Chapter 4 Sexual Content in Soap Operas - Leicester Research ...

Sex and Sexuality: A Content Analysis of Soap Operas
But to what extent do those qualitative assumptions reflect what soap operas
actually portray as far as sex and sexuality are concerned? Do soap operas in reality
contain sex, and if so, how much? Of all the media and television genres, are soap
operas justifiably ‗the greatest source of problems‘? Do they, by and large, portray
‗worrying‘ and irresponsible sexual behaviours? Do soap operas fail to highlight the
consequences of irresponsible sexual behaviours? This current research seeks to
provide a comprehensive quantitative analysis of soap operas‘ portrayal of sex and
sexuality.
Structure of the Thesis
This study is divided into two main parts: Part I discusses some of the
theoretical models and hypotheses that explain the effects of media sex and provides
a review of the relevant literature, particularly that of content analysis studies
looking into sexual content on television; and Part II begins by discussing the
research method, design and content measures used in this study, and thereafter
presents and discusses the research findings.
More specifically, Part I comprises two chapters. Chapter One reviews and
discusses six theoretical models and hypotheses that have attempted to provide
explanations of the ‗potential‘ effects media sex might have upon media consumers,
focusing primarily on the Social Learning Theory, which posits that humans learn
through observing others and will engage in and imitate behaviours seen as
rewarding, and on the Cultivation Hypothesis, which assumes that people who watch
television more frequently than others, or heavy viewers, are more likely than light
viewers to adopt the worldviews offered by television. The other four theoretical
perspectives are Sexual Arousal, Catharsis, Disinhibition, and Desensitisation.
Chapter Two provides an overview of the research—primarily content
analyses—into television‘s portrayal of sex and sexuality, and audience attitudes and
opinions with regard to media sex. It begins by reviewing early as well as more
recent studies on sexual activity portrayed on mainstream US television networks,
with special attention paid to the research concerned with the portrayal of sex in
soap operas and prime-time programmes; it also presents findings from research into
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