Violence represents the pressure applied to the beliefs and values that are internalized by all mental and physical attacks against the personality of the person as a whole, both spiritually and physically (Zorlu, 2015). At the same time, violence is a quality that occurs in society and is learned as a traditional behavior (Yavuz, 2014). Types of violence; verbal, psychological, social, sexual, physical and economic. The mass media that can make the society adopt these types of violence the most is television.
Television is a mass communication tool that has a very intense effect on people in terms of its ease of transportation. Violence portrayed in television series, advertisements and news is marketed to the audience. People who watch programs that contain violence become desensitized to violence. Depersonalized people, who will likely be less able to discriminate between violent cases, will find the impact of violence insignificant, show minimal sympathy with those who have been subjected to violence, and show greater tolerance for violence. Young people who imitate the scenes of violence they watch in television series also become desensitized to these scenes and perceive violence as the truth of life. (Turkoglu, 2014).
Television series are shaped according to patriarchal gender stereotypes. In these TV series, we can see that the object of violence is women (Ünlü, Bayram, Uluyağcı, and Uzoğlu-Bayçu, 2009). On television, a woman is exhibited with the behaviors she is expected to do, which becomes her mission due to her sexuality or sexual identity (Doğaç, 1999). The fact that the female roles presented in the TV series are well-groomed, mingled with fashion, working on the design of their homes and generally presenting the woman to the audience in the kitchen form the basis of the impression of women in the society.
The aim of this study, which will be prepared based on the presentation of women and violence against women in TV series, is to observe that those who watch the scenes of violence against women will show desensitization to violence against women.
In this study, it is expected that people who have a positive attitude towards violence against women become desensitized after watching TV series containing violence against women, and negative presentation of women is expected to create desensitization to violence against women. As an interaction effect, it is expected that people who have a positive attitude towards violence become more desensitized after watching TV series with a negative presentation of women.
Research Method
Participants
The sample of the research will be composed of the participants who applied as a result of the announcement made on the internet and who were contacted in the field. Participants will be informed that a fee will be paid at the end of the research. The sample will be selected from Ankara’s Sincan and Çankaya districts, with a total of 140 participants, 70 women and 70 men, who are between the ages of 18-60 and have different socioeconomic levels and education levels. Participants will be invited to the psychology laboratory established in Ankara.
Data Collection Tools
Stating the attitudes of women and men participating in the study against violence against women; ‘Violence can be applied to women when necessary’, ‘A cheating woman deserves violence.’ A five-point Likert-type Violence Against Women Attitude Scale will be created. During the structured systematic observation, the behavior of the participants will be recorded using the video recording method.
Process
In the research, data will be collected with structured systematic observation and attitude scale against violence against women. As a scientific method, research will have certain stages. First of all, the Violence Against Women Attitude Scale will be administered to the participants. After that, the participants will be divided into two as those who have positive and negative attitudes towards violence against women. Participants will be directed to a room to watch the video. Experimental group 1 will be shown videos of violence against women with a negative presentation of women, Experimental group 2 will be shown a video of violence against women with a positive presentation of women, and a neutral video will be watched in the control group. Participants divided into two by the attitude scale will be randomly assigned to the groups. Up to this point, the researcher and participant will be in direct contact. Afterwards, the researcher will direct the participant to the evaluation room, but will not be present when he leaves. As the participant progresses to the evaluation room, they will hear fictional beatings, fights and asking for help from behind a door. At this point, the participant’s reaction will be observed from the camera in the corridor, notes will be taken and will be evaluated by experts as sensitive-insensitive. After this stage, the experiment will be clearly explained to the participants.
Analysis Strategy
The data obtained as a result of systematic observation of the participants, who will be separated by the Violence Against Women Attitude Scale and then randomly assigned to the groups, after watching the video will be analyzed with the Chi-Square analysis method.
Expected Findings
According to the first hypothesis, people who have a positive attitude towards violence are expected to become more desensitized after watching TV series containing violence against women. According to the second hypothesis, more depersonalization towards violence against women is expected with the negative presentation of women. With the interaction effect, it is expected that TV series with negative women presentation will cause more depersonalization in people who have a positive attitude towards violence. As a result of the analysis made with Chi-Square; According to the attitude towards violence against women, violence against women in TV series and the presentation of women, a significant difference is expected between the experimental groups and between the experimental group and the control group.
