The Representation of the Other in the Turkish TV Advertisements

Abstract

Turkey which has a rich cultural mosaic consists of the combination of many 'Others including cultural religious and ethnic the Others', the 'Other' as a gender role, as refugees emigrants etc. In such a multicultural climate our research aim is to identify the stereotypes that represent the `Other' in TV advertisements on Turkey's mainstream channels. For this purpose we examined 101 prime-time TV commercials that were broadcast on the five most watched mainstream TV channels between September and December 2020. Having conducted the quantitative and qualitative content analysis of TV commercials we revealed the symbolic annihilation of the 'Others' in the Turkish advertising environment which is accordance with the conservative perception of the country. In line with the international research we came to the conclusion that the white Turkish men with medium-high socioeconomic status were heavily represented in the prime-time Turkish TV advertising. Nevertheless it was also revealed that gendered visibility of the others as well as women portrayals were considered only as the 'Other' in the Turkish TV ads. Besides our research findings overwhelmingly reflect the hegemonic culture and highly traditional views on gender roles.