Streotyping Femininity and Masculinity in Television Drama Shows

Abstract

The world deals with the issue of stereotypes in every area and every way of life, from gender, race, tribe, to religious affiliation. This is amplified when media comes into play. Television drama series has far reaching effects on the viewers' perceptions of social issues in every culture and society. This is because the television drama series construct a reality that the viewers believe to be true or ideal. The purpose of this study was assessing of Papa Shirandula TV drama in stereotyping femininity and masculinity on the viewers in Kakamega. This research was carried out among the residents of Kakamega municipality who are audiences of Papa Shirandula TV show. The results show that femininity was portrayed in terms of a woman being a housewife, homemaker, and mother—ignorant, inferior, emotional, and dependent on men—while masculinity was portrayed in terms of a man being a breadwinner, head of family, superior, non-emotional, independent, and decision maker.