Gendered differences in the representation of men’s and women’s relationship to marriage and childbearing in business and economic contexts: A reading of the South African television soap opera Generations: The Legacy

Abstract

abstractGenerations: The Legacy, a South African television soap opera, presents multi-layered representations of the daily lives of middle and upper class South Africans. It negotiates issues of culture, family dynamics, gender-based violence, abuse, business ethics, crime and generational wealth. The Broadcast Research Council (2019) reported that, in 2018, the programme had over eight million viewers in South Africa. Generations: The Legacy enjoys a daily 30-minute primetime slot on SABC 1, from 8pm, and it is broadcast internationally in Jamaica and India. Cultural and economic legacy dynamics form the narrative hub around which the story revolves, which is already apparent from the programme’s title. In the soap opera, male characters are represented as custodians of successful business leadership and as active participants in related socio-political dealings. Women, however, are represented as supportive participants in these business and economic dealings. The representation of women further suggests that women are incapable of independently and successfully participating in the generation of wealth. This article considers gender representations in the popular programme, with specific reference to themes around marriage and childbearing in business and economic contexts, and how these representations differ between male and female characters. In analysing the popular South African soap opera, this article will build on Connell’s (1987) concept of the gender order. The conclusion reached is that, although the programme realistically depicts the differentiated gendered roles of men and women in business and economic contexts, with marriage and childbearing as key contributors to the plot dynamic of such relationships, it fails to successfully challenge patriarchal perceptions of women’s rights and their roles in business and economic dealings.