Analysis of an Indian Commercial Television Drama Series - "Balika Vadhu: Kacchi Umra Ke Pakke Rishte" (Child Bride: Firm Relations at a Tender Age) A dissertation presented to the faculty of the Scripps College of Communication of Ohio University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy Indu Sharma August 2016 © 2016 Indu Sharma. All Rights Reserved. This dissertation titled Analysis of an Indian Commercial Television Drama Series - "Balika Vadhu: Kacchi Umra Ke Pakke Rishte" (Child Bride: Firm Relations at a Tender Age) by INDU SHARMA has been approved for the School of Media Arts and Studies and the Scripps College of Communication by Drew McDaniel Professor of Media Arts and Studies Scott Titsworth Dean, Scripps College of Communication ii Abstract SHARMA, INDU, Ph.D., August 2016, Mass Communication Analysis of an Indian Commercial Television Drama Series - "Balika Vadhu: Kacchi Umra Ke Pakke Rishte" (Child Bride: Firm Relations at a Tender Age) Director ofDissertation: Drew McDaniel It is often said that media studies are usually focused on analyzing the effects of mass media programs on their audiences. However, it is equally important to analyze how popular television itself addresses, portrays, or represents social issues, especially the ones that pose a break with tradition in a society. In India child marriage is one such issue. The series “Balika Vadhu: Kacchi Umr ke Pakke Rishte” (henceforth BV), translated as, “Child Bride: Firm Relationships at a Tender Age,” an Indian commercial television drama series, was heavily criticized in the Indian Parliament on July 14, 2009 for its treatment of child marriage, because child marriage is illegal in India, although the fact that it survives with community support is well-accepted in villages and family groups. BV was accused of being unconstitutional and glorifying child marriage. This study examined how BV portrayed/represented the issue of child marriage in India. It also examined whether it reinforced gender inequality or supported the rights and voices of women. These inquiries were best suited to be answered through the usage of qualitative methodological approach. Thus, Critical Discourse Analysis methods and approaches were chosen to examine how through discourse, Indian media such as television portrayed child marriage, and whether it reinforced gender inequality or supported the rights and voices of women in traditional Indian Hindu societies. The Parliament controversy around the theme of the drama series became the basis for choosing the unit iii of the Critical Discourse Analysis. The complete unit or text chosen for the study was the total of 24 sampled BV episodes. 12 of these episodes were aired immediately before and 12 episodes immediately after the Parliamentary controversy that took place in the summer of 2009. I conclude that if mass media programs that involve opinion leaders in their narratives and portray issues that pose a break with tradition without demonizing either the tradition or the modern ideas; it would help create a middle space, a fluid space, a grey instead of having a dichotomy of black and white, good or evil etc. This could be a space where nothing is fixed or eternal and new spaces for negotiations can be created for debates to facilitate social change. iv Dedication This dissertation is dedicated to my parents, and my family, whose unconditional love and support gave me the strength to achieve my dreams and confidently move forward in life. v Acknowledgments I would like to express my sincere respect and gratitude to my father, the renowned artist, musician and theater performer, Pundit Ram Dayal Sharma. His dedication to using folk performing art forms for communicating with rural audiences to bring about behavioral and social change has inspired me to do research on communication for social change. I would like to thank my mother for inspiring and encouraging me to keep pursuing my education, and to always have patience, perseverance, and dedication. I cannot adequately thank my committee chair, Dr. Drew McDaniel, for providing me with his mentorship, supervising me on my journey of conducting this research, and guiding me in the writing process of this dissertation. I am grateful for his supervision throughout my graduate studies at Ohio University. Without his direction, timely completion of this dissertation would not have been possible. I would also like to thank. Drs. Roger Cooper, Benjamin Bates, and Risa Whitson for agreeing to be a part of my dissertation committee, and for their gracious support. I would like to thank them for going above and beyond in providing their invaluable help, guidance, and advice. I would like to convey my gratitude to Dr. Michelle Ferrier and Dr. Elizabeth Collins for providing me with much needed moral support and guidance at many levels. This journey would not have reached its goal without their support and mentorship. I would especially like to thank my brother, Dr. Devendra Sharma, for providing me valuable support throughout my life and in my academic journey. Without his support, this journey could never have been completed. vi I would like to express my respectful regards to my rest of the family. My heartfelt thanks go to my friend Olena Wilshanetsky without whose support I could not have finished this research. Finally, I must gratefully thank my husband Pravesh Kumar for his patience, care, and unconditional loving support in this journey. Without his support, this journey could never have been completed. vii Table of Content Page Abstract .............................................................................................................................. iii Dedication ........................................................................................................................... v Acknowledgments.............................................................................................................. vi List of Figures ................................................................................................................... xii Chapter 1: Introduction ....................................................................................................... 1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 1 The Journey ..................................................................................................................... 1 The Controversy ............................................................................................................. 4 Law vs. traditional norms. ........................................................................................... 6 Mediated communication and social change. .............................................................. 8 Mass media and representation. ................................................................................... 9 Research questions. .................................................................................................... 12 Overview of the Chapters ............................................................................................. 12 Chapter 2: Review of literature. ................................................................................. 12 Chapter 3: Methodology. ........................................................................................... 13 Chapter 4: Analysis, interpretation and synthesis of findings. .................................. 14 Chapter 5: Discussion and conclusion. ...................................................................... 15 Chapter 2: Literature Review ............................................................................................ 17 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 17 Section 1: South Asia; the Region ................................................................................ 19 Marriages in South Asia. ........................................................................................... 21 Section 2: Hindu Marriages in India ............................................................................. 25 Hindu Marriage and Caste System ............................................................................... 27 Family as a Focal Point ................................................................................................. 29 Hindu Marriage Negotiations, Benefits and Beneficiaries ........................................... 30 Marriage Negotiations and Matchmakers ..................................................................... 32 Historical Religious Views toward Marriage and Gender Equality ............................. 35 Section 3: Child Marriage: A Social Problem .............................................................. 39 Conditions that Promote Child Marriage ...................................................................... 42 viii Attitudes toward Women in India and the Consequences of Child Marriage .............. 50 Political and Legal Efforts to Prevent Child Marriage ................................................. 60 Child Marriage Prohibition Laws vs. Social and Cultural Values ................................ 62 Section 4: Indian Mass Media: A Brief Background .................................................... 66 Media for Social Change .............................................................................................