Women and TV Culture in Pakistan: Gender, Islam and National Identity

Description

The television broadcasting culture of Pakistan was changed dramatically in 2002. The President, General Pervez Musharraf, introduced a policy of liberalisation that enabled controversial issues such as honour killings, adultery, stoning to death, domestic violence, marriage after divorce and homosexuality to be increasingly depicted on screen. Women and TV Culture in Pakistan is the first in-depth analysis of this change in television content. Munira Cheema focuses on how 'gender issues' are dealt with on TV and examines the impact this has on female viewers. In Pakistan, television is often the only way in which women can access the public sphere (except through male guardians) and this book evaluates how TV content allows them to navigate their intersecting identities as Muslims, women and Pakistanis. At a time when religious conservatism is on the rise in the country, this book investigates why producers choose to focus on gender-based issues and the extent to which religion dictates social behaviour and broadcasting choices. Based on interviews with women viewers in Karachi as well as industry professionals including writers, directors and ratings experts, the research is a much-needed and original contribution to global television studies and gender studies. Cover Author Biography Title Page Copyright Dedication Contents Acknowledgements 1. Amidst Culture, Islamisation and Politics: The Rise of New TV Culture Between Politics and Privatisation: Evolution of Television Culture in Pakistan What Defines the Public/Private Distinction in Pakistani Society? Sketching Gendered Citizenship in Pakistan Scope of the Study Theoretical Framework Methodology Overview of the Chapters 2. Breach in the Culture of Shame: Openness in Gender-Based Content Recalling PTV Losing Modesty/Abandoning the Dupatta Openness in Content: Consequences for Home and Lounge Glorifying or Highlighting Taboos: Is Openness about Vulgarising Gendered Content? 3. Understanding the Dynamics of the Production of Gendered Content Recalling PTV: Producers’ Perspectives Perceptions of the Producers about their Viewers Selling Crime, Misery and Rape: The Ratings Paranoia in Gendered Content Producing Gendered Content and Social Responsibility 4. Empowering Women or Bringing Change through Drama Serials: Producers’ Perspectives Content Heads and Producers on Bringing Change/Emancipating Women through Drama Serial Showing Reality, Bringing Change: In Conversation with Drama Writers 5. Interactive TV: Is Empowering Women and Bringing Change on Producers’ Agendas? Finding a Feminist Public Sphere in Interactive TV Highlighting Gendered Crimes: The Case of Breakfast Shows Producers of Crime Shows: Is Empowering/Bringing Change on Producers’ Agenda? Producers of Gender Issue-Based Talk Shows: Is Empowering/Bringing Change on Producers’ Agenda? 6. Women Empowered or Disciplined through Gendered Content: The Case of Drama Serials Home and Relationships at the Heart of Drama Serials AWoman’s Vulnerability in Marriage: Highlighting Halala in Drama Series Consuming Drama Series and Changing Reality Engaging with Roag: An Emancipatory Project 7. Interactive TV: Viewers Empowered or Disciplined Viewers’ Patterns of Engagement with Breakfast Shows Viewers’ Engagement Patterns with Religion-Based Talk Shows AWindow to the Real World: Viewers’ Engagement Patterns with Crime Shows Conclusion Revisiting the Attributes (Subjectivity and Performance) of the Public Revisiting the Concept of Popular Culture and Cultural Citizenship Revisiting the Concept of the Public Sphere Revisiting Methodology: Lessons Learnt The Project of Emancipation for Pakistani Women Appendix 1 Focus Groups Introductory questions (female viewers) Questions about transitions in the media Drama series Questions related to Begum Nawazish Ali Gender-based talk shows Breakfast shows (Case study: Morning with Maya) Ending questions Appendix 2 Interviews General questions to all the producers Specific questions to the producers of drama series Questions for the producers of interactive formats Questions for producers of gender-based talk shows Appendix 3 Case Studies Drama series Appendix 4 List of Interviewees Writers Producers/Directors Production CEOs Content Heads Heads/CEO/President of television channels Sales/Marketing Heads Producers’ three top-rated gender-based talk shows in Pakistan Producers of crime shows Five hosts of breakfast shows of different channels CEO of Media Logic Research Manager Appendix 5 Brief Survey Appendix 6 Focus Groups Overview of the lower middle class groups Overview of the middle class groups Appendix 7 Transcribing Data Notes Bibliography Index