PERCEPTION OF FEMALE STUDENTS ON THE MALE GAZE IN CONTEMPORARY NIGERIAN MUSIC VIDEOS IN THE UNIVERSITY OF BENIN

ABSTRACT

This study evaluated the Perception of Female Students on the Male Gaze in Contemporary Nigerian Music Videos. The objectives were to ascertain the exposure and impact of the male gaze on female students. It further investigated how female students view the represention of women in these music videos; evaluated if such representations reinforce gender roles and responsibilities; and assessed the role of feminist perspectives to challenge these norms. However, the study was anchored on the tenets of two theories: the Cultivation Theory & Objectification Theory. The survey design was adopted, with a 12-item questionnaire to generate data from 251 respondents randomly selected from the total population of 671 female students from the Full Time Mass Communication Department, University of Benin through the simple sampling technique. Data obtained were presented and analyzed with the aid of frequency tables and simple percentages. Findings revealed that the perception by female students on the male gaze in Contemporary Nigerian Music Videos is very high. Also, the study showed that while the female students are duly impacted by the continuous hypersexualisation of women in the media, which categorically placed them as objects than their personhood, only few are familiar with the feminist perspectives as feminism, feminist theories, and so on to help challenge the concept of the male gaze. Therefore, the study concluded that most female students find the sexualisation of women through the male gaze as a dominant theme in contemporary music videos. However, the study recommended that the government should play a role that normalises, through the media, content and programmes on scientific sex education and body positivism.