Abstract:

The basic goal of this study was to discover the cultural effects of television on women television viewers. The findings of the research study indicated the respondents' viewpoint. The majority was agreed to the point of view that television is the best source for new dress designs and dressing trends, and they also agreed that due to television exposure dressing style has been changed. Most of the respondents negated the point of view that television exposure is changing food habits. While when they asked television, exposure is affecting your language, then some respondents negated this point of view, and some quite agreed. Majority of the respondent negated this point of view that exposure to television is affecting their domestic events and celebrations. Most of the respondents were agree that television inspired them towards new fashion trends

Key Words:

Television, Media, Effects, Culture, Women

Introduction

Television delivered the whole world with an ability to become familiar with diverse cultural places and occasions, whether in other town or other states. It opened a fast and economical approach to get new information while leaving to the viewer to decide what programs and in which amounts to watch. Television has a deep influence on civilization. It has transformed the lifestyles of the societies and has a major impact on our values. Television has almost immediate control. It has engaged a central place in the family circle, and for that reason, it is sure to make an influence on the individuals and whole society as well (Huda, 2005). The flow of information is having a major position in any societal revolution. It educates the understanding of the individuals regarding the problem and matures common sentiments for social revolution. TV has done this work by donating the information explosion.  It has changed the character of human communication and influencing people’s thinking and behavior (Gupta, 1998). Generally, television has been perceived as an influential medium for social and cultural transformation. It has a substantial and title role in influencing individuals as well as societies. Several research studies have been conducted to perceive the effects of television on the audience, particularly on their behavior in Pakistan. Results of previous research studies concluded that television does have some direct or indirect effects on viewers. But no research study has been carried out in province-level on the topic of the cultural effects of television. In this regard, a current study on women in Punjab-Pakistan has paramount significance. Television as communication technology is available and affordable to the majority of the people in today’s world. Its transmission provides a variety of foreign and local programs to enhance the choice of viewers and may have effects on social behavior (Rana, 2004). For that reason, this research study explored the cultural effects of television in Punjab, Pakistan. Television broadcasting has been a great increase since its beginning. The evolution, development and its viewership are rapid in Pakistan. Today Western English and Indian Hindi TV channels have grabbed the attention of viewers in Pakistan. With the development of dish antenna and cable, TV audience exposes to programs that are vividly different from the usually available programs on local television channels. There is a fear among the scholars that these programs with Indian or western networks may adversely be affecting viewers mind and attitude. Mass media, along with its effects, are an as important issue as the subject itself. Individuals have constantly questioned how media messages affect them by bringing about an invisible change in their beliefs, culture, values and social behavior. At all times, they have been apprehensive for negative impacts and pro-social effects of the message system. At the present time, television is the most effective and influential media.  Television is an electronic device like a magic carpet that transports billions of people every day to faraway places. It is the creation of scientific revolt that has been transmuting much of the globe, and its impacts on our social and cultural life have been deep-rooted. Wimmer (1993) had revealed the concern over that the social effects of mediated messages were as old as the 1920s when some people charged that the motion pictures had a negative impact on children. The research of anti-social impacts of motion picture and television contents is one of the deeply researched areas of media and communication studies. The effects of pro-social contents are a newer area of research in the subject as well. 

