GENDER STEREOTYPES AND REINFORCEMENT OF PATRIARCHY CONSTRUCTED
IN THE REALITY SHOW PILIH-PILIH MANTU
A THESIS
By Rika Tri Ariani St.N: 120912132
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT FACULTY OF HUMANITIES
CONSTRUCTED
IN THE REALITY SHOW PILIH-PILIH MANTU
A THESIS
By Rika Tri Ariani St.N: 120912132
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT FACULTY OF HUMANITIES
GENDER STEREOTYPES AND REINFORCEMENT OF PATRIARCHY CONSTRUCTED
IN THE REALITY SHOW PILIH-PILIH MANTU
A THESIS
Submitted as partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Sarjana degree of English Department Faculty of Humanities Airlangga University Surabaya
By Rika Tri Ariani St.N: 120912132
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT FACULTY OF HUMANITIES
This thesis contains no material has been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma in any university. And to the best of this candidate’s knowledge and belief, it contains no material previously published by other person except where due reference is made in the text of the thesis.
Surabaya, 27th of June 2013
This thesis is dedicated gratefully
This thesis is dedicated gratefully
This thesis is dedicated gratefully
This thesis is dedicated gratefully to my
to my
to my
to my
beloved father
beloved father
beloved father
beloved father
Surabaya, 27th of June 2012
Thesis Advisor
DiahArianiArimbi, Ph. D NIP. 197004051994032003
Head of English Department
Dra.LillaMusyahda, M.Pd NIP. 196612102007012001
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
FACULTY OF HUMANITIES
AIRLANGGA UNIVERSITY
This thesis has been approved and accepted by the Board of Examiners, English Department, Faculty of Humanities, Airlangga University, on 15th of July 2013
The Board Examiners are:
1.
Dra.NurWulan, Ph. D NIP. 197012191993032001
2.
DiahArianiArimbi, Ph. D NIP. 197004051994032003
3.
Alhamdulillah, praise be to Allah SWT the Lord Almighty. My first deep gratitude always addresses to Allah SWT for His endless blessings, mercies, and strengths until I could accomplish my thesis.Salutation also to my greatest prophet, the messenger and outstanding figure for all Muslims, Muhammad SAW. I would like to express my profound gratitude to my thesis advisor, Ms.DiahArianiArimbi, Ph.D., for her patience, encouragement, and supervision so I can keep finishing my thesis.This thesis would never be accomplished without her help, I am very lucky to have an advisor like her. I would also like to thank toall lecturers of English Department Airlangga University for transferring a new horizon of knowledge especially for Ms. Arum Budiastuti, S.S, MCS., my proposal advisor,and LayliHamida, M.Hum. myacademic advisor .
My greatest gratitude is also acknowledged to my late mother who is my greatest inspiration. No one will be able to change your position in my heart.My beloved father, this thesis and sarjanadegree are more aboutyou Dad. My step mother, in the beginning the notion to have you in my lifeis really frightening, but now I really love you. I have two moms and I proud about it. The ‘Pine Family’, Mas Riza and Mb Elmi, thank you for your patience in taking care of me in home. Thank for Sherly for yourpresence every time I feel this world leave me alone and Mas Doni for all the printing stuff.
is relief. Verily, with the hardship, there is
is relief. Verily, with the hardship, there is
is relief. Verily, with the hardship, there is
is relief. Verily, with the hardship, there is
relief
relief
relief
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Inside Cover Page ... i
Inside Title Page ... ii
Declaration Page ... iii
Dedication Page ... iv
Advisor’s Approval Page ... v
Examiner’s Approval Page ... vi
Acknowledgements ... vii
Epigraph ... ix
Table of Contents ... x
List of Tables... xiii
List of Figures ... xiv
Abstract ... xv
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION ... 1
1.1 Background of the Study ... 1
1.2 Statement of the Problems ... 5
1.3 Objective of the Study ... 6
CHAPTER II LITERATURE REVIEW ... 9
2.1 Theoretical Framework ... 9
2.1.1 Gender Learning Process ... 9
2.1.2 Feminine and Masculine Traits ... 12
2.1.3 Gender Construction in Indonesia ... 16
2.2 Related Studies ... 20
CHAPTER III RESEARCH METHOD ... 23
3.1 Research Approach ... 23
3.2 Population and Sample ... 24
3.2.1 Population ... 24
3.2.2 Sample ... 24
3.2.3 Variables of Traits ... 27
3.3 Data Source ... 28
3.4 Scope and Limitation ... 28
3.5 Technique of Data Collection ... 29
3.6 Technique of Data Analysis ... 30
CHAPTER IV ANALYSIS ... 31
4.2 Gendered Characteristics ... 40
Table 1.List of Sampling Episodes of Reality Show Pilih-PilihMantu ... 26
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure1. Data Source ... 28
Figure2. Robert is Angry to Sushan ... 33
Figure3.Male Contestants are Discussing ... 33
Figure4. Mama Fey is Making a Coffee ... 34
Figure 5.Male Contestants are Playing PerangBantal ... 35
Figure 6.Tere as Cinderella in MalamPenolakan ... 38
Figure 7.Some Female Contestants are Hugging ... 38
Figure 8.Fitri is Catching Mice ... 39
ABSTRACT
Gender is a social construction, that is, learned and perpetuated for people’s identity.In this sophisticatedera, media become one of the most influential agents in perpetuating the idea of gender construction in society. For years media keep portraying women and men stereotypically and unequally. Women are portrayed with feminine traits such as affection, domestic, emotional, submissive, and weak. Then men are portrayed with masculine traits such as brave, dominant, rational, and strong. Masculine traits always have more positive description than feminine traits. Using content analysis this study analyzes one of Indonesian television program, Pilih-PilihMantu, and finds that this program still representsgender stereotypically. The frequency of the contestants’ representation on the traits which are stereotyped to their sexes is the highest. It affirms gender stereotype and leads to the reinforcement of patriarchy in the program.
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
‘One is not Born but rather Becomes, A Woman’ (Beauvoir 1953, p.273).
Beauvoir started her critical thinking in her book Second Sex that women
become women as what society expects because they are taught to do so. Instead of a
destiny, the idea of gender actually is the product of human civilization perpetuated in
people’s life unconsciously and continuously during their lifetime. Gender is socially
constructed, that is, learned and negotiated for people’s identity in the practices of
everyday life. Becoming gendered is an ongoing social process which involves some
instruments or agents to perpetuate this idea.
