Undertaking a Case-Study on Children and Soap Operas

        Collect, interpret and report on in-depth interviews (preferably of at least 30 minutes each) with individuals and small groups of children who regularly watch a particular soap opera. Consider issues such as their favourite characters, how they relate to the characters, what functions watching seems to serve for them, parental attitudes to the soap, who the children discuss it with and which aspects they discuss together.

        Draw up a list of key topics you'd like to cover but feel free to vary your actual questions and to respond to the children's interests where relevant. Include some background data on each participant such as age, sex, amount of viewing, types of programmes watched regularly, whether view with others (and who), etc.

        Tape-record the interviews on audio-tape and transcribe useful extracts to illustrate points. NB: Be sure to check power source, microphone, remaining tape when recording! Blank tapes can be obtained from our technician Alun Jones and must be returned with the assignment to Dr Chandler. In transcription, use three dots and a space (... ) to indicate that you've left out some intervening material and [pause] to indicate any long pauses. Anonymize the names of all individual children and schools (though provide some background about the school).

        Relate your questions and findings wherever possible to published studies in the field, and be sure to explore issues such as any gender differences amongst the viewers and reactions to gender portrayals in the soap. Probe in particular for any interesting differences between viewers. Use the reference format employed here - in-text references thus: (Buckingham 1987: 20). Don't take these books to school please! Submit your asssignment both on disk (Word for Windows where possible, or at least RTF for a PC) and on paper (2 copies of this please, double-spaced, with wide margins and numbered pages).

        Some relevant reading

        • Allen, R.C. (1992): Channels of Discourse, Reassembled (2nd edn.). London: Routledge
        • Ang. I. (1985): Watching 'Dallas'. London: Methuen
        • Brown, M. E. (1994): Soap Opera and Women's Talk. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage
        • Brunsdon, C. (1984): 'Writing about Soap Opera'. In L. Masterman (Ed.): Television Mythologies. London: Comedia
        • Buckingham, D. (1987): Public Secrets: 'EastEnders' and its Audience. London: BFI
        • Dyer, R. (Ed.) (1981): Coronation Street. London: BFI
        • Fiske, J. (1987): Television Culture. London: Methuen (Ch. 10: 'Gendered television: femininity')
        • Geraghty, C. (1991): Women and Soap Opera. Cambridge: Polity Press
        • Glaesner, V. (1990): 'Gendered Fictions'. In A. Goodwin & G. Whannel (Eds.): Understanding Television. London: Routledge
        • Hobson, D. (1982): Crossroads. London: Methuen
        • Kilborn, R. (1992): Television Soaps. London: Batsford
        • Livingstone, S. (1990): Making Sense of Television. Oxford: Pergamon
        • Schroder, Kim (1988): 'The Pleasure of Dynasty: The Weekly Construction of Self-Confidence'. In Phillip Drummond & Richard Patterson (Eds.) (1988): Television and its Audience. London: BFI, pp. 61-82