Shifting Paradigms of Culture: Women and Empowerment in Advertisement

Abstract

Advertisement plays a significant role in reflecting and transmitting cultural values of any part of the society. Projection and dissemination of cultural practices have become a quintessential part of advertisement. The advertisers reflect and intervene  culture and cultural practices and values prevalent in the country to create an impact upon the viewers besides promoting consumerism. In recent times, the exploration of advertisement - both print and visual – enhances better understanding of changing ideals of social norms, lifestyles, beauty, vogue, relationship, sexuality, gender roles beyond promoting new products. The advertisement also informs and makes the viewers aware of the changing cultural practices and trends in the contemporary society. Thus we have been encountering different paradigms of stereotypical representation and changes of cultural roles, values, milieu, fashion, since its inception to the contemporary. This paper focuses on such shifting paradigms of the representation of Indian women particularly in cultural practices, and changing roles of gender from the past to the present by lime lighting a few illustrious advertisements from the Indian context.