O P Sharma
Name of the Book Media and Gender Issues
Authors Dr Malti Mehta and
Dr R.S. Sharma
Publisher Sarup Book Publishers, Darya Gang, New Delhi
Year of Publication 2013
Pages 316
Price Rs 1200
The media-electronic as well as print-is gathering strength day by day and due to technological advances widening its network of its global coverage touching all aspects of life. The media is now all pervasive and powerful impacting the life of the people. Such a media of mass communication has vast influence on the gender issues, like many other matters. The message conveyed through the mass media moulds the public perceptions and opinion about the female gender as well as their issues and problems.
It is very crucial that the media portrays the correct picture of women in the proper social perspective, their education, enlightenment and empowerment for playing key role in the ever- changing world. One of the responsibilities of the media of communication is to not only aware the society about the problems of gender issues but also to suggest solution to their problems and hurdles in their way.
In order to bring about socio-economic transformation in the society, the females who constitute nearly half of the population, must be actively involved in all the debates and discussions about their uplift and enable them play their due role with male members as equal partners in progress and prosperity of humanity.
The 316-page book under review has been authored by renowned media experts, Dr Malti Mehta and Dr R.S.Sharma who have done good research as also considerable field work along with case study of gender issues. Dr Malti Mehta has done
M.A. in Mass Communication and Ph.D from Gujarat University and is working in the Department of Mass Media and often writes for the professional journals. While Dr Sita Ram Sharma, a mass media scholar with rich experience has to his credit several books but has recently passed away. He has left his indelible imprints of his insight into the media in this book.
“Media and Gender Issues” has 23 chapters on various issues concerning the in -depth study of the mass media as well as the gender issues. The main topics in shape of chapters are: “Cultural Studies, MultiCulturalism and Media Culture; The Meaning of Memory Family, Class and Ethnicity in Early Network Television; Hegemony; Women Read the Romance: Interaction of Text and Context; Popular Cultural and Queer Representation: A Critical Perspective; Inventing the Cosmo Girl Class Identity and Girl-Style American Dreams; Kids for Sale: Corporate Cultural and the Challenge of Public Schooling; Sex, Lies and Advertising; Nike, Social Responsibility, and the Hidden Abode of Production”.
The book has raised many queries and possible solutions for the amelioration of women in India while underlining the urgency of giving top priority to raising the education among them, providing them social justice and making available adequate job opportunities to enable them contribute for making our country a Super Power. India’s Constitution has sufficiently stressed for equality before law, provision of equal opportunities and no discrimination at all on the basis of religion, caste, or gender in any field of human activity. The female illiteracy has risen and due to the sustained efforts going up and they are entering every professional and many other fields. They have still miles to go.
The electronic as well as print media have gained in strength, status and influence. It has to tailor its policies and programmes to suit the needs of our society for education, enlightenment and empowerment for achieving the over all national objectives and well being of the humanity. It is the civil society, which has to be sensitive, to mould the functioning of the mass media to the attainment of the laudable goals enshrined in Indian Constitution.
This book, it seems, has been written in the context of some of the western countries, which makes it less relevant to the readership. The Sarup Book Publishers, Darya Gang, New Delhi, has been putting out some good number of titles with topics of great public importance and so this book is a welcome addition for the public and private libraries. This book has been finely printed on a quality paper but has been priced at the higher level. However, “Media and Gender Issues” is an informative and interesting book which is a must reading for the media persons, academicians, administrators, planners, legislators, lawyers and even the common people.
(Starline Syndicate Service)
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