REVEALING MASCULINITY: A MULTIMODAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF PAKISTANI ELECTRONIC MEDIA ADVERTISEMENTS

Abstract

The impact of media on societal views of gender roles, especially masculinity, is significant. This study explores the portrayal of masculinity in Pakistani electronic media advertisements, filling a notable void in the existing research which has primarily focused on femininity. To analyze how advertisements convey and mold notions of masculinity, the research employs Kress and Van Leeuwen's (1996) Multimodal Discourse Analysis (MDA) framework. For this study, data from five electronic media advertisements has been analyzed. Additionally, Messerschmidt's (1993) types of masculinities have been utilized in the analysis. The findings point to an increasing tendency for more inclusive and diversified representations of manhood in advertisements appearing on Pakistani electronic media. This study adds to the existing literature on gender studies and the media's societal effects by demonstrating the significant influence of media on societal norms and gender roles.