Abstract
This study compares and contrasts the ways in which men and women are portrayed in television advertising in the pre- and post-Tunisian revolution. The authors content-analyze TV advertisements broadcasted during the month of Ramadan in 2007 (representing pre-Tunisian revolution) and 2017 (representing post-Tunisian revolution). The results show that the use of male and female portrayals has undergone significant changes in the years 2007 and 2017 in accordance with the social evolution of Tunisian society. For both men and women portrayals persist, but there has been a move from the portrayal of the gender in situations considered socially traditional to modern situations. Results also reveal differences in the portrayal of the gender role; TV advertising during the month of Ramadan in 2007 shows the portrayal of women and men are less depicted and less described compared to TV advertising during the month of Ramadan in 2017. There are differences in gender role portrayals in TV advertising during the month of Ramadan in 2007 and 2017. In most spots, women and men appeared together outdoors, presenting services and products promoted for both women and men. Women appeared alone rather young, housewives, at home, presenting agro-food products, and products intended for women. While men appeared alone younger, outdoors, presenting services and masculine products. Implications for advertisers are discussed.
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Source: document «Mediascene», «Medmedia» (Agence media) and «Mediascan» (institut of Mediametrie)
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Appendices
Appendix 1
Definitions of measuring variables
Variables | Authors | Descriptive criteria |
|---|---|---|
Product | Schneider and Schneider (1979) | What product category is presented in the ad? |
Product user | Silverstein and Silverstein | The product featured in the ad targets: Women, men, both, or children. |
Spoken comment | Dominick and Rauch (1972) | The announcing voice is feminine, masculine, both, no loud comment. |
Shooting location | McArthur and Resko (1975) | The ad is shot at home, in a shop, outdoors, at work. |
Social role of the character featured in the ad | Sexton and Haberman in Marcelo et al. | Traditional Modern |
Age | Schneider and Schneider (1979) | The character’s age is approximately −35, 35–50, 50+. |
Family status | Schneider and Schneider (1979) | The featured character is married, single, status not identified. |
Employment | Schneider and Schneider (1979) | The character appeared as a worker in a working situation, a worker in a non-working situation, no indication. |
Occupation | Courtney and Lockeretz (1971) | The character appeared as a senior executive, a middle executive, a professional in the private sector, a student/pupil, at home. |
Spokesperson | Schneider and Schneider (1979) | The product’s on-camera spokesperson is a man, a woman, both, neither. |
Credibility | McArthur and Resko (1975) | Characters were spokespersons when they were users of the product and non-users of the product. |
Help | Silverstein and Silverstein | The character appeared as a help recipient, a help provider, neither. |
