Role of Media Intervention in Changing Attitudes towards Transgenders

Description

Page: 437-441

Garima Tiwari and Deepa Sharma (Department of Applied Psychology, Sri Aurobindo College (E), University of Delhi, Delhi)

Transgenders tend to face a widespread lack of acceptance from the general public, largely because they deviate from the accepted norm of male and female. Due to this they frequently experience rejection, stigmatization, harassment, and discrimination which impacts their health negatively. Like all human beings, transgenders also have the right to live a life free of prejudice. For this, a social change must be brought into society to ensure the well-being and happiness of these individuals. One of the major catalysts of social change is the media. In India, where a significant portion of the population is illiterate and forms their opinions based on media exposure, the media plays a critical role in shaping people’s attitudes. Considering this, the aim of this study is to investigate the impact of media intervention on changing attitudes towards transgenders among young adults in New Delhi, NCR. A mixed research design was used, incorporating both a quantitative measure using the Attitudes Towards Transgender Scale and a qualitative method using semi-structured interviews. The sample comprised 30 individuals within the 18-25 age group. Paired sample t-test and thematic analysis were used to analyze the data. The study found that media intervention had a positive impact on changing attitudes towards transgender, as the participants with a negative attitude towards transgender had a more positive attitude post-media intervention. Additionally, the study found no significant gender differences in the impact of media intervention on attitudes towards transgender. Also, various themes, viz. A better understanding of transgender community, social acceptance, and de-stigmatization emerged from the results. Hence, the results suggest that media intervention can play a critical role in promoting positive attitudes toward transgender community.