RSUSSH 2020

IN20-182 Multimodal Discourse Analysis of Gender Ideology in Television Food Advertisements in Thailand

Presenter: Tawin Jaturapat
Chiangmai university, Thailand

Abstract

            Television advertisements could be considered as one of the easily accessible mediums causing many problematic consequences on gender issues in Thai society. This is because not only the advertised content is delivered to the audience but some misleading or negative representations are also embedded in it (Paratasilpin, 2004). Also, the audience tends to unconsciously adopt these representations and practices regarding gender ideology because of the fast and short-lived dissemination nature and characteristic of the television advertisement (Jittayasotorn, 2013). The purpose of this research paper is to analyze television food advertisements in Thailand to explore linguistic and visual elements employed to convey gender ideologies in the advertisements. The approach of multimodal discourse analysis (MDA) seems perfectly fit for the data of this research study since it provides the covered method for analyzing the various kinds of modes found in a television advertisement. Under the MDA theory, the existing Thai advertising linguistic strategies applied from Rungruangying and Untaya (2017), Chairerk and Anunsiriwat (2016), and Kaewjungate (2010) based on Systemic Functional Linguistic (SFL) of Halliday (1994) were applied for linguistic analysis. Goffman (1976)’s Gender Advertisement together with Skorek and Schreier (2009)’s interpretative variable schemes were utilized as the visual analytical tool. The results revealed that there were some specific patterns of linguistic strategies and stereotypically visual representation consistently employed in the advertisements. In term of linguistic analysis, there were 7 strategies including (1) lexical selection, (2) figures of speech, (3) rhetorical questions, (4) inter-sentential cohesion, (5) casual style, (6) the use of medical or technological details, and (7) claiming. For the visual analysis, there were 3 visual strategies found including (1) function ranking, (2) feminine touch, and (3) ritualization of subordination. These linguistic and visual strategies have been cooperatively connoted some outstanding gender ideologies regarding the roles of food provider, spouse caretaker, and child caretaker between men and women in the domestic context.  These show that cooperative communication between these two modes might not only help to promote the advertised products but could be also considered as the representations of gender ideology transmission through television food advertisements in Thai society.

Keywords: Multimodal discourse analysis; Gender; Ideology; Food advertisement; Linguistic analysis; Visual analysis

Citation format:

Jaturapat, T., & Khattiya, S.. (2020). Multimodal Discourse Analysis of Gender Ideology in Television Food Advertisements in Thailand. Proceeding in RSU International Research Conference, May 1, 2020. Pathum Thani, Thailand.

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Pailin Jintanawong (Participant)

Dear Mr. Tawin

As you mentioned in the presentation, one of the significant gender ideology is the roles of food provider. I would like to ask that are there a sepecific gender used to portray this role on the advertisement?

 

Pailin Jintanawong 

Tawin Jaturapat (Presenter)

To Miss Pailin Jintanawong

Thank so much for your insightful question. For the role of food provider as gender ideology found in the data collection, the female character's positioned in this role as the majority of the representations. But the male character could be found in this role also but usually in the career depiction of the professional cook as the minority of representation compared with the female's depiction. Thus, it could be concluded that the role of the food provider's mostly and commonly portrayed on the female character in the television food advertisement. There are many more interesting points regarding gender and role representations in my research proceeding, please download and enjoy with it. 

Tawin Jaturapat