Counseling | Silverstein and Silverstein | The character appeared as a receiver of advice, a provider of advice, neither. |
Role | McArthur and Resko (1975) | The character’s role is dependent on others, independent from others (spouse, sibling, housewife, worker, celebrity, interviewee, child, presenter). |
Activity | Poe | The character appeared as engaged in a physical activity/sport, active, or inactive. |
Frustration | Silverstein and Silverstein | The character appeared as having a frustration that is thwarted or non-thwarted. |
Appendix 2
Simple sorting: description of the ads investigated
Descriptive variables | Percentages | ||
|---|---|---|---|
2007 | 2017 | ||
Product category | Services Food products Cosmetics Cleaning products Culture and entertainment | 45.3% 39.8% 9.5% 3.0% 2.5% | 48.8% 28.2% 2.1% 6.9% 14.1% |
Shooting location | Outdoors At home At work In a shop No shooting location | 51.7% 32.3% 10.4% 5.5% 0.0% | 38.1% 23.4% 19.6% 3.8% 15.1% |
Social role | Modern Traditional No social role | 89.6% 10.4% 0.0% | 74.9% 4.5% 20.6% |
Product users | Both men and women Women Men Children | 89.6% 5.0% 3.0% 2.5% | 94.5% 1.7% 2.7% 1.0% |
Spoken comments | Men Women Both men and women Neither men nor women | 56.7% 20.9% 11.9% 10.4% | 30.2% 40.2% 13.4% 16.2% |
Appendix 3
Summary results of the crossed analysis (Chi-square and ANOVA) between descriptive variables and the presence of women and men or both
Descriptive variables | 2007 | 2017 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Presence of | Sig. p a | Presence of | Sig. p a | ||||||
Women alone | Men alone | Both | Women alone | Men alone | Both | ||||
Product category | Food products Cleaning products Services Cosmetics Culture and entertainment | 61.1% 0.0% 22.2% 16.7% 0.0% | 18.8% 6.3% 59.4% 6.3% 9.4% | 39.1% 3.0% 48.1% 8.3% 1.5% | 0.001 | 40.4% 0.0% 57.7% 1.9% 0.0% | 31.5% 1.9% 44.4% 1.9% 20.4% | 24.0% 6.4% 52.8% 0.0% 16.8% | 0.000 |
Shooting location | At home In a shop Outdoors At work | 50.0% 5.6% 41.7% 2.8% | 21.9% 3.1% 65.6% 9.4% | 30.1% 6.0% 51.1% 12.8% | 0.005 | 40.4% 7.7% 38.5% 13.5% | 9.3% 1.9% 25.9% 63.0% | 32.0% 4.0% 52.8% 11.2% | 0.000 |
Social role | Traditional Modern | 27.8% 72.2% | 3.1% 96.9% | 7.5% 92.5% | 0.001 | 13.5% 86.5% | 9.3% 90.7% | 0.8% 97.6% | 0.000 |
Product user | Women Men Both Children | 16.7% 0.0% 77.8% 5.6% | 0.0% 12.5% 87.5% 0.0% | 3.0% 1.5% 93.2% 2.3% | 0.000 | 9.6% 1.9% 88.5% 0.0% | 0.0% 7.4% 92.6% 0.0% | 0.0% 0.0% 97.6% 2.4% | 0.000 |
Spoken comments | Women Men Both Neither | 47.2% 30.6% 13.9% 8.3% | 6.3% 81.3% 3.1% 9.4% | 17.3% 57.9% 13.5% 11.3% | 0.000 | 59.6% 9.6% 11.5% 19.2% | 5.6% 40.7% 5.6% 48.1% | 47.2% 26.4% 21.6% 4.8% | 0.000 |
Religious allusion | Religious architecture Religious ceremonies Characters Mythical places Mythical objects Religious innuendo | 2.8% 8.3% 2.8% 2.8% 2.8% 11.1% | 0.0% 6.3% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 3.1% | 7.5% 4.5% 5.3% 10.5% 9.0% 14.3% | 0.000 | 40.4% 5.8% 17.3% 32.7% 25.0% 7.7% | 9.3% 7.4% 3.7% 3.7% 11.1% 11.1% | 6.4% 9.6% 11.2% 9.6% 11.7% 10.4% | 0.000 |
Appendix 4
Summary results of the crossed analysis (Chi-square) between demographic and approach variables and the presence of men, women, or both
Variables | 2007 | 2017 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Presence alone of | Presence both of | Presence alone of | Presence both of | ||||||