One of the agents in gender construction is media. Media influence in
representing the gender is important because by its various types: television
programs, magazines, advertisements, films, internets, radios, and so forth which
dominated people’s live, media becomes an instrument which has great ability to
challenge people’s idea about gender. Moreover, media do not simply reflect the
existing stereotypical images of gender which exist in society, but actively produce a
symbolic form of feminine or masculine as gender identity which supports the
ideology of ruling group.
and its impact upon society. He explained that media has ability to influence its
consumers in forming social opinion in order to perpetuate particular ideology.
Furthermore, the mass culture exists in society today is the product of culture
industry. Adorno said, ‘The customer is not king, as the culture industry would have
us believe, not its subject but its object’ (1991, p. 99). Thus in media power concept,
audiences are considered as passive object and media are the active subject which
construct particular idea, to perpetuate particular ideology and control the society.
For years, patriarchy, the ideology which keeps male in the higher position
than other sex has become the ideology of ruling group to control the issue about
gender over the world even though gender issue itself has been developing to be more
complicated. It is not only about two sexes any more: male and female, but more than
it. Yet patriarchy is claimed by David Gauntlett in his book Media, Gender, and
Identity not to dominate and have control to the gender representation in media
anymore. He explains that the representation of gender in media has changed
significantly, especially for men and women. Men and women are represented
equally during the 1990s and the following new century, gender roles on television
became increasingly equal and non-stereotyped (2002, p. 58).
Some movies such as Tomb Rider, Mulan, and Charlie’s Angel portray
women as heroines who are independent, strong, and rational. Similar result is found
in studying television programs. Some popular programs such as Ally McBeal and
Sex and the City portray women as successful, intelligent, and active who have
be laughed at. Moreover pop music shows the girl movement by the existence some
phenomenal woman singer or group such as Madonna and Spice Girls with their
championing of girl power (Gauntlett 2002, Galician 2004). The representation of
men and women are usually equal although sometimes there may be exceptions, but
there is equality.
Those are what happen in western media but it seems that there is difference
between media in Western, Europe and America, and Eastern, Asia, in constructing
gender. Douglas Rhein who does research in gender representation in Thai television
advertisement shows that the portrayal of women’s roles in advertisement is
improving, yet it is still inaccurate and these inaccuracies and discriminating
characterizations of women are pervasive during prime time Thai television
advertisement (2011). Rachma Ida who does research in media construction of female
Indonesian celebrities finds that media still show those successful female Indonesian
celebrities are tied to the domesticated position of women as mother and wife as
expected by the cultural norms of Indonesia (2008).Both of the researches above
show that gender representation in Asia especially South East Asia is different from
the gender representation in Europe and America. Gender representation in South
East Asia media is still stereotyped and unequal.
Media representation in stereotyping gender unequally which positions
women subordinate to men in Asian media, especially Indonesia media, can be found
Pilih-and Saturday at 09.00 pm. This program was aired from April to July 2012 Pilih-and had
74 episodes. The contestants of the program were fourteen females, seven males and
seven males’ mothers. In this program they competed to find a right daughter in law,
a right wife and of course a right husband. Only one couple won this reality show and
got prize consisting of a packet of wedding party, one car for the male participant,
one car for the female participant, and Rp 100.000.000 for the male’s mother.
Analyzing the title of the program, Pilih-Pilih Mantu means a mother
looking for a woman to be a wife for her son. Based on the title, women, represented
by mother, should be the most powerful party than other contestants. Yet, the fact is
the party who has bigger power to decide the wife is the man instead of his mother.
Women, both of the mother and female contestants, are inferior and subordinate to
male contestant. Women are being object and men are being the subject.
Moreover, the camera work in Pilih-Pilih Mantu often shoots women when
they are crying and shouting or fighting to other female contestants to construct the
images that women are weak and emotional. Yet the camera works in different
moments to male contestants, camera often shoots them when they are discussing to
resolve problems they face within the program or when they are listening their moms
or female contestants who are sad then calming down those women. The scenes
which portray male contestants reinforce the belief that men are more logical and
independent than women. This reality show portrays men and women in gender
Nielsen Research Company, one of the reliable survey research companies
which count television program’s rating, revealed that program Pilih-Pilih Mantu is
quite popular among Indonesian viewers especially for women in the range of age 15
until 39 years old from low class economy. It is known that the party who most
suffered because of gender inequality is women. And most of the victims of the
gendered process are women from low economy class that do not have high formal
education background. This condition make those women are easily influenced by the
media. The lack of knowledge makes them believe that media really reflects the real
value of society. The effect is when they keep taking for granted all of media’s
products they will more easily accept their subordination as what media presents.
Simply they become like what they watch. Thus by doing content analysis, the writer
is going to show the way television program, Pilih-Pilih Mantu, influences
Indonesian audiences’ concept about gender by perpetuating gender stereotypes and
reinforcing patriarchy in the program.
1.2 Statement of the Problems
Based on the background of the study, the writer formulates the following
statement of the problem:
1. How are gender stereotypes constructed in the reality show Pilih-Pilih Mantu?
2. How do, then, such stereotypes reinforce patriarchy in the reality show
1.3Objective of the Study
Based on the statements above, the writer determines the objective of the
study as follows:
1. To know how gender stereotypes are constructed in the reality show
Pilih-Pilih Mantu.
2. To know how those stereotypes are able to reinforce patriarchy in the reality
show Pilih-Pilih Mantu.
1.4Significance of the Study
This study has crucial positions for revealing how media especially
television perpetuates particular ideology to the viewers since television as one of
popular media is often used by the power party to raise the ideology. This study about
a television program reveals that reality show is not an unscripted program which
portrays the ‘real’ reality in society. Fiske explains that what is called as reality in
television is not reflect the ‘real’ reality in lives instead of reinforce what an artificial
reality to society. Television is a principally realistic medium because of its ability to
carry a socially convincing sense of the real (Fiske 2001, p.21). Thus this study is
able to lead society to be aware of the ideology in the programs they watch and make
viewers realize that there is no any ‘real’ reality show in television Moreover, reality
show is considered as a new genre in television program so the research in this genre
is still challenging. The last, this study will be able to be one of the references for
gender and media in Indonesia, especially television and reality show and students
who use content analysis in their research.
