Fourth International Conference on Communication & Media Studies

Abstract

Women’s portrayal on television is a popular subject of study among researchers after realizing the effects television viewing has on its audiences. A vital function of media is to entertain masses. The content is voraciously consumed by the masses without too much of analysis or critical thinking. It plays a powerful role in shaping social beliefs, reinforcing behavior, forming attitudes regardless of whether the portrayal of characters is in positive or negative light, reflecting strengths and weakness or vulnerability, aiming to confine the characters within a set framework or attempting to breaking glass ceilings. Has the portrayal of women in television transformed according to changing times? Does the portrayal vary from the national to the regional level? Is the depiction doing justice to the woman of the twenty-first century who has struck a beautiful balance between profession and home? Have the mass media also attempted to transform the image of woman from being a mere commodity to being shown gracefully and respectfully? This paper attempts to study the portrayal of women characters of today’s popular Marathi regional soaps and understand if their depiction is close to reality. With the help of a survey, the researcher has been able to identify popular soaps in Marathi, and will analyze the content and the depiction of characters, particularly women of the top five serials that have emerged from the survey.