Women | Men | Men | Women | Women | Men | Men | Women | ||
Age | Under 35 30–35 Over 35 | 44.4% 27.8% 27.9% | 25.0% 37.5% 37.5% | 45.1% 30.1% 24.8% | 45.9% 36.1% 18.0% | 65.4% 15.4% 19.2% | 46.3% 16.7% 37.0% | 70.4% 16.8% 12.8% | 72.8% 19.2% 8.0% |
Family status | Married Single Not identified | 41.7% 2.8% 55.6% | 21.9% 6.3% 71.9% | 27.1% 21.1% 51.9% | 35.3% 15.0% 49.6% | 9.6% 0.0% 90.4% | 0.0% 1.9% 98.1% | 4.8% 4.0% 91.2% | 5.6% 3.2% 91.2% |
Employment | Working Not working Not mentioned | 2.8% 33.3% 63.9% | 18.8% 9.4% 71.9% | 14.3% 10.5% 75.2% | 11.3% 15.8% 72.9% | 1.9% 32.7% 65.4% | 40.7% 1.9% 57.4% | 20.0% 0.8% 79.2% | 4.0% 20.8% 75.2% |
Occupation | Senior executive Middle executive Professional job Student/pupil At home Not mentioned | 0.0% 0.0% 2.8% 0.0% 33.3% 63.9% | 0.0% 0.0% 21.9% 0.0% 6.3% 71.9% | 3.0% 6.8% 6.0% 4.5% 4.5% 75.2% | 0.8% 8.3% 2.3% 3.0% 12.8% 79.9% | 1.9% 0.0% 3.8% 0.0% 28.8% 65.4% | 5.6% 5.6% 27.8% 1.9% 1.9% 57.4% | 0.8% 0.0% 9.6% 9.6% 0.8% 79.2% | 1.6% 0.0% 7.2% 6.4% 9.6% 75.2% |
Spokesperson | Woman Man Both Neither | 50.0% 0.0% 0.0% 50.0% | 0.0% 65.6% 0.0% 34.4% | 10.5% 7.5% 21.8% 60.2% | 32.7% 0.0% 0.0% 67.3% | 0.0% 57.4% 0.0% 42.6% | 0.8% 5.6% 32.0% 61.6% | ||
Spokesperson’s credibility | As product user As a non-user No spokesperson credibility | 38.9% 11.1% 50.0% | 2814% 37.5% 34.4% | 18.0% 11.3% 70.7% | 21.1% 12.0% 66.9% | 32.7% 0.0% 67.3% | 35.2% 22.2% 42.6% | 28.0% 8.8% 63.2% | 21.6% 11.2% 67.2% |
Help | Help recipient Help provider No help | 0.0% 2.8% 97.2% | 6.3% 6.3% 87.5% | 2.3% 5.3% 92.5% | 4.5% 2.3% 93.2% | 1.9% 15.4% 82.7% | 0.0% 3.7% 96.3% | 7.2% 9.6% 83.2% | 4.8% 11.2% 83.2% |
Counseling | Advice recipient Advice provider No counseling | 0.0% 2.8% 97.2% | 0.0% 18.8% 81.3% | 3.8% 6.0% 90.2% | 5.3% 3.8% 91% | 1.9% 15.4% 82.7% | 0.0% 3.7% 96.3% | 7.2% 9.6% 83.2% | 4.8% 11.2% 83.2% |
Role | Dependent on others Independent from others | 38.9% 61.1% | 15.6% 84.4% | 44.4% 55.6% | 46.6% 53.4% | 3.8% 96.2% | 1.9% 98.1% | 8.8% 91.2% | 9.6% 89.6% |
Role | Spouse Sibling Housewife Worker Celebrity Interviewee Child Presenter | 13.9% 16.7% 8.3% 0.0% 27.8% 0.0% 2.8% 30.6% | 6.3% 3.1% 3.1% 21.9% 37.5% 0.0% 3.1% 25.0% | 13.5% 10.5% 0.0% 13.5% 6.0% 0.8% 18.8% 36.8% | 15.0% 18.8% 3.0% 9.8% 4.5% 0.0% 12.0% 36.8% | 0.0% 3.8% 19.2% 0.0% 32.7% 1.9% 0.0% 42.3% | 1.9% 0.0% 1.9% 9.3% 25.9% 0.0% 1.9% 59.3% | 3.2% 14.4% 1.6% 4.8% 15.2% 0.0% 12.0% 48.8% | 3.2% 9.6% 5.6% 2.4% 15.2% 0.0% 11.2% 52.0% |
Activity | Active Inactive | 2.8% 97.2% | 3.1% 96.9% | 2.3% 97.7% | 1.5% 98.5% | 1.9% 98.1% | 22.2% 77.8% | 14.4% 85.6% | 14.4% 84.8% |
Frustration | Thwarted Non-thwarted | 2.8% 97.2% | 6.3% 93.8% | 1.5% 98.5% | 1.5% 98.5% | 0.0% 100.0% | 0.0% 100.0% | 0.0% 100.0% | 0.0% 100.0% |
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Ghanem, M.B., Dekhil, F. (2023). Representation of Women and Gendered Role Portrayals in Television Advertising: A Content Analysis of Ramadan Advertising in the Pre- and Post-Tunisian Revolution. In: Nayak, B.S. (eds) Political Economy of Gender and Development in Africa. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-18829-9_2
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