CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF GENDER STEREOTYPES IN COMMERCIAL ADVERTISEMENTS

Abstract

In prehistoric times females were caring moms and loving partners doing household tasks and males were financial providers of the family, but in this modern age females are employees and preforming various jobs in businesses and management. It is generally assumed that commercial advertisements reflect the society, but, in reality, they are unsuccessful to represent the achievements of females; instead they prefer to follow the traditional gender stereotypes. Commercial advertisements represent females as damsels in distresses and they are depicted as feminine being weak and fragile, easily frightened, defenseless, blinded by emotions, dependent on male counterparts and showing their beauty, grace and femininity attraction. Commercial advertisers present females in domestic scenes as femininity objects to promote the brand, but males are presented as attractive, strong and having high status occupations; these gender based stereotypes are continually degrading the status of females. Observing these considerations, the researchers make an effort to detect conceivable gender based stereotypical statements that exist in commercial advertisements. As research instrument the study utilized Critical Discourse and Semiotic Analysis approaches; the Discourse Analysis adopted Furlough’s three dimensional frameworks textual features, discursive practice and social practice to expose how the advertisers construct ideologies about the female, while the Semiotic Analysis disclosed various icons, symbols and indexes used to publicize gender stereotypes in commercials advertisements. The data presented in tables’ revealed stereotypes, ideologies and role of female in commercial advertisements. In the domain of research this masterpiece work is a precious addition.