The Portrayal of Religion and Spirituality on Fictional Network Television
This study documents the portrayal of religion on fictional prime time network television by determining the frequency and distribution of religious membership, the range of religious behaviors, and the valence (positive or negative), salience (importance), and context (humorous or serious) of the r...
| Authors: | ; ; ; |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Springer
1994
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| In: |
Review of religious research
Year: 1994, Volume: 35, Issue: 3, Pages: 251-267 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Parallel Edition: | Non-electronic
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| Summary: | This study documents the portrayal of religion on fictional prime time network television by determining the frequency and distribution of religious membership, the range of religious behaviors, and the valence (positive or negative), salience (importance), and context (humorous or serious) of the religious behaviors engaged in by speaking characters. A sample of 100 episodes was selected for analysis during a five week period of 1990. Findings indicate that the religious side of characters' lives is not typically presented on television. Across 1462 characters, 5.6% had an identifiable religious affiliation. Religious activity was infrequently presented. When it was portrayed, it was rarely a central theme in the storyline and it was most often framed as a personal and private activity. This study concludes that the infrequent presentation of religion and spirituality tends to symbolically convey the message that religion is not very important because it is rarely a factor in the lives of the people on TV or the social setting in which they are portrayed. |
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| ISSN: | 2211-4866 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Review of religious research
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.2307/3511892 |