The Influence of Tamil Films on Gender Attitudes Among College Students

Abstract

Cinema is a significant form of mass communication through which cultural values, social identities, and expectations about gender are represented and debated. Tamil cinema offers a productive context for examining these processes because its narratives include both conventional portrayals of masculinity and femininity and films that challenge gendered power relations. This conceptual paper examines how exposure to Tamil films may be associated with gender attitudes among college students. Drawing on Social Cognitive Theory, Cultivation Theory, and scholarship on gender representation in Tamil cinema, the paper synthesises relevant literature and develops a framework connecting film exposure, interpretation of characters and narratives, and attitudes toward gender roles, equality, consent, and women’s autonomy. Existing studies show that gender representation in Tamil cinema cannot be understood through a simple opposition between stereotypical and progressive images: narrative agency, star power, caste, class, romance, and the resolution of conflict also shape the meanings available to audiences. The paper argues that students are active interpreters whose responses may be mediated by family, peers, education, prior beliefs, and digital-media use. It identifies a research gap in audience-centred studies that directly examine how college students interpret Tamil film representations and whether viewing patterns are associated with gender attitudes. A mixed-method design is proposed, combining a questionnaire with focus-group discussions and, where appropriate, analysis of selected films. The paper contributes a theory-informed framework for future research and highlights the importance of critical media literacy and nuanced gender representation.