The Representation of Gendered Bodies in Pakistan’s Advertisement: A Critical Discourse Analysis

Abstract

This study is an attempt to discuss the representation of standard gendered body imprint on beauty products. How beauty products imprint a certain image in the mind of audience through advertisement. How a certain group of people are always the target of such advertisements and how such advertisements influenced the perceptions of people towards “general acceptance”, “confidence level”, “jobs”, and “marriage perspective”. How unrealistic beauty standard in the beauty products cause various social and psychological problems for them. An Anthropological techniques and tools such as rappart building, key informents, interview guide, FGDs and case studies were used to collect primary data to meet up the set objectives of the research study. Eight beauty products were selected to document how these products influenced the respondent’s beauty standards. A diversified sample of Forty five respondents based on variables such as age cohort (fifteen to forty five), education, marital status, class and professional status, were selected through purposive sampling and snowball techniques. Furthermore, four case studies and two focus group discussions were conducted to document their interpretation of the hidden meanings of the imprint pictures and key inscriptionons on the beauty products through crtical discourse analysis. The findings of the study reveal that such beauty products carry pictures of elite models and no representation of midlle or low class images. Such unrealistic images have an adverse impact on domestic budget as well as their mental health. Keywords: Advertisement, Gendered body, Critical discourse analysis.