attention of their male counter-parts? • Do you think the girls ignored by the male are depressed and lack confidence? • Do you think the most important feature to attract the male is beautiful looks? • Do you think men consider women as a symbol of sexual beauty? • Do you believe women have been given their rights or are they maltreated? • Do you think that the physical beauty of a woman attracts men more than any other quality?

PORTRAYAL OF WOMEN IN ADVERTISEMENTS IN PAKISTANI MEDIA IS REAL / IDEAL? Portrayal of Women 183 17 Real Ideal The Portrayal of Women in Advertisements in Pakistani Media is Real / Ideal?

PRESENTATION OF WOMEN IN ADVERTISEMENTS ON PAKISTANI MEDIA IS STEREO-TYPICAL? Women Characterisation 175 25 Yes No Do you think presentation of women in advertisements on Pakistani Media is Stereo-typical?

FEMALE RESPONSES 1. Do you think women, especially young girls try to look beautiful to get the attention of their male counter-parts? 2. Do you think the girls ignored by the male are depressed and lack confidence? 3. Do you think the most important feature to attract the male is beautiful looks? 95 85 73 27 15 5 Yes No Q. 1 Yes No Q. 2 Yes No Q. 3

MALE RESPONSES 1. Do you think men consider women as a symbol of sexual beauty? 2. Do you believe women have been given their rights or are they maltreated? 3. Do you think that the physical beauty of a woman attracts men more than any other of her qualities? 95 91 83 17 9 Yes No Q. 1 5 Maltreated Given Q, 2 Yes No Q. 3

CONCLUSION • To conclude, it may be said with caution that female has been presented and portrayed as a sex object and persuasion strategy for selling products. • Written and visual modes are employed for representing women in advertisements as they appear more effective to influence the target customers. • The images of women are being used in almost every advertisement, no matter what the product is and who it is aiming at, constructing the image of women as a mere tool for physical beauty and entertainment in a male dominating society.

• Their stereotypical gender role in society is presenting a domestic connotation even in the 21 st century in which women are well-aware of their rights. • Although women account for slightly less than half of Pakistan’s population, there is considerable disparity between the status of men and women in Pakistan. • The traditionally male-dominated media world has men defining media policies, priorities and agenda including how women are portrayed and presented. • Despite growing numbers of women in business, of women parliamentarians and journalists; there has been no significant change in the portrayal of women by the print media.

• Although women account for slightly less than half of Pakistan’s population, there is considerable disparity between the status of men and women in Pakistan. • The traditionally male-dominated, media world has men defining media policies, priorities and agenda including how women are portrayed and presented. • Despite growing numbers of women in business, of women parliamentarians and journalists; there has been no significant change in the portrayal of women by the print media.

• A bias against women is clearly present. Much of the so called ‘entertainment’ is provided with women as the focus. • There can be no claim to ‘neutral’ or ‘objective’ coverage if women are referred to and represented in negative terms- i. e. in terms where negative and unrealistic images of women outnumber positive, real representations by the media. • Representations of women in a sexual context rather than women as mothers, professionals, valued community members etc. present women only as passive objects and not as agents of thoughtful and independent action.

Thank you!