1.5Outlines of Thesis Structure
In this study the writer arranges the paper into some chapters. The first
chapter is introduction which consists of background of the study, statement of the
problem, objective of the study, significance of study, organization of the paper, and
definition of key terms. The second chapter is literature review which consists of
theoretical framework and review of related studies. The third chapter is research
method which consists of research approach, population and sample, data source,
scope and limitation, technique of data collection, and technique of data analysis. The
fourth chapter is the result of the study and analysis of the problem stated in the first
chapter. Then chapter five is the last chapter consists of the conclusion of the study.
1.6 Definition of Key Terms
Femininity : The qualities consist of attributes, behaviors, and roles, which
are traditionally associated with women.
Gender Stereotypes : Shared views of personality traits tied to each particular gender
(Tuchman 2000, p.997).
Masculinity : What men empirically do, an ideal type model of their social
that legitimate either patriarchy in general or particular groups of
men (Scott 2006, p.98).
Patriarchy : A form of social organization in which men are dominant and
the central institutions of society are controlled by men and/or
organized in their interests (Boyle 2005, p.205).
Pilih-Pilih Mantu : A romance-reality show aired in one of Indonesian television
CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1. Theoretical Framework 2.1.1. Gender Learning Process
Since gender is a social construction which generally relates to cultural programming as feminine or masculine (Tyson 2006, p.86), there is a learning processwhich is passed by both girls and boys.Simone De Beauvoir, one of the important feminists in the second wave feminism in the 20th century, explains that the process of children to learn what characteristics and personalities that society expects to see from them,arestarted from their childhood and continue into their adolescence and even in adulthood. The process happens for years.
If, well before puberty and sometimes even from early infancy, she seems to us to be sexually determined, this is not because mysterious instincts directly doom her to passivity, coquetry, maternity; it is because of the others upon the child is a factor almost from the start and thus she is indoctrinated with her vocation from her earliest years (Beauvoir 1953, p. 273-274).
emotional than men.
However gender stereotype actually affects not only women but also men.Man in his childhood is taught to become strong and independence. As a child he passed a hard process in his childhood to learn the man’s stereotypes as a superior sex in the society.
His apprenticeship for life consists in free movement towards the outside world; he contends in hardihood and independence with other boys. Climbing trees, fighting with his companions, facing them in rough games, he is aware of his body as a means for dominating nature and as a weapon for fighting he takes pride in his muscles as in his sex; … he learns from an early age to take blows, to scorn pain, to keep back the tears. But what is very important is that there is no fundamental opposition between his concern for that objective figure which is his and his will to self-realization in concrete projects(p.284).
It is evident that man suffers the same inconvenient phase that is also suffered by woman; but at least man is still able to express his self as he wants, the burden that society put on a man does not oppose his status as human being and his vocation as a man. Man is somewhat affected, but woman suffered much higher rates of injustice due to this gendered system.
Therefore feminist critique is more developed than masculine critique.Beauvoir and many other feminists do not refute that nature also has its role in shaping men and women characteristics. But somehow nurturing process imposes excessive effects in gender construction in boy and girl.
seen as feminine traits are referred to as ‘wimps’, and girls who behave in masculine ways as ‘tomboys (Abbott, Wallace &Tyler 2006, p.7).
In childhoodor adolescence the process of gendercharacteristic indoctrination is mostly done by their parents. Yet when the boy or girl has grown bigger parents are no longer becoming the agent of gender indoctrination, the process of indoctrination are taken by other agents in society. Gender stereotypes arealways perpetuated and reproduced continuously in society by variousagents.
Today media is one of the most influential agents in perpetuating gender.Media has been becoming one of the most pervasive agents of gender socialization (Fischer 2010, p.28). Media coverssociety from all level of age, position, education as the object of gender characteristic indoctrination.Janice Winship (1980)argues in her works on advertisements and women magazines that,
We are never just spectators who gaze at `images' of women as though they were set apart, differentiated from the `real' us. Within the ads are inscribed the images and subject positions of `mother', `housewife', `sexually attractive woman' and so on, which, as we work to understand the ad, embroil us in the process of signification that we complete (Cited in Tornhanm 2007, p.6).
invites its readers, as members of a specific culture, to understand what it means to be a woman or man, and so encourages them to reaffirm or to challenge existing cultural norms (2009, p.16).
Generally the purpose of feminist criticismsis to reveal that discrimination in gender portrayal in media still exists so take it for granted the notion about gender from media is a fault and feminist criticism tries to make people realize about this phenomena. The criticism is important because, as Beauvoir stated, women become what they are now do not come naturally but they are shaped by the social construction about femininity and masculinity.
2.1.2.Feminine and Masculine Traits
Beauvoir outlined some social construction about femininity and masculinity traits of man and woman respectively. In traditional gender construction women are learnt that ‘to be feminine is to appear weak, futile, docile…Any self-assertion will diminish her femininity and her attractiveness’ (Beauvoir 1953, p.334). Woman is expected to be weak and passive and if she tries not to follow the stereotypes she will be considered unattractive. The same rule is also applied to man. If he tries to perform feminine trait people will start to consider him as a sissy.
which she suffers during her lifetime. However, instead of being the active party she just passively waits man to come and picks her up. ‘Prince Charming’ or ‘Cinderella’ syndrome is learnt by woman in her in their childhood and adolescence. This pseudo belief often makes a woman irrational and emotional in facing love’s problem.
Marriage, the next stage after childhood and adolescence, actually brings other repressions for woman especially related to husband and wiferelationship, ‘Before long the wife, becoming familiar and submissive does not mask from her husband his state of isolation; she is in a charge, not a way of escape’(445). A husband in a patriarchal society thinks that woman is submissive and keeps considering that woman is a burden for him because of her emotionality and dependency. Marriage live contemplates no alternative for a woman other than the role of housewife, modeled with varying emphasis on ‘domesticity’, ‘glamour’, and ‘good’ companionship (Friedan 1974, p. 121).
