The Representation of Gender Identity in Television Advertisements: A Cultural and Visual Analysis

Abstract

Television advertisements could cause an uproar in media and society, making them a rich field for studying social and cultural values. They also greatly impact people’s perceptionof gender identities through their repetitive representation of certain male and female figures. This makes the study of television advertisements an academically rewarding endeavor. This thesis examines the representation of gender identity in selected television advertisements in Egypt. The theoretical framework derivesfrom two fields of study: gender studies, particularly views on gender identity and theories of popular culture, which explain the interplay of hegemony, patriarchy, and capitalism. In this respect, the thesis also uses methodologies derived from the fields of semiotics and visuality studies to decode the characters, dialogue, verbal, and non-verbal signs, as well as the cinematic techniques used in television advertisements. The research analyzes the selected Egyptian television advertisements asdivided into four categories: ‘Man-up’, ‘The Domesticated Woman’, ‘Objectification of Men and Women’, and ‘Breaking Gender Roles.’