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

Sex and Sexuality: A Content Analysis of Soap Operas
were to ‗further their own careers‘, and 60% of those whose motives were ‗sexual
assault‘ (see Appendix: Table 3.13).
Additionally, the distribution of characters‘ motives in terms of gender yielded
some interesting patterns. Of all characters whose motives were to gain ‗personal
satisfaction‘ and ‗establish or enhance relationship‘, males (75% and 54% for the
two motives respectively) were more likely than females (25% and 46%) to engage
in sexual behaviours having such motives. Conversely, characters whose motives for
engaging in sexual behaviours were to ‗further own careers‘ and ‗achieve material
gain‘ were notably more likely to be females (56% and 68% respectively) than
males (44% and 32%). On the other hand, female characters accounted for all
(100%) of three motives, ‗gain peer approval‘, ‗revenge‘ and ‗escape or forget
problems‘, and male characters, similarly, accounted for (100%) of three more
motives, ‗gain prestige and popularity‘, ‗trap a partner‘ and ‗sexual assault‘. The
gender differences across all identified motivations were statistically significant
(X 2 =37.767, df=11, p