Representation of male-female relationships in the home theater network (Case analysis of the series

Naserian, Somayeh; Shoaee, Mohammad Hossein

Representation of male-female relationships in the home theater network (Case analysis of the series "Release Me")

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Somayeh Naserian ¹

Mohammad hossein Shoaee ²

¹ . PhD Student in Cultural Policy, Faculty of Culture and Soft Power, Imam Hussein University, Tehran, Iran

² Assistant Professor, Department of Communication and Media, Faculty of Islamic Studies, Culture and Communication, Imam Sadeq University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Abstract

Media, as an influential tool in reflecting social values, play an important role in promoting or

weakening moral norms. This research aimed to analyze the representation of male-female relationships in the series

“Let Go” and examine its connection with discourses of power, gender, and moral norms in Iranian society in the 1950s. The type of research is qualitative with a thematic analysis approach. The research strategy is to analyze the narrative content by focusing on all 18 episodes of the series in a complete manner, and the statistical population includes

all episodes of the series. Purposive sampling was conducted to comprehensively extract key themes. The data were collected through structured observation and content analysis of the series.

The validity of the findings was confirmed in consultation with three media and cultural studies experts, and as a result, the data were analyzed based on Brown and Clark’s six-step framework, including initial coding, theme identification,

review, definition, and naming of themes. The findings of this study examine three patterns of male-female relationships in family, emotional, and tension-based contexts, each revealing the complexities of male-female interactions from a different perspective. The pattern of family relationships, including father-daughter, sister-brother, and mother-son relationships, has been portrayed as positive, resulting in family support and permissible attachments. The pattern of two-way emotional relationships, despite expressing loyalty and love versus commitment, focused on two love triangles and negatively represented the destructive consequences of premarital relationships. Finally, the tension-based relationship has also been clearly portrayed, showing how relationships lacking balanced moral and emotional foundations turn into a cycle of psychological violence and passivity.

Keywords

Media representation

Male-female relationships

Home theater network

Content analysis

Gender and power

20.1001.1.26454955.1405.21.75.10.1

Subjects

The Women and Families Cultural-Educational

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