Man’s power especially relates to his physical strength.One of the stereotypes which stimulate man’s effort is that of the powerful and famous man whom women adore(1953, p.334) which implicitly shows the passivity of women in accepting their inferiority by adoring the men’s power which they believe does not belongs to them. The result is men are stereotyped as strong but women are stereotyped as weak. The stereotype attached to women is simply the opposed of men’s characteristic.
Another masculine trait is independency. As the ‘Subject’ man is completely an individual who does not have to depend to another person to solve his problem. He is defined as strong so it is okay to face the problem by himself. Man is taught that as a human being he is ‘socially an independent and complete individual; he is regarded first of all as a producer whose existence is justified by the work he does for the group’ (416). Moreover he is depicted not only finishes and does his work for himself but also for other people.
have the same opportunity. It reflects the notion that man is subject and woman is just an object.
The inferiority of woman is the result of the gender learning process which she has endured since childhood. In family life the figure presented by the husband in the eyes of the young woman is a demigod endued with virile prestige and destined to replace her father: protector, provider, teacher, guide (447). As a girl, she learns that in family life her father is the one who protects the family. Her father is stronger than her mother so in her child mind, she sees her father as the protector. The similar pattern is also applied to boys who see the superiority of their father in home. This notion is kept perpetuated until their marriage life.The patriarchal concept indoctrinated to her enforce young woman to see a man, either her father or future husband, as a better person than her in many things such as in intelligence, stamina, and so forth. Then for young boy, he learns that he is physically powerful so becoming the protector is his job. Patriarchy enforces that he is more clever and logic than girl so becoming provider and teacher is man’s authority.
the society.
2.1.3.Gender Construction in Indonesia
Different cultures might expect different personality traits and characteristics of gender. Yet, there are still some stereotypes that are universally expected by world citizens. Brannon in her book Gendered Psychology make a summary based on some studies of other researchers that, “There six adjectives were associated with males in all of the cultures—adventurous, dominant, forceful, independent, masculine, and strong—and three adjectives were identified with femalesin all cultures—sentimental, submissive, and superstitious” (2002, p.182).This study concerns with gender stereotypes in a reality show which air in Indonesia television channel. Thus it is important to note how gender is stereotyped in Indonesian culture as well as the similarity and difference.
to accept the concept of domestication and places them in inferior position, similar to the general construction of women in most culture in the world.
In Indonesia, the state by New Order government actively contributes to perpetuate the inferiority of women in the society. Suryakusuma explains that Indonesian women are firstly identified by the notion ‘wives’ to enforce the subordination of women to men. Secondly women are identified by the notion ‘mother’ to enforce the concept of domestication. Therefore a hierarchy gender was constructed.
leader of community and make an important decision, men have higher position than women.
In addition gender construction in Indonesia is also influenced by adat
especially from Javaneseculture since most of Indonesian population is from Java ethnic (Arimbi 2009, Suryakusuma 2011). In Javanese culture the role of women are reflected in three prominent beliefs,
The first lies in the saying ‘koncowingking’ (literally meaning: companion whose place is in the back part of the house); the second in ‘suargonunutnerakakatut’ (meaning: a wife will go wherever her husband goes, to hell or heaven, making her a mere follower of the husband’s deed); and the third says women’s roles are ‘manak, masak, macak’ (to breed, to cook, and to adorn herself for her husband) which correlate closely to women’s places in ‘kasur, dapur, sumur’ (bed, kitchen, doing household jobs) (Arimbi 2009, p. 61).
The first and second belief, konco wingking and suargo nunut neraka nunut reflect the subordination of women. In family life they are powerless so they cannot make their own decision and only follow their husband’s decisions. Then the last belief, manak, masak, macak, reflects that women’s main roles are serving and doing household chores for their husband prosperity and happiness.
Furthermorewomen subordination in Indonesia is also imposed by concept of kodrat that is related to biological destiny. The concept of kodrat limits Indonesian women movement outside the household life.
Term kodrat, in Indonesianlanguage, means‘the unalterable nature one is born with, or predetermined’ (Arimbi 2009, p.57), really supports the concept of domestication by stating that it is natural for women to serve their family, submissive to the husbands and nurture the children. Family needs are considered
more important than women’s because women’sexistences are appraised by their success in managing their family lives. When their families
are happy, they are considered as successful women.
Besides using some terms such as wives, mother, and kodrat to bind women in pseudo-feminine, Indonesian government also uses term Bapak to enforce the patriarchal ideology in gender construction in Indonesia. This term was popularized by Indonesian second president, Soeharto, who called himself as
Bapak Pembangunan (Suryakusuma 2000, Robinson 2009).
Using term Bapak to reinforce patriarchal concept and kodratto weaken women position the concept of ‘ideal’ household lives is constructed by New Order government called asas kekeluargaan. In asas kekeluargaan the hierarchy is constructed by men in the highest position of family authority then followed by women and children. This subordination is regarded natural in Indonesian culture.
Women’s citizenship was maternal citizenship, and their difference from men was deemed to be located in their kodrat (biologically specific nature) assumed to be God given and sanctioned by Islam. It was a central pillar of the ideology of the New Order—the azas kekeluargaan, the family foundation of the state (Robinson 2009, p. 68).
The first related study is a thesis done by Sabrina Fischer, a graduate student from Auburn University, Alabama, USA, titled “Powerful or Pretty: AContent Analysis of Gender Images in Children’s Animated Films”, examines the portrayal of gender roles, images, and stereotypes in five children animated films. This study examinesthe distribution of male and female characters relate to their physical appearance, social roles, and behavioral attributes.
The resultof this study reveals that male characters are still overrepresented in children’s animated films. Male characters are often portrayed in a diverse array of roles and with various characteristics, including follower role, with a career, as leaders and heroes, as angry, happy, dominant, etc. Female characters were often portrayed in leadership roles with careers, as beautiful, angry, dominant, caring/loving, etc. As the conclusion females are shown in a variety of roles and behaviors, including traditional masculine ones, but the trend of underrepresentation of female characters still persists.
The similarity of this study and the present study is in the application of content analysis as the method to obtain the data and the focus of the study about the gender portrayal or representation of the characters which are confirming or challenging traditional gender stereotype. Yet, the difference of this study with the writer’s study is the object of the study and the theory used to analyze the data from the application of content analysis method.
on The Bachelorand The Bachelorette”. This study examines the depiction gender roles on the reality television program The Bachelor and The Bachelorette. The study’s purpose is to understand the ways in which stereotyped gender roles are reinforced within these programs and the effects of this on the viewers.
