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Article
Gender stereotypes in television advertising in the Middle East: Time for marketers and advertisers to step up
Business Horizons
  • Ali Khalil, Zayed University
  • Ganga S. Dhanesh, Zayed University
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
9-1-2020
Abstract

© 2020 Kelley School of Business, Indiana University Gender stereotypes, which are particularly harmful to women, have historically been prevalent in advertising, prompting some governments and brands to regulate conventional gender portrayals. This study examines current gender portrayals in television advertising in the Middle East, and specifically in the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), because of the increasing importance accorded to women's empowerment in some of these countries. Building on similar studies elsewhere, we analyze the content of 111 distinct television advertisements aired over a week by a major TV channel in the region. Our analysis reveals that while depictions of certain aspects, such as role (familial/nonfamilial) and location (home/occupational setting), gently nudged traditional stereotypes by portraying women in nonfamilial roles and in occupational settings, depictions of background (female/male/children) and product type further reinforced traditional stereotypes. Based on these findings, we offer specific recommendations to marketers and advertisers in the region.

Publisher
Elsevier Ltd
Keywords
  • Advertising,
  • Arab countries,
  • Gender roles,
  • Gender stereotypes,
  • Middle East,
  • Television advertisements
Scopus ID
85088131816
Indexed in Scopus
Yes
Open Access
No
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2020.05.004
Citation Information
Ali Khalil and Ganga S. Dhanesh. "Gender stereotypes in television advertising in the Middle East: Time for marketers and advertisers to step up" Business Horizons Vol. 63 Iss. 5 (2020) p. 671 - 679 ISSN: <a href="https://v2.sherpa.ac.uk/id/publication/issn/0007-6813" target="_blank">0007-6813</a>
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/ali-khalil/1/