Television in Pakistan 

Television as a medium of mass communication had existed in the developed and even some developing states much before it was ushered into Pakistan in 1964. Television broadcasting is the foremost element of mass media in various countries (Khan, 2002).  In the past two decades, rapid advances in communication technology have changed television development in some areas of the world. In these days, television has become one of the most prevailing means of mass communication. Television has become a fundamental part of our lives. In developing, nations, television can also be useful in creating consciousness for their responsibilities and privileges (Johnson, 2000). Due to the development of technology, mass communication studies want to be moved on the way to those innovative scientific devices that seem to have become popular internationally. TV has been placed understudy as it is gaining enormous popularity among the people of Pakistan and available form of media as well. The small screen is the most significant sources of mass communication. It carries audio and visuals from place to place in the world. Through television, people can perceive and study things and societies in distant parks. Television broadcasting stations transmit many more entertaining and enjoyable programs than any other kind (Raghavan, 2008). Now a day it has been common in every household, and just about all households on earth have the right to use to it. By sitting in an ideal world at home and viewing the small screen, we can get a whole look all over the globe. Small screen plays a vital role in our everyday events and has shrunk the space of the universe. Now we can see what is happening several thousand miles away from us, and it helps us enhance our spiritual lives (Philo, 1990). Television has become a basic need for all the citizens of Pakistan and not considered a luxury today. Its acceptance in masses and rapid growth in a short period permits us for an appropriate study to measure its impacts socially and culturally. Pakistani government allowed television network in the Private sector in the Musharraf regime. The officials revealed that TV has developed as a low-priced source of entertainment and information in the state. The government experts want to support television broadcasting networks and increase its attractiveness between people (Zubairi, 2005). The stated policy of the government for television networks states that officials have decided to encourage and support the TV networks with code of conduct and regular rules to encourage the media system for information, education, and healthy entertainment contents for the general public (Manzoor, 2010). 

Women in Pakistan

Women have a key role in the growth of society in Pakistan; up till now, their position is not equivalent to males. Females’ fewer chances to get assets, property, educational skills, and professional occupation obstruct their prestige. Women are moreover lagged behind in schooling as paralleled to their man colleagues (Khan, 2010). Timely weddings generate difficulties for daughters and lower down their position in terms of schooling, earnings and consciousness. A number of ladies have to face sexual, physical and domestic violence (Kashan, 2014). Patriarchy and male-dominated social structure support the separation of work and controlled females’ autonomy of socialization (Naz, 2011). Females are lagged behind in essential arenas of the time. Women often engage themselves in household responsibilities and in spite of time-consuming periods of domestic duty, their efforts are not respected (Karim, 2008). All the above conversation mentions to the opinion that the position of women is not agreeable. It indicates that women are having a lot of issues in the globe, particularly in emerging countries like Pakistan. So there is a high time to conduct a study on women at the province level.  It is a general statement that women in Pakistan are the housewives, and their contact with the world is very restricted. Generally, television has been perceived as an influential medium for cultural transformation. It has a substantial and title role in influencing individuals as well as societies. Several research studies have been conducted to perceive the effects of television on the audience, particularly on their behavior in Pakistan. Results of previous research studies concluded that television does have some direct or indirect effects on viewers. Due to the attractiveness of local and foreign television channels uncertainties have been communicated by the scholars that lifestyles of the viewers can be affected by viewing of TV. The evolution, development and its viewership are rapid in Pakistan. Today Western English and Indian Hindi TV channels have grabbed the attention of viewers in Pakistan. With the development of dish antenna and cable, TV audience exposes to programs that are vividly different from the usually available programs on local television channels. This has opened a Pandora's Box and fuelled a great discussion on the role of television in society. There is a great need to study the individual's affiliation with TV. Television in Pakistan has been fast evolving as the most important source of mass education, leisure and pleasure. It is very crucial that its effects in several areas are investigated. This can go a long way in providing course of action for upcoming evolving programs of television in Pakistan. The key purpose of this research is to study the cultural effects of television on women residing in Punjab.