Representation in Thai Television Advertising”. This study analyzes some advertisements air during prime time in Thai national television channels, three channels in 2005 and four channels in 2010. Rhein considered that media have become a major agent in socialization including gender socialization. Thus advertisement as one of the media types is worth to analyze.By comparing gender representation on television advertisement this study purposes toexamine characteristics of gender representation in Thai advertisement and compare the result of the study to the real or accurate portrayal of Thai society.
The result of the study shows that there are improvements in the representation of women’s roles in Thai advertisements even though still some inaccuracies and discriminations. Women narrators are still less than man narrators, but woman narrators are portrayed as celebrities or high profile narrators than men. Furthermore, women are more common portrayed as main characters than men, but women are twice as likely to appear in home, domestic setting or indoors as men.
CHAPTER 3 RESEARCH METHOD
This chapter contains the research method used to obtain the answer of the problems stated in chapter one. This chapter includes research approach, population and sample, data source, limitation, technique of data collection and technique of data analysis. All of these steps re explained below.
3.1 Research Approach
gender stereotypes are constructed in this reality show.
3.2 Population and Sample 3.2.1 Population
Population is a set of units being studied, the set of units to which the researcher wishes to generalize (Neuendorf 2002, p.74). This study uses reality show Pilih-Pilih Mantu as the object. This reality show was aired in AnTv during April to July 2012. The population of this study is the entire episodes of the reality show Pilih-Pilih Mantu consisting of 74 episodes.
3.2.2 Sample
Sampling is a process of selecting a subset of units for study from a larger population (p.83). This research does not take all of episodes as the sample but usesconvenience sampling. This method is motivated by analytical interest in an available body of texts that is known not to include all texts of the population that the analysts are concerned with’(Krippendorff 2004, p.120). Therefore, from 74 episodes the writer only takes 20 episodes as sample that is 27% of the total population.A convenience sample relies on the selection of readily available units (Neuendorf 2002, p.89).
was decided in that month. Then next problem is that some recorded videos are not able to be analyzed because some files missed when the writer’s computer broke while there were no duplication data and few numbers of files, 2 videos, cannot be played.
However the writer has attempted to get the recorded data from internet but the file is not available. Then the writer contacted the television station which aired the program to ask some video files the reality show Pilih-Pilih Mantu but the public relation officer of the television station said that it was impossible to give neither the recorded data nor re-airing the show. Thus finally the writer just takes all of the available videos as the sampling unit and it is justified by the convenience sample method.
Convenience samples have obvious limitations when used to infer to a larger population, but they can be justified under three conditions: first, the material being studied must be difficult to obtain. Second, resources limit the ability to generate a random sample of the population. The third condition justifying convenience sampling is when a researcher is exploring some underresearched but important area (Riffe 2005, p. 100)
No. Episode Date of Airing
1. 30 14th May 2012
2. 31 15th May 2012
3. 32 16th May 2012
4. 33 17th May 2012
5. 34 18th May 2012
6. 35 19th May 2012
7. 36 21th May 2012
8. 37 22nd May 2012
9. 48 5th June 2013
10. 53 11th June 2012 11. 56 14th June 2012 12. 58 16th June 2012 13. 61 21st June 2012 14. 65 26th June 2012 15. 67 29th June 2012 16. 68 30th June 2012
17. 71 4th July 2012
3.2.3 Variables of Traits
In this study, the scenes which are coded are based on some variables of feminine and masculine traits which are explained by Simone De Beauvoir in her book, Second Sex and also based onone study conducted by Sabrina Fischer titled
Powerful or Pretty: A Content Analysis of Gender Images in Children’s Animated
FilmsThose feminine and masculine traits are: Feminine traits
• Affection: shown being concerned, helpful and hugging other contestants.
• Domestic:shown doing or playing games relating to household chores.
• Emotional: shown performing jealousy, angerand shouting.
• Submissive:shown acting dependency, obedience and passivity.
• Weak: shown crying and expressing cowardice.
Masculine traits
• Brave: shown expressing courage and bravery
• Dominant:shown commanding and controlling
• Strong: shown having physical strength
• Rational:shown thinking logically, not following the temper, having stable
units are the elements
nts of content that will be classified in the codin to the sampling units, but they do not have to be unit in this study is the episodes but the codi
episodes. Moreover Holsti, as cited in Krippendor re typically contained in sampling units, at m ver exceeding them” (2004, p. 100). Thus, sce
n from those 20 sampling episodes. In addition scenes which portray gender stereotypes of m
Figure 1.Data Source
itation
o gain representative research, the scope and li imitation is the scene analysis in this research ing gender stereotypes issue of men and w the reality show Pilih-Pilih Mantu,the gender contestants of the show consisting of male cont
Coding units
of scenes representing feminine and masculine traits = 1 Sample
20 episodes consist of 160 scenes Population
74 episodes of reality show Pilih-Pilih Mantu
contestants, and male contestants’ mothers. In the concept of this reality show besides female and male, the role of male’s mother as theparent who mostly gives many advices or considerations to her son about woman whom he is going to married is considered important because it reflects Indonesian culture which believes that the relationship between mother in law and daughter in law is one of the most complicated and risky in marriage life. Thus the presence of male contestants’ mothers is significant to create an image that Pilih-Pilih Mantu truly reflects the reality in Indonesia.
The second limitation takes place into the limitation of the variable in coding units. A scene is counted when it portrays the contestants when they represent femininity and masculinity traits which have been determined in the coding sheet.
3.5 Technique of Data Collection
First, the writer collected the data by recording manually the reality show
method.
3.6Technique of Data Analysis
There are some steps applied in analyzing this reality show. First the writer applied content analysis method to gather data about the frequency of several traits that are represented by male, female and male contestants’ mothers in the reality show Pilih-Pilih Mantu. The traits that are coded are listed in the variable of interest.
CHAPTER 4 ANALYSIS
This chapter contains the result of content analysis method i.e. statistical data of feminine and masculine traits of the contestants in the reality show Pilih-Pilih Mantu and discussion of the finding relates to the gender construction in Indonesia using feminism perspective.
