This paper explores the cultural influence of television dramas on women in Sindh, Pakistan, and with specific focus on Indian and Pakistani television. Television dramas do not just serve as a source of entertainment, they are also effective instruments of cultural transmission and social change. The sample used in the research was 300 female respondents who live in Hyderabad and who present various age groups, educational levels and different social classes, thus they were gathered using a quantitative research design. The results were subsequently extrapolated to the entire situation of women in Sindh. The study was based on three key dimensions: the viewership pattern, preference in content and the socio-cultural impact of viewing drama. It was found out that although both Indian and Pakistani dramas are rather popular, Pakistani content is preferred more, mostly because it seems much closer to local traditions, values, and societal norms. Pakistani dramas were identified to support cultural identity through depicting stories based on indigenous realities, family setups, and social problems that were pertinent to women in Sindh. Conversely, Indian dramas which were a mass consumption were linked to significant cultural changes. It was also stated that respondents incorporated the aspects of Indian media contents, i.e. the use of language and fashion styles, as well as practices within interpersonal relations, which eventually led to a slight but meaningful change in their life preferences and cultural-orienteers. These results indicate that the Pakistani dramas reinforce the continuation of the culture, whereas the Indian dramas are the stimulant of the cultural hybridity and social change among female viewers. On the whole, the paper highlights the two-sided nature of television dramas in its maintenance and remaking of cultural values. It gives an understanding of the larger argument on media globalization, identity making and accommodation of traditional and modern cultural practices amidst women in Sindh.
Shahani et al. (Fri,) studied this question.