A Semiotic Analysis of Women Hair Images on Print Advertisements in Addis Ababa
| dc.contributor.advisor | Dereje, Nebiyou (PhD) | |
| dc.contributor.author | Belay, Yodit | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2021-04-12T09:59:53Z | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2023-11-08T13:40:49Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2021-04-12T09:59:53Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2023-11-08T13:40:49Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2014-06 | |
| dc.description.abstract | The purpose of this study was to analyze the women hair images of print advet1isements in Addis Ababa. The objective of the study was thus, to show whether media and their products reflect the reality of the world or not. For this, the research questions were posed to identify the denotative signifiers, connotative values and the hidden myth of women hair beauty definitions. In order to address these, the analysis is based on the Semiotic theory of Roland Barthes, objectification theory and analysis fi'om feminists' perspective. Accordingly, qualitative methodological approach and critical paradigm is employed. The analysis is conducted on six advertisements collected from billboard advertisements in Addis Ababa and selected from different contexts.The study reveals that women hair beauty portrayed in print advertisements in Addis Ababa are not natural, or 'just there ' and so they can be reconsh·ucted. It shows that the relationship of sign and its meaning is unnatural and they are related to meet a certain goal. The hair beauty myth is then at one time historical and intentional and it is the motivation which causes this myth to be ' unconditional ' or ' fixed'.The myth and connoted hair beauty values reflected in the advertisements are what they are because of the belief in white supremacy which is related to the history of slavery. From this it can be understood that reality was once objective or exists externally, but overtime it is shaped and reshaped by different factors such as political, economic, social or gender. This process of naturalization then put this reality into structw'es which then is inappropriately framed to be the universal truth.The existing advertisements in Addis Ababa are then worded to play on stereotypes and promoted a negative association with natural blackness. And thus it can be said that the objectification of women in advertisements pressured women to evaluate their physical appearance every day and in turn this hinders them from advancement. The ideal served a political end. | en_US |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://etd.aau.edu.et/handle/123456789/26078 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | en_US |
| dc.publisher | Addis Ababa University | en_US |
| dc.subject | Women Hair Images | en_US |
| dc.subject | Advertisements | en_US |
| dc.title | A Semiotic Analysis of Women Hair Images on Print Advertisements in Addis Ababa | en_US |
| dc.type | Thesis | en_US |