4.1. Feminine and Masculine Representations in Pilih-Pilih Mantu
In this study, there are five feminine and four masculine traits represented by three group of contestants; male contestants, female contestants and male contestants’ mothers.
Table 2. Feminine and Masculine Representation
Variable Male Contestants Female Contestants Male's Mothers
Affection 9 17 8
Domestic 2 11 5
Emotional 6 19 4
Submissive 2 14 4
Weak 1 18 3
Brave 6 5 -
Dominant 15 11 4
Rational 16 8 6
Strong 12 4 -
Total 69 107 34
reality show indicates that in social life women are more demanded than men to perform gender stereotypes. Moreover in this reality show women become the object to be looked at since their performances mostly are stereotyped. High frequency of women representation strengthens their subordination to men. Below are the representations of the contestants in all of the traits coded.
•Emotional
In gender stereotyped, emotionality is often stereotyped to be performed by women than instead of men. Emotionality is coded by the writer when the scene shows contestants in anger, jealousy or shouting while they face a problem or something happens that is out of their hopes. Sometimes anger does not have to be performed by speaking loudly but depicted by facial expression. Female contestants are counted 19 times to perform this trait and male contestants’ mothers are 4 times. On the other hand, male contestants also show emotionality but the frequency is less compared to female contestants. Only 6 times they perform this characteristic. The emotionality performed by the contestants is not only toward the contestants with opposite sex but also toward contestant with the same sex.
contestants is normal but Sushan’s jealousy is something childish and annoying. Therefore Robert decides to leave Sushan alone instead of discussing the problem which they face to find the solution.
• Rational
Figure 2.Robert is angry to Sushan
Scenes which are counted represent rational characteristic when female or male contestants do not follow their temper, do reconcile and are able to think logically when any problem happens to other contestants. One of the scenes representing rationality is discussion scene when male or female contestants were facing a problem or misunderstanding. Male contestants are portrayed performing rational behavior (16 times) more frequently than female contestants (8 times) or male contestants’ mothers (6 times).
Figure 3.Male contestants are discussing
the mediator and give perspectives to Agung and Erwin about their problem. When the solution is not reached yet, one of the contestants asks Agung to enter bedroom to calm his emotion.
• Domestic
Domestic trait is counted when female or male participants are portrayed playing and doing activity which relates to household chores. Some activities depicted in the scenes relate to domestic trait are washing clothes, ironing, cooking, cleaning the house etc.
Figure 4. Mama Fey is making a coffee
One of example of domestic scenes is in episode 34 when Mama Fey is making a coffee for Tere, one of female contestants. The data show that female contestants perform domestic traits more frequently than other contestants (11 times), followed by male contestants’ mothers who do household chores for 5 times and the least is male contestants (2 times).
• Strong
physically powerful. Some games played by male contestants that represent masculine trait, strong, are climbing tree game, swimming race and football, etc. On the contrary games played by female contestants are dominated by games which relates to domestic traits and is purposed to show the female contestants’ ability in household chores.
Figure 5.Male contestants are playing Perang Bantal, one of Indonesian
traditional game
Male contestants are counted 12 times in strong scenes and female contestants 4 times. Yet male contestants’ mothers are never portrayed doing activities which require a lot of physical strength.
• Submissive
agrees as long as she is able to become his girlfriend again. Sushan: “Aku bener-bener pingin minta maaf sama kamu.”
Robert: “Oke kuenya aku terima tapi maafnya aku pending. Aku pingin liat dulu kamunya bener-bener berubah gak! Aku tuh pingin kamu ngeliatin ama mama kalo kamu tuh dah bangun pagi, rajin, trus sholatnya juga rajin, ngaji penting. Jadi kalo aku dah dapet bocoran dari mama. Mungkin nih pintu maafku yang mungkin dah kebuka ndikit, pas mama ngomong kaya gitu mungkin ntar kebuka lagi. Endah aja berubah demi mas
Irwan. Kamu..heehh!”
Sushan: “Iya-iya.Yaudah, yaudah gini aja aku bakal berubah demi kamu demi mama demi semuanya.” (episode 63)
Female contestants are the most frequent characters who perform this trait, counted for 14times, male contestants for 10 times and male mothers’ contestants for 4 times. contestants perform for 11 times and male contestants’ mother for 4 times.
‘Angel’or ‘Cinderella’. Angel and Cinderella are chosen based on the winner of the games in each week.
Yet the rules in Pilih-Pilih Mantu Malam Penolakan change for few times. Mostly the contestants who are eliminated are the female contestant. At the beginning of the program there are fourteen female contestants but in the end of the program there are only five female contestants remaining. Then in the beginning of the show there are seven male contestants and their mother but in the end there are three male contestants and their mother remaining. Thus male contestants are only eliminated for four times but female contestants are eliminated for nine times.
There are three types of rules which are applied in Malam Penolakan.
The first type is applied to eliminate the female contestants. A female contestant is eliminated when not saved by either Pangeran Cinta, male contestant, or Mama Pilihan, male mother contestant. Then the second type of Malam Penolakan is used to eliminate male contestant, the rule has been explained in previous paragraph. And the last type of Malam Penolakan is applied to eliminate female contestant. The female contestant is eliminated when she is not saved by Pangera nCinta or Jejaka Pilihan, both of them are played by male contestants. Yet, the scene which portrays dominancy does not only exist in Malam Penolakan. In
Figure 6. Tere as Cinderella in Malam Penolakan
One of the scenes representing the dominancy of female contestants toward male contestants is in episode 36 when Tere becomes Cinderella at that night and uses her authority to decide which male contestant that should stay and which should be eliminated at that night. Female dominancy towards male mostly is represented in elimination night in which female contestants are able to make a decision to eliminate one of male contestants.
• Affection
Scene is coded to portray affection trait when the contestants show caring, helpful, and hugging action. Affection is stereotyped to belong to women instead of men. The writer finds out that female contestants are depicted performing affection trait for 17 times, followed by male contestants for 9 times and male contestants’ mothers for 8 times.
Figure7. Some female contestants are hugging
• Brave
A scene is coded portraying bravery when the contestants perform a courage action to do something even if she or he is actually fearful or the scene is also coded when she or he bravely protests about something that is unfair for him or her. In this trait, male and female contestants are portrayed almost similar in the frequency. Male contestants are counted portraying for 6 times and female contestants for 5 times. Yet in these brave scenes, male contestants’ mothers are never portrayed.
