Using identification in entertainment-education drama serials to promote women’s rights in Cross River and Akwa Ibom States

Abstract

Social Cognitive Theorists argue that audience members who identify or empathize with stage/media characters will model their behaviour. They explain that the narrative structure of entertainment-education drama facilitates an emotional experience of being involved in the narrative itself and becoming one with in the characters therein. The study used two entertainment-education drama serials which were designed using Albert Bandura’s theoretical framework to communicate positive messages of women’s rights to real life audiences in select communities. The study sought to find out if there was any significant relationship i.e. identification between TV and radio drama serial model characters and adoption of human rights practices A quasi-experimental factorial design modification of pre-test and post-test control group with two treatment variables and two moderator variables were employed. Four hundred participants were selected in four communities. A total of three instruments were used for the study.The statistical technique employed for identification with model characters was the dependent t- test. A quasi-experimental factorial methodology design was used for this study. Findings show that the experimental subject that watched the TV serial ‘Because I am a woman’ had a higher mean identification than those who listened to the radio serial ‘Rainbow City’. Based on the empirical findings, the study recommended that entertainment-education be adopted by government (Federal Ministry of Women Affairs), civil society, cultural institution etc to take women’s rights messages to the grassroots people in Akwa Ibom and Cross River States.

Keywords: Entertainment-education, Identification, Serial, Drama, women’s right