Gender Frames Portrayed in Television Series: Implications towards Women

This study determined the gender frames portrayed in television series and their implications towards women. Two theoretical frameworks, framing theory and cultivation theory, and four research questions were used. Content analysis of one popular TV series and focus group discussions of 20 respondents were employed as data collection instruments. 20 episodes of the series were watched, and careful notes were taken; the researcher focused on narrating episodes from the series and stories and experiences shared by respondents (narrative analysis). The result showed unequal portrayal between men and women in TV series. The male gender is portrayed as educated, wealthy, smart, and providers who spend much time discussing business and development. The female gender is portrayed as weak, in a narrow range of roles as jobless, home stay mums and homemakers. More so, they are portrayed as emotional, dependent and gossipers who spend much of their time sharing their feelings and discussing people. 80% of male respondents perceive women as weak, sex vessels, and dependent. In reflection on cultivation theory, the implication of this kind of portrayal is that in real life, women are treated as weak, needy, and not involved in essential decisions because society sees them as weak and emotional. This further lowers the confidence and self-esteem of women in real life, which causes them to lose many opportunities and remain poor and dependent. It can be concluded that negative female gender frames portrayed in television series influence society's perception of women since the more people watch these series, the more they perceive the natural world as they see it in television series. This further minimizes women's capability and proficiency. The researcher recommends a more positive portrayal of gender frames in television series, especially female gender.