Figure 8.Fitri is catching mice
One of scenes portraying female bravery is when Fitri has to catch mice and move them from one box to another box, this is one of a few female contestants’ games which does not relate to household chore. Most of the female contestants scream and show fearfulness, but Fitri is one of a few female contestants who keep catching those mice. She bravely catches the mice, though her facial expression shows that she is also fear.
• Weak
characters who perform weakness are male mothers’ contestants (3 times) and the least is male contestants, only once. The following is one of statements which indicate an emotional weakness from one of female contestants.
Sika : “Di dalam tempat karantina itu akudipojok-pojokin. Aku disalah-salahin. Aku ngerasa aku nggak boleh milih yang terbaik gitu yang kayak temen-temen. Mereka itu nyudutin aku banget gitu Pak Ustadz. Jadi kaya aku ditempat karantina itu, di sini aku disalahin, di luar aku nyakitin hati orang tua. Di sini udah nggak ada siapa-siapa ntar pulang pun aku dah nggak diterima di rumah. Di sini pun nggak ada tempa yang enak. Yaudah perasaanku itu kaya aku pengen mati aja” (episode 72)
In that episode, with crying Sika tells her feeling to one of guest star at the program, an ustadz that she feels depressed because of the condition she suffers. She is tired of becoming the object of bullying in quarantine house and feels guilty toward her parents. She just wants to die because she is mentally tired and stress. Her irrational solution represents her weakness.
4.2 Gendered Characteristics
Figure 9.Cha
Chart of contestant in performing feminine and
ontestants’ representation is the highest in all of her contestants. In ‘affection’ female contestant
it for 50% means half of affection scenes ar s. The second characters portrayed perform
e contestants for 26.5% and the contestants w es are male contestants’ mother for 23.5%.
is a trait which is often associated to women is also reflected in Pilih-Pilih Mantu. Even m he second place of characters who perform a enerally the total number of affection scenes ar
mother.
However the writer finds out that higher frequency of affection scenes which are performed by male contestants than their mother also relates to the genre of the television program which is a romance reality show. As defined by the writer in chapter one, Pilih-Pilih Mantu is about love story between single men and women instead of love story between parents and children. Thus to show the basic idea of the program it is important to depict some affection scene between male and female contestants.
The next feminine stereotyped trait for women which is confirmed by this reality program is the domestication of women by creating an image that all of activities relating to household chores and nurture are done by female or male’ mothers. The finding of this study shows that female contestants are portrayed 61.2%of doing ‘domestic’ activities and followed by male contestants’ mothers for 27.7% and the least is male contestants, 11.1%. Scenes which portray female contestants in domestic life are the scenes when they are doing household activity or playing games which relate to household and nurturing activity.
nurturing activity such as ‘folding the clothes’ game and ‘wearing clothes to baby doll’ game. Female contestants are portrayed performing domestic trait not only in the games which they play but also when they do ‘real’ household chores in their daily activities.
On the other hand male contestants’ mothers are depicted only when they do the ‘real’ household chores, there is no game relating to household chores which they play. Then sometimes male contestants’ mothers are portrayed teaching the female contestants how to do the household chores correctly. These activities show one of mothers’ functions in this program that is as agents who cultivate the feminine traits to the female contestants. In gender learning process, becoming men and women is constructed by society and parents are one of the most influential agents. Parents who have the same sex with the children will teach their children to have the same feminine or masculine trait like them. When a girl comes under their care, women apply themselves to changing her into a woman like themselves as a rule think that it is wiser to make a 'true woman' of her, since society will more readily accept her if this done (Beauvoir, 1953, p.285-286).A mother invests a lot of emotional value and energy into peripheral objects and activities – houseplants, cooking, pictures – at the expense of her children (Madsen 2000, p.207).
contestants. The statistic data of domestic-trait scene proves that Pilih-Pilih Mantu
keeps portraying men and women stereotypically as traditional gender roles. Another variable trait coded by the writer is emotionality. Emotionality is a psychological trait which is often associated to women. The dissemination of this stereotyped characteristic to women is also influenced by the development of medical science which relates the emotionality in women with the hormonal and nervous system though ‘the analysis of medical textbooks shows that they include ‘facts’ about women that are little more than prejudices’ (Abbott, Wallace &Tyler2006, p.183).In Pilih-Pilih Mantu, female contestants are portrayed performing emotional scenes more frequently than other group of characters, 65.7%. They easily get angry when facing problems during the show or when having misunderstanding with other contestants. Instead of trying to discuss it, they express their anger by shouting, doing debate with a harsh word choice or even making physical actions such as slapping. Male contestants and their mothers are portrayed representing this trait for 20.6% and 13.7%, respectively.
The significant gap of frequency in emotional trait between male and female contestants affirms traditional gender stereotype in the society that ‘men are rational and analytic, whilst women are emotional and talk a lot’ (Gauntlett 2002, p.242). In addition the stereotyped characteristic that men are more rational than women is also depicted in Pilih-Pilih Mantu that will be discussed later.
disadvantages to women during their lives. Marriage is one of women’s lives period representing many practices of this imbalance social hierarchy, men are superior but women are inferior. Women are required to be submissive and gentle and should care for men and children (Abbott, Wallace &Tyler 2006 p.158). As a wife, woman should be obedient toward her husband. Then as a mother, woman is demanded to nurture her children.
Those stereotypes, how women should behave in family lives, are also restated by Pilih-Pilih Mantu in its scenes which portray submissive-trait. The fact that women are more submissive than men is reported by the data that most of the scenes portraying submissiveness is performed by women-group, female contestants 73.8% and male contestants’ mothers15.7%. On the contrary male contestants who represent men-group only perform this trait for 10.5%.
