Creation of Social and Cultural Reality: Tracing the Effects of Turkish Drama Serials on Bangladeshi Youth

Abstract

Since the advent of transnationalized media outlets and media companies in comparatively powerful or central countries, they can easily inject the contents into the audiences of less powerful or peripheral countries. That has been seen since the establishment of India and Bangladesh’s television culture. Indian TV series have engulfed Bangladeshi youth like an octopus attacks its prey (Khanam et al., 2014). However, Turkish TV series have changed the scenario to a great extent. This paper intends to know to what extent Turkish TV shows influenced Bangladeshi youths rather than Indian TV shows. The current study will try to apply a mixed research approach, including both quantitative and qualitative methods to explore the effects of the Turkish TV series on Bangladeshi young people. First, this study will survey 400 youth who watch almost every serial episode. Secondly, it will engage in a focus group discussion (FGD) with five administrators of social media groups from where the dubbed and translated series are distributed across Bangladesh. The researcher here will apply Garbner’s Cultivation Theory to examine the effects of TV dramas on society. In cultivation theory, it is stated that television creates a reality in society by changing and sometimes adapting social and cultural artefacts. This research explored how Turkish TV serials have created a social and cultural reality by influencing the youth to adapt and fuse with the Turkish culture shown in the drama serials.