SYMBOLIC COMMUNICATION OF GENDER ROLES IN INDONESIAN ADVERTISING

Abstract

This study investigates the symbolic communication of gender roles in Indonesian advertising through a qualitative semiotic approach. Advertising operates as a cultural text that not only reflects but also actively constructs dominant gender ideologies within society. Historically, Indonesian advertisements particularly those promoting household and family-related products have predominantly positioned women within the domestic sphere, while men have been represented as figures of authority and primary breadwinners. Recent developments in contemporary advertising, however, suggest a gradual reconfiguration of these gendered representations.

Employing Roland Barthes’ semiotic framework, this study analyzes six Indonesian television and digital advertisements purposively selected from the household product category. The advertisements were drawn from different time periods to examine shifts in the symbolic articulation of gender roles over time. The analysis focuses on visual imagery, spatial organization, character positioning, bodily gestures, and linguistic narratives as key symbolic elements through which gender meanings are communicated.

The findings reveal a notable transformation in gender representation, indicated by the increasing visibility of men in domestic roles and women in professional and decision-making positions, alongside portrayals of shared domestic responsibilities. Nevertheless, this transformation does not signify the complete dissolution of traditional gender ideology. Rather, the advertisements illustrate an ongoing process of cultural negotiation, in which emerging symbols of gender equality coexist with residual normative expectations, including women’s emotional labor and persistent feminine aesthetic standards.