2. Literature Review:

2. Literature Review:

2.1 Culture of Pakistan:

Pakistan has a cultural and ethnic background going back to the Indus Valley Civilization whose roots emerged from 2800–1800 B.C. It has inherited many cultural practices and great monuments from the time of the ancient rulers of the region. The society and culture of Pakistan comprises various diverse cultures and tribal groups like Punjabis, Kashmiris, and Sindhis in east, Muhajirs, Makrani in the south; Baloch and Pashtun in the west; and the ancient Dardic, Wakhi and Burusho communities in the north.

2.2 Hierarchical Society:

Pakistan is basically a hierarchical society. People are respected because of their age and position. Older people especially males are viewed more dignified and are granted much respect. Pakistan is one of the few countries in the world with an inverse sex ratio: official sources claim there are 111 men for every 100 women. The discrepancy is particularly obvious among people over fifty: men account for 7.1 percent of the country's total population and women for less than 5 percent. This figure reflects the secondary status of females in Pakistani society, especially their lack of access to quality medical care. While in a social situation men are served first. They are provided with the choicest cuts of meat, and in general are treated much like royalty. Pakistanis expect the most senior person, by age or position, to make decisions that are in the best interest of the group. Titles are also very important and denote respect.

2.3 Position of men in Pakistani Society:

Dr. Rakhshinda Perveen writes in article “Gender In Pakistan” about men’s position and status in Pakistani society that:

The constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan gives equal rights to both men and women. However, in practice men are more equal than women are. The reality gives a picture where women rarely appear in positions of power. According to the Human Development Report 1999of UNDP the Gender Empowerment Measure (GEM) rank of Pakistan among 185 countries registered with UN is 100. The GEM quantitatively measures the empowerment of women on a country basis. This indicator includes the measure of inequality in control over earned economic resources, participation in political decision-making and economic decision-making.”

While in another article “Political and Economic Constraints in Women Empowerment in Pakhtoon Society of the North West Frontier Province (N-W.F.P) Pakistan” published by the Admin of E- Reader on April 1, 2011:

Women empowerment is a compulsory element and a pre-request both for communal and national development because female constitutes almost half of the population. Especially in Third World in general and in a country like Pakistan, women have been discriminated both economically and politically. The patriarchic and male dominated nature of the Pakistani society is providing more economic and political power to male in strata.”

2.4 Media Portrayals of Men and Masculinity:

For several decades now, media critics and feminists alike have been examining the role of the media in creating and reinforcing stereotypical representations of women and femininity. But only recently have they expanded the research to consider how the media also construct, inform and reinforce prevalent ideas about men and masculinity.

2.4.1 How does the Media Outline Masculinity:

Family members, friends, society and media all play a vital role in helping boys define what it means to be a man. Mainstream media representations have set reinforcing ideas about how to be a "real" man in our society. In most media portrayals, male characters are rewarded not only for self-control but to control others as well, aggressive and violent, financial independence, and physical attractive.

In Tough Guise: Violence, Media and the Crisis in Masculinity, Jackson Katz and Jeremy Earp argue that:

“The media provide an important perspective on social attitudes—and that while the media are not the cause of violent behaviour in men and boys, they do portray male violence as a normal expression of masculinity.”

2.4.2 Common Stereotypes of Men in Media:

Various media analysts and researchers claim that media portrayals of male characters fall in category of “stereotypes”. The report “Boys to Men: Media Messages About Masculinity”, identifies the most popular stereotypes of male characters are:

1. The Strong Silent Type: This stereotype reinforces the assumption that men and boys should always be in control, and that talking about one’s feelings is a sign of weakness. It focuses on "being in charge, acting decisively, containing emotion, and succeeding with women."

2. The Big Shot: This stereotype recommends that a real man must be economically powerful as well as socially successful. He is defined by his professional status. He is the "epitome of success, embodying the characteristics and acquiring the possessions that society deems valuable."

3. The Action Hero is "strong, but not necessarily silent.” He is often angry. Above all, he is quite aggressive and, over the past several decades, increasingly “engages in violent behavior.”

References:

Ø  http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/pakistan.html

Ø  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_Pakistan

Ø  http://www.mongabay.com/reference/country_studies/pakistan/SOCIETY.html

Ø  http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/issues/stereotyping/men_and_masculinity/masculinity_defining.cf

Ø  http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/issues/stereotyping/men_and_masculinity/masculinity_stereotypes.cfm