Literature Review

Lundberg (1958) studied behavioral changes; researcher came to the point that there remained no obvious trend designed for relations to reduce their TV watching as they became familiar to the TV set. As television carries family relations nearer to each other as they devote extra period in the presence of each other after they obtain a television’s small screen. When they watch television together, there is very little interaction among family members and the amount of time family members spend together exclusive of television is minimized. So, it is unsure whether TV’s small screen carries the family rations together in any psychological sense. Sinebare (1997) analyzes the programs broadcasted by ABC TV to explore which ethos and traditions were being stimulated for every single individual. The researcher concludes that majority who survives in the metropolitan zone are almost inundated with information, which is culturally unrelated to Papua New Guinea audience. The expectations promoted on television are beyond their financial means; ethics and lifestyles portrayed contradict and conflict with those of their own values and culture. Hagiwara (1999) determined that attitudes, beliefs, styles, as well as behaviors communicated by worldwide television, were at inconsistency through the ethics as well as the position of the states getting such programs. The study specifies that the ethics represented in worldwide television transmission have harmful effects on native cultural values. Shamsher’s study shows that taking into account the last 8 to 10 years; there is an exact alter in our customary culture, and this change is to be continued. However, such kind of change is not due to the effects of satellite TV; this is playing a major role as the greatest revelation towards the foreign culture is because of this media. This culture has great marketing inference. in the present scenario Marketing efforts like designing services, appropriate placement, pricing and promotion strategy must be alert considering the current cultural changes. Williams (1977) affirmed that certainly like any other mass media, television has culturally affected on its viewers. Culture is distinct as a way of life; human being leads in society. Culture is vital for socialization, and it is an instrument for socialization. Though there is no standardized description of culture as it varies from individual to individual and state to state. Culture is the amount of the presented descriptions throughout which societies make sense of and reproduce their ordinary occurrence. A study by Page and Crawely (2001) among middle-class Gujarati speaking students exposed that boys articulated a preference for news, sport and quizzes, while girls preferential mythological and Hindi serials. On the other hand, the girls were openly wholehearted about TV fashions like trying to dot hairstyle, shoes and clothes. Some girls said that only for the purpose of Fashion, they watch music channels. According to Vijaya lakshmi, (2005) the present time at slightest two among the five soap operas in Hindi television as well as regional TV channels deals with the issue of pre-marital and extra-marital sex. Intensively viewing of foreign television programs leads to the reception of western sexual norms like dating. Thus, a mixture of cultural stricture proved that TV has a role in determining youth culture. Ali (2001) made the conclusion that social and spiritual thinking of individuals were under the effect of overseas social beliefs and cable networks were prompting the food, custom, language as well as traditions of the audience. Satellite channels have melded the Asian and American culture causing in the establishment of a ‘Transnational Culture’. Saleem (1995) observed that dish antenna television is effectively impacting the social and religious convictions and estimations of Pakistani viewers. A disturbing issue became visible that projection of different societies and qualities has forced respondents from all to imagine that Islam is a preservationist religion, and they acknowledged financial and religious estimations of foreign social orders. Butt (2005) stated in his study the perception of projection of Hindu religion in Star Plus soap operas and concluded that the soap operas are giving supreme treatment to Hindu religious conviction over and done with the names of idols, spiritual stanzas and spiritual verses. He also stated that different Hindu spiritual scenes are vital of the story though the projection in soap operas is needless. Zia (2007) conducted a study that evidence the respondent’s level of viewing, chosen television channels and programs, preferred seeing time and limitations of viewing. She also concluded that a number of respondents had cable connection for the last two years, and there is no connection among demographic features and utilization outline. Yet, the respondents criticized that males had more rights to watch cable television than women. Television delivered the whole world with an ability to become familiar with diverse cultural places and occasions, whether in other town or other states. It opened a fast and economical approach to get new information while leaving to the viewer to decide what programs and in which amounts to watch. Television has a deep influence on civilization. It has transformed the lifestyles of the societies and has a major impact on our values. Television has almost immediate control. It has engaged a central place in the family circle, and for that reason, it is sure to make an influence on the individuals and whole society as well (Huda, 2005). Ayanwale et al. (2005) expressed that 'an inclination of family solidarity