Vol. 3, Issue 7, Part E (2017)

Abstract

A key concept in research on the portrayal of women in media is a sexual object or stereotype. As Objectification theory provides an important framework for understanding, researching, and intervening to improve women’s lives in a socio cultural context that sexually objectifies the female body and equates a woman’s worth with her body’s appearance and sexual functions. Whereas Stereotypical theory of Media suggest that women are helpless and they are inferior, subordinate and amenable and only are the housewives lacking all qualities of decision making. The pervasiveness of such portrayal is, however, disputed since (1) the way in which the portrayal are conceptualized and its operationalized differs significantly; and (2) while some use terms such as ‘sexual object’ and ‘stereotyping’ as Characteristics of women, others argue that there is a conceptual difference between them. Against this background, this article reviews research on the media’s portrayal of women as a Sexual object, what concepts have been used, and how they have been operationalized; and suggests a synthesis and ways of improving conceptual clarity and comparability in research on the media’s portrayal of women as a sexual object or a typical stereotype.