Female contestants perform submissiveness toward male contestants and their mothers. Yet, male contestants only perform their submissiveness to their mothers and vice versa. Thus in this hierarchy female contestants are in the lowest position under male contestants and their mothers. In family life the highest position is occupied by men who become husband or father then followed by women who become wife and mother. Parents are in higher position than children and men are in higher position than women. Thus in her life ‘the young girl becoming absolutely passive; she is married, given in marriage by her parents. Boys marry; they take a wife’ (Beauvoir 1953, p.509).
physical power. However the concept about ‘weakness’ for women in society is more than the concept of physical power, it includes mental power. Weakness for women is associated with their ‘sensitivity to the needs of others and the assumption of responsibility for taking care lead women to attend to voices other than their own and to include in their judgment other points of view’ (Giligan in Madsen p.101). Thus women are stereotyped as mentally powerless human.
In Pilih-Pilih Mantu, women’s weaknesses are represented mostly in crying-scenes. Crying is a sign that women are mentally tired. They cannot bear a burden anymore. They want to be freed from the problem, but they cannot do it. Thus they release the pressure feeling which they suffer in crying action so then they will feel better, ‘she can cry and then she can dry her tears and look around again’ (Friedan 1963, p.254).
restricted by his parents, especially father, to drop his tear when they feel sad, disappointed or stress. Beauvoir (1953) explained that father prohibit his son cry because crying belongs to women instead of men.
From five feminine traits that are coded, women are the major group characters performing those traits. It is portrayed by the highest representation of female contestants in the feminine-traits scenes coded. On the other hand, men are portrayed as the characters that perform the most masculine-traits scenes. The portrayal of male contestants, representing men group, in brave-dominant-rational-strong-scenes are the highest among all of contestants, female and male’s mothers.
ideology in constructing the concept of gender in mass media, including Pilih-Pilih Mantu.
The other masculine traits constructed in this program are still dominated by male contestants. Dominant-trait which is associated to men rather than women is represented more by male contestants 53%. Female contestants and male contestants’ mothers as the representation of women group, only perform for34.3% and 12.5%, respectively. If the frequency of female and male mothers’ contestants are added the result is still less than the percentage of male contestants.
The male’s mothers are the contestants who are given the least chances to eliminate the female contestants though the title of the program is Pilih-Pilih Mantu which means a mother who look for a wife for her son. The writer finds that there is inappropriateness between the title of the show and the concepts. It can be just merely marketing strategy, but the writer find out that it also relates to the concept of family life in Indonesia which still involves parents when the children make important decision in their lives. This analysis of this notion will be discussed in the next sub chapter. However, back to the previous discussion about dominant-trait, the content analysis of 20 sample episodes finds that program
Pilih-Pilih Mantu affirms the traditional gender stereotype that men are more dominant than women.
The next masculine-trait portrayed in this reality show is rationality. Male contestants are portrayed performing this trait for 53.3% then followed by female contestants for 26.7% and the last is male contestants’ mothers for 20%.Rationality relates to individual ability to think logically. In traditional gender system, rationality is often associated to men rather than women. Men are depicted more rational in facing the problem in their live.
depict the function of a mother in parents-children relationship in which the older is the wiser. In Pilih-Pilih Mantu if there is a misunderstanding or problem among male contestants, reconciliation or discussion will be done by themselves. Yet if there is a misunderstanding among female contestants, the discussion or reconciliation is only applied when there is male contestants’ mother as the mediator. Male’s mothers are shown more mature and rational than female contestants.
Generally the study finds that reality show Pilih-Pilih Mantu portrays that men and women can perform both masculine and feminine trait. It is less stereotypical than some decades ago in which men only perform masculine traits and women only perform the feminine traits. Nevertheless, the intensity of the performance of each sex is still gendered, meaning that male contestants are always portrayed as the characters who perform the most frequent masculine-trait and female contestants are the characters who perform the most frequent feminine trait. Thus the writer concludes that Pilih-Pilih Mantu still affirms the traditional gender stereotype and reinforces patriarchy in society since the ideology behind the inequality of gender stereotype always gives advantages to men instead of women.
the term State Ibuism, explains that Indonesian women are subordinated because they are associated with some particular terms such as wife and mother which limit their movement and chain them mostly in domestic area. As in Ibuism, ‘women were expected to serve their men, children, the family, the community, and the state’; as in housewifization, ‘women were expected to provide their labor freely, without any expectation of real prestige or power’ (Suryakusuma 2011, p. 105).Both of housewifization and Priyayi Ibuism are the basic elements which construct the ideology State Ibuism. The basic level of subordination of Indonesian women is from the family level in which women are taught that their main role in family is placed in domestic area. In Pilih-Pilih Mantu the ‘housewifization’ and ‘Ibuism’ are portrayed by the frequent representation of female and male contestants’ mothers in all feminine traits scene.
Furthermore in Javanese culture, there are three beliefs of women which reflect women main roles in family life those are ‘konco wingking (meaning: companion whose place is in the back part of the house), suargo nunut neraka katut (meaning: a wife will go wherever her husband goes, to hell or heaven, making her a mere follower of the husband’s deed) and manak, masak, and
portrayed in the frequent of domestic scene represented by female contestants and male contestants’ mothers whereas male contestants are portrayed very few in this scene. The second belief suargo nunut neraka katut strengthes gender stereotype that women are obedient, passive, illogical and less dominant in making decision. Women are considered lees rational and illogical so they cannot make their own decision and husband who has the opposite trait, rational and logical, are considered as the most appropriate party to make decision. This traditional belief is also affirmed by the high frequency of women group in submissive and emotional scene and low frequency in dominant scene. Then the last belief manak, masak, and macak are affirmed by reality show Pilih-Pilih Mantu by portraying female contestants and male contestants’ mothers in high frequency of affection and domestic scenes for instance when they are cooking, washing, and cleaning house.
biological (especially reproductive) capacities (Robinson 2009, p. 10).
Actually the concept of kodrat also covers men. As stated by Nilan that ‘the cultural diversity of indigenous gender orders in the archipelago was homogenized into a nationally-promoted binary of masculinity and femininity:
kodrat pria and kodrat wanita’(2009). In Indonesia the concept of kodrat pria is relevant with the concept of hegemonic masculinity that is ‘the configuration ofgender practice at a given point in time that shores up the legitimacy of
patriarchy’ (Connel cited in Nilan 2009). Thus based on kodrat pria, it is natural
for men to have more authority and power then become the leader in society to
control their family and even their country. The notion of hegemonic masculinity
held in kodrat pria is reflected in term Bapak which more popular and strengthen
men’s superiority after Soeharto called himself as Bapak Pembangunan.