subsequently accomplished through TV, actuated giggling, distress, indignation and scholarly incitement. What's more, these types of communication may not so much be communicated through talk. They attempted to systematize his perceptions by proposing that the social employments of TV can be seen along with two measurements: the auxiliary measurement and the social measurement. Along with the auxiliary measurement, he recognizes two specific uses: the ecological utilization, procurement of foundation commotion, brotherhood, and diversion and regulative accentuation of time and movement, talk designs. The third is the thing that he calls social realizing. The fourth social utilization medium that Lull recognizes is that of the show of capability or strength part institution, part re-authorization, and door keeping. TV promoting can have an intense impact on ladies in the event that nourishment inclinations and utilization conduct so publicizing worth has expanded drastically. Moschis and Mitchell (1986) conducted a study to check the impacts of television advertisements as well as interpersonal communication on youngster's customer activities. Distinct earlier researches, yet the property of such message procedures on youth are estimated in the framework of domestic decision making. Particularly the study observes the impact of TV advertisements and gaze’s communication regarding utilization on the youngster's partaking. Shamsher’s study shows that taking into account the last 8 to 10 years; there is an exact alter in our customary culture, and this change is to be continued. However, such kind of change is not due to the effects of satellite TV; this is playing a major role as the greatest revelation towards the foreign culture is because of this media. This culture has great marketing inference. in the present scenario Marketing efforts like designing services, appropriate placement, pricing and promotion strategy must be alert considering the current cultural changes. According to the doctoral thesis of Barton, K. M (2007), Reality-based television programming has developed into a leading force in television over the past seven years and a fastener of most networks’ primetime schedule. The speedy modification in small screen scenery and the unexpected intensification in viewer’s consumption of realism television demand an examination into the impact these shows are having on their watchers. The existing study observed not increased utilization of competition-based reality programming would direct to increased acuity of inconsiderate behaviors in everyday life such as lying, manipulation, and mercilessness. A study held by Shitak, (2011), traces the television development in India which on going for encouraging development and serving the cause of the poor and the under confidential. While some efforts were made to conform to these valiant goals, television also made the unholy repute of being a vehicle for government misinformation. Doordarshan; the public service announcer was the only available global network till 1991 when worldwide satellite television channels started to make forays into the country. Soon Indian players come into the television industry thereby most important to massive development. While then, the very nature of Indian broadcasting has tainted. Television has distorted from an intermediate loyal to advance communication and the cause of the marginalized, to a true middle-class medium. Modern Indian television is separated from the actuality of the 'other half of India that lives in dismal scarcity and deficiency, thus presenting an indistinct view of social reality. This document searches to examine these and other related issues, and make some submission for policy scheme to put the development outline back on television. Williams (1977) affirmed that certainly like any other mass media, television has culturally affected on its viewers. Culture is distinct as a way of life; human being leads in society. Culture is vital for socialization, and it is an instrument for socialization. Though there is no standardized description of culture as it varies from individual to individual and state to state. Culture is the amount of the presented descriptions throughout which societies make sense of and reproduce their ordinary occurrence. 

The researcher has found the Cultivation Theory useful for this study. 

Objectives of the Study

To find out the relationship between viewing television and its effects on the lifestyle of women, including food habits and dressing style.

To find out the relationship between the viewing of television and effects on language, traditions and celebrations.

Hypotheses

H1:  The women with urban background would more likely to share that TV is the best source of information for new dress designs and dressing trends as compared to the rural residing women.

H2: The lesser aged women would more likely to be agreed that exposure to television is changing dressing styles as compared to women with higher age group.

H3:  There would be a significant association between the background of the respondents and exposure to television to impact domestic events and celebrations. 

Research Design

This research study is going to deal with the survey as its research design. The present study is conducted in four randomly selected districts of Punjab province. In the present study, four selected districts are Lahore, Faisalabad, Multan and Rawalpindi. The population of this study comprises all-female television viewers aged 15 to 45 years and residing in Punjab. In the present study, multistage random sampling technique was used. 

Findings

References

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