Gender stereotypes in Jordanian commercial advertisements: Translation and ideology

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24197/her.26.2024.455-490

Keywords:

Advertising translation, ideology, street advertising, social media advertising, gender stereotypes

Abstract

In Jordanian society, advertisements play a significant role in shaping the perception of women around the world. This study examines the depiction of women in commercial advertisements to expose embedded misogyny in advertising campaigns circulated in Jordan. Street and social media Arabic advertisements from 2014 to 2022 were collected and shared with twenty-two novice and experienced translators in Jordan via a digital survey. The study assesses how translators’ choices are influenced by the source text’s ideology. Analysis shows translators, regardless of experience, favor gender-neutral translations, ensuring the subversion of stereotypes. It emphasizes that adhering to literal translation risks endorsing offensive stereotypes and sexism. This highlights the importance of adopting a functional approach to translation to counteract stereotypical portrayals of women in advertising.

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Published

2025-01-17

Issue

No. 26 (2024)

Section

ARTICLES

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