ETV: Scandal Ep 3031 -23/01/2019

Name of monitor: Petronell Ngonyama
Name of Television station: ETV
Name of programme: Scandal
Date of broadcast: 23 January 2019
Time: 19:30
Genre: Drama Series
Theme: Social
GBV focus explicit or implicit: Implicit
Gem Classification: Blatant Stereotype
Link Artefacts

Description

This is a drama series which broadcasts daily on eTV at 19:30 pm. The analysis involves a family dynamic which is still rooted in patriarchy. The scene involves a family that still follows their African traditions. We find a wife who is willing to pursue her dreams by going back to school but is not permitted to do so because she has responsibilities. It is not very acceptable for a woman at her old age to go back to school in African families. This type of bias forces women into old gender roles and restricts their freedom of choice.

Context

The scene is a chain, where we find Zinzile, who is a wife and a mother. She has dreams of becoming a qualified caregiver and begins to seek information about what is required of her to study. Unfortunately, she has to abide by the rules of her husband.

Why it has been given this GEM classification

The scene portrays a blatant stereotype as it shows how a woman’s freedom is restricted by her husband and she is not given freedom of choice to pursue her studies. In this scene, we find a woman who is portrayed as a wife and mother who wishes to get her education but because she is a married woman, she is unable to do so. We find a husband who is not willing to let her pursue her dreams because she has a lot of responsibility at home is told by her daughter that she is too old to go back to school.

Title

The topic is well introduced with good motives behind which, is to get education regardless of the age or background and reflects the essence of the story fairly. This also brings encouragement to many African women and any other women who can be both an educated women striving in the professional sense and be a mother.

Focus

The focus is not on Gender Based Violence but on patriarchy

People in the scene

There are four people in the scene; we find the husband, wife, daughter and sister of the wife. The wife’s desire to go back to school is dismissed by her family, particularly her husband, and she is upset.

Language

The manner in which the husband addressed the issue made use of blatant stereotypes as he relegated her to traditionally feminine roles such as “mother” “wife”, and “caregiver” and implied that her place was in the home serving her family and not at a school getting an education.

Angles and perspective

The woman did not even get a chance to state her view on why she wants to further her studies. because the viewpoints of her husband predominate.

Intersectionality

The scene shows discrimination against age and gender, specifically gender roles. It clearly indicates that there is still patriarchy in society, where women in their old age are not being allowed to further their studies because at home there is a lot of responsibility.

Conclusion

In terms of viewpoints, the man should have listened to what his wife had to say and together figure out a way on how they will balance things. He should not overrule his decision because he is the “head of the family”. It is important to note that this is just one scene in a continuous storyline and if the woman does end up defying her husband and getting an education the classification might change.