Sociological Analysis: Women Portrayal in Food TV Commercials

This essay examines the portrayal of women in food-related television commercials, analyzing how they reinforce societal stereotypes and contribute to gender discrimination. The paper defines stereotypes and explores their theoretical underpinnings, particularly through the lens of social role theory. It discusses how media, including TV commercials, reflect and perpetuate these stereotypes. The essay focuses on the portrayal of women in food commercials, highlighting their association with household tasks and their often subservient roles. The analysis includes a study from Tanzania, showing how women are often depicted in these commercials. The conclusion emphasizes the need for a more equitable representation of women to challenge and dismantle harmful stereotypes. The essay concludes that the portrayal of women in food-related television commercials reinforces gender roles and stereotypes, affecting societal perceptions and contributing to gender discrimination.

Running head: PORTRAYAL OF WOMEN IN FOOD RELATED TV COMMERCIALS
Portrayal of women in food related TV commercials
Name of the student
Name of the University
Author Note

1PORTRAYAL OF WOMEN IN FOOD RELATED TV COMMERCIALS
Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................2
Meaning of stereotype.....................................................................................................................2
Theory related to stereotype............................................................................................................3
Stereotypes present in media forms.................................................................................................4
Portrayal of women in food related TV commercial and the stereotype present in them...............4
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................6
References:......................................................................................................................................8

2PORTRAYAL OF WOMEN IN FOOD RELATED TV COMMERCIALS
Introduction
The entertainment industry shows a clear reflection of the present societal world order
and the different sociological perceptions which are present within it. The various forms of
media such as the art forms, the dances, the television series and the movies, all aim to provide
some kind of entertainment to the public (McGarty 2017). However, all of them are based on
present structuring of the world. In this context, it is important to understand that the various
stereotypes and the prejudices of the society are also shown in within such forms of
entertainment. Stereotypes refer to the inherent prejudices which are found within the individuals
of the society, compelling them to undertake various kinds of discriminatory practices (Fiske et
al. 2018). In a subconscious manner, such stereotypes are also featured within the entertainment
industry as they attempt to show the society in its real form. The purpose of this paper is to
examine the portrayal of women in food related television commercial. In this context, the
meaning of stereotype has been discussed in the paper along with the various forms of
stereotypes which is observed within the society.
Meaning of stereotype
Stereotype means the preconceived notion which is held in the mid of one individual
against another individual (Manzi et al. 2019). It is primarily inherent in nature and occurs in the
subconscious mind. For instance, when an individual is taught that one race is superior to the
other race because of the changes in their skin tone, they automatically start to discriminate
against the individuals with the prejudiced skin tone.
It is important to understand that such stereotyping can be expressed implicitly or
explicitly as well (Spicer and Sanborn 2017). For instance, when an implicit stereotype occurs, it

3PORTRAYAL OF WOMEN IN FOOD RELATED TV COMMERCIALS
is the notions which are held by the individual against the other individual in their mind. They
might be thinking less of the person but they would treat them in a respectable manner. Such
implicit stereotypes are mainly the psychological notions against the judged individual. On the
other hand, the explicit stereotype occurs when the individual socially discriminated against
another individual based on a particular field (Thorson et al. 2019). For instance, if an individual
does not give the deserved respect to a woman simply because of her gender orientation, then it
would mean that the individual is partaking of explicit forms of stereotyping. It is important to
note that both implicit and explicit forms of stereotyping gives rise to the social discrimination in
the community.
Theory related to stereotype
In order to understand the existence of stereotype in the society, there is first the need to
understand the theoretical underpinnings of stereotype. The theory of social group is considered
to be the most suitable theory for the examination of the stereotypes which are present in the
society (Fiske 2018). The social role theory was first advocated by Eagly in the year of 1987
wherein he proposed that the gender stereotype which exists in the society, perpetuated from the
division of labor which is observed in the community (Eagly and Wood 2016). For instance, the
differences between the two genders have been in existence since times immemorial. The female
gender has always been accorded a secondary role in the community because of the preconceived
notion that they cannot under take the same psychically taxing activities as can be executed by
the male individuals of the society (Banchefsky and Park 2016). Thus, their delicate nature has
led to them being confined in the personal sphere of activity while their share in the public field
was considerably reduced. This led to the perpetuation of an image of an unbalanced division of
labor in the society, where the female individuals were shown in the light of dejection and in

