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

Sex and Sexuality: A Content Analysis of Soap Operas
Conclusion
This thesis has undertaken the task of content analysing the portrayal of sex and
sexuality in soap operas shown on British television. The rationale for conducting
this research stems from the reported public concerns over media sex in general and
soap operas‘ portrayal of sex and sexual relationships, and the potential ‗effects‘ and
influences media sex may have on audiences, particularly young people. This
chapter will look at the theoretical frameworks underpinning the importance of
analysing soap operas‘ depiction of sex and sexuality and the contexts which have
given urgency to conducting such research. It will give an overview of the study‘s
theoretical framework and design and revisit some of the major findings such as the
amount and prevalence and nature of sexual activity, focus and explicitness,
consequences of sexual activity, homosexuality and risks and responsibilities
associated with sex and sexual relationships depicted in soap operas. This chapter
will also discuss if some of theoretical concepts and concerns over the ‗effects‘ and
influences of soap opera sex provide some insight in light of the current findings.
An Overview of the Study’s Theoretical Framework and Design
As discussed in the first part of the thesis, there is increasing evidence that
exposure to sexual content on television is a significant contributor to many aspects
of young people‘s sexual knowledge, beliefs, attitudes and, more importantly, their
sexual behaviours (Brown, Steel and Walsh-Childers, 2002; Buckingham and Bragg,
2003; Kunkel et al. 2005).
There are many sources from which young people gain their understanding of
sexual norms and learn about sex and sexuality in general, including parents, schools
and peer groups. Nevertheless, television, as the predominant mass medium, has
been identified as one of the main and most preferred sources of sexual information
available to young people, whether in the UK, US or elsewhere (Buckingham and
Bragg, 2003; Kunkel et al. 2005 and MacKeogh, 2005). Media sex is considered to
act as an instrument of sexual socialising and social learning (Ward, 2003) and as a
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