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need of constant support (Henderson 2017). Thus, the social role theory aids in the understanding
of the stereotypes present in the society with regards to the female individuals.
Stereotypes present in media forms
Certain stereotypes are present in the society, all of which gives rise to various kinds of
societal discriminations (Spinner 2017). Such stereotypes are found to be portrayed in the
entertainment industry, mainly in television commercials, the movies and in the art forms. This is
due to the reason that the entertainment industry tries to show case the real life situations of the
society within itself. They might be for the purpose of entertainment, but they play a deeper and
significant role in the sense that they influence the thought process of the individuals who form
the consumer base (El-Mohandes 2019). The individuals might be motivated to undertake the
desired and needed course of action in order to mitigate the social evils present in the society. On
the other hand, they might be influenced by the stereotypes and believe that the world is ordered
in this manner and hence, such stereotypes need to be adhered to (Setten and Cornwell 2017).
Thus, the portrayal of the stereotypes play a dual role in the society and impacts the individuals
in one of the either ways.
Portrayal of women in food related TV commercial and the stereotype present
in them
One of the most common stereotype which exists in the society is with respect of the
women individuals. They are always shown in a degraded light where their personal plight are
never brought to the lime light. Instead, they are treated as objects and are considered to exist
primarily for the happiness of the male members of the society (Rubio 2018). In this context, the
paper has made mention of how the women in the food related television commercials are

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portrayed and how this strengthens the stereotypes which are present in the society, thereby
giving further rise to gender discrimination.
In study conducted in Tanzania, several television commercials were selected and
analyzed. The commercials were chosen on the basis that there would at least be one adult
female character or a male character (Kahamba and Sife 2017). In the television commercials
which were selected, it could be seen that most of the actors were of the ages eighteen to thirty
five. In such commercials, the women were seen to be associated primarily with the promotion
of a particular household objects and food related items (Kahamba and Sife 2017). This shows
that the women are primarily concerned with the Furthermore, they were often dressed in a non-
formal attire, signifying that they are usually confined to the personal sphere of activity where
they are not needed to dress up. The male actors were given the dominating voice in such
advertisements, where they were the ones who usually relayed to the public of what was going
on in the commercial (Kahamba and Sife 2017). Furthermore, another unique characteristic
which could be observed in such television commercials of Tanzania is that the men always
provided a scientific argument with regard to the commercial while the women used laymen
terms (Kahamba and Sife 2017).
In the context of the food related television commercials, the women are seen to play a
more significant ad central role. This poses a problem for the society because the individuals
who consume such commercials, believe that it is the role of the women to ensure that there is
availability of food in the home (Kahamba and Sife 2017). It is also considered to be the
obligation of the women to keep their family members fed. Thus, they are the ones who are
required to cook all the meals while staying inside the house (Kahamba and Sife 2017).

6PORTRAYAL OF WOMEN IN FOOD RELATED TV COMMERCIALS
The portrayal of such an image in front of the public leads to the perpetuation of the
gender roles present in the society. The notion that women belong in the personal spheres of
household, has been sought to be broken by the activities of the feminists over a period of time
(Rubio 2018). Although the battle is yet to be won, however, there is a greater representation of
the women in the field of public activity. However, with the portrayal of such commercials in the
television, the public of the contemporary world, starts to believe in the aspect that the primary
position of a woman is in the kitchen of a house (Rubio 2018). They have the responsibility of
performing all the household chores, primarily among which is that of cooking the meals. This
severely affects the hardships of the women individuals to fight for their place in the society. The
rights of equality and liberty get severely affected in an adverse manner in such commercials.
While they may have been created for the purpose of entertainment and for furthering the
objective of the private player who is selling such commodities, it creates a deep sociological
impact within the minds of the individual in the sense that get influenced by such stereotyping
and furthers the cause of gender discriminatory practices in the society (Thorson et al. 2019).
Thus, a critical analysis of the food related television commercial where the women are
portrayed in a subservient manner, reveals that there is a necessity to provide a more equal
ground to the women. The male members should be highlighted in the same light and their
responsibility towards the maintenance of the family should also be brought to the lime light.
This would help to eradicate the various stereotypes which are present in the society in the
context of women.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it can be observed that stereotypes are present in almost all walks of life.
Stereotype has been defined as the inherent prejudices which are held by the individuals of the

7PORTRAYAL OF WOMEN IN FOOD RELATED TV COMMERCIALS
society. Such inherent prejudices are often expressed in an explicit form and this leads to the
perpetuation of discriminatory activities in the society. For instance, a very common kind of
stereotype which is present in the society since times immemorial is that of the subjugated role of
the women in the society. Compared to their male counterparts, the females of the community
are seen to occupy a degraded position in the society, leading to their expulsion from the public
sphere of activity. They are projected as delicate human beings whose primary aim in life is to
work for the happiness and satisfaction for the male members in their family. This stereotyping
has led rise to the form of gender discrimination in the community. Even in the modern world of
today where there is a significant emphasis on the aspects of equality and that of freedom, the
females are not accorded the same level of dignity and respect which is given to their male
counterparts.

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El-Mohandes, A., 2019. Impact of gender, socioeconomic class and product involvement on the
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content. Social Cognition: Selected Works of Susan Fiske.
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