WHY NEMO MATTERS: ALTRUISM IN AMERICAN ANIMATION by DAVID W. WESTFALL B.A., Pittsburg State University, 2007 A THESIS submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree MASTER OF ARTS Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work College of Arts and Sciences KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY Manhattan, Kansas 2009 Approved by: Major Professor Dr. L. Susan Williams Copyright DAVID W. WESTFALL 2009 Abstract This study builds on a small but growing field of scholarship, arguing that certain non- normative behavior is also non-negative, a concept referred to as positive deviance. This thesis examines positive behaviors, in the form of altruism, in the top 10 box-office animated movies of all time. Historically, studies focusing on negative, violent, and criminal behaviors garner much attention. Media violence is targeted as a cause for increasing violence, aggression, and antisocial behavior in youth; thousands of studies demonstrate that media violence especially influences children, a vulnerable group. Virtually no studies address the use of positive deviance in children’s movies. Using quantitative and ethnographic analysis, this paper yields three important findings. 1. Positive behaviors, in the form of altruism, are liberally displayed in children’s animated movies. 2. Altruism does not align perfectly with group loyalty. 3. Risk of life is used as a tool to portray altruism and is portrayed at critical, climactic, and memorable moments, specifically as movies draw to conclusion. Previous studies demonstrate that children are especially susceptible to both negativity and optimistic biases, underscoring the importance of messages portrayed in children’s movies. This study recommends that scholars and moviemakers consciously address the appearance and timing of positive deviance. Table of Contents List of Figures................................................................................................................................. v List of Tables ................................................................................................................................. vi Acknowledgements....................................................................................................................... vii Dedication....................................................................................................................................viii CHAPTER 1 - Introduction ............................................................................................................ 1 Positive Deviance ....................................................................................................................... 5 Altruism as Positive Deviance.................................................................................................... 7 Implementation ........................................................................................................................... 8 CHAPTER 2 - Literature Review................................................................................................... 9 Deviance ................................................................................................................................... 12 Media Influence ........................................................................................................................ 15 Social Psychology..................................................................................................................... 17 CHAPTER 3 - Methodology ........................................................................................................ 18 Sample ...................................................................................................................................... 20 Analysis .................................................................................................................................... 22 CHAPTER 4 - Findings................................................................................................................ 25 Ethnographic Analysis.............................................................................................................. 29 Good Versus Evil: The Lion King ........................................................................................ 29 More than Just a Road: Cars ................................................................................................. 31 Risky Business: The Incredibles........................................................................................... 33 CHAPTER 5 - Discussion/Conclusion ......................................................................................... 35 Summary of Findings................................................................................................................ 36 Issues and Difficulties............................................................................................................... 38 Theoretical Considerations ....................................................................................................... 39 Other Discussion and Conclusions ........................................................................................... 41 References..................................................................................................................................... 46 Appendix A - Coding Sheet.......................................................................................................... 54 iv List of Figures Figure 3.1 Conceptual model of cultural norm portrayals in animated film ................................ 19 v List of Tables Table 3.1 Top 10 Domestic Box Office Grossing Animated Moves............................................ 21 Table 4.1 Prevalence of Other Benefitting Actions...................................................................... 25 Table 4.2 Prevalence of Altruistic Actions in Animated Movies ................................................. 27 Table 4.3 Prevalence of Risk of Life in Animated Movies .......................................................... 28 vi Acknowledgements I wish to thank my family for showing me unconditional love. Despite trials and tribulations they just keep swimming. I wish to thank my friends. They have been there through thick and thin. A person could not have any better. I also wish to thank my thesis committee. Without their guidance and support, this paper would not be possible. And, very special thanks to my committee chair, Dr. L. Susan Williams. She contributed countless hours to this process and taught me valuable lessons every step of the way. vii Dedication This Thesis is dedicated to the loving memory of Samantha Haskew. In her brief life she touched everyone who knew her, lived her life to the fullest, and taught those who knew her best to seek the positives in life. viii CHAPTER 1 - Introduction “Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming. Just keep swim-ing, swim-ing, swim-ing.” Anyone who is familiar with Walt Disney and Pixar’s 2003 blockbuster, Finding Nemo, knows that this line is sung by Dory, a lovably cheerful Blue Tang fish as she playfully swims into a dark, dank, deep crevice in the open ocean. Dory suffers from short-term memory loss. As the animated feature plays out, the line feels as if the character is nothing more than a short-minded fish, a blissfully ignorant protagonist carrying on as she would on any other day, during any other given situation. By animating Dory in such a way as to have her swimming slow circles as she is singing, it is fairly evident to the audience that the scene is supposed to be lighthearted and entertaining. However, one has to wonder, just what is the underlying message? Why is this question important to ask? As we will see, though Dory is portrayed as simple-minded, she exhibits extraordinarily selfless acts – viewed as positive events. This thesis examines animated movies in the top 100 grossing films of all time, searching for examples of positive deviance, generally defined as behaviors that violate norms in a positive fashion. Many of these behaviors are defined differently dependent on context and interpretation. That is, the same behavior may be interpreted as positive in one instance and negative in another. First, a brief appraisal of media significance is appropriate. In America, many people believe that violence in the media (notoriously, violent video games) is teaching today’s youth how to become more violent. A quick search of Amazon.com for “media violence” reveals a glimpse into the present world. A plethora of book titles support this supposition; a few examples include: Stop Teaching Our Kids to Kill: A Call to Action Against TV, Movie & Video Game Violence; Media, Sex, Violence, and Drugs in the Global Village; and Killing Monsters: Why Children Need Fantasy, Super Heroes, and Make-Believe. Is the media really powerful enough to create killing monsters? While this claim seems ludicrous, it is an area that continues to be covered in depth. A long list of empirical studies supports the link between violence and aggression. For instance, Johnson et al. (2002) conducted a longitudinal study of 707 families over a period of seventeen years. Looking specifically at exposure, via television, to aggressive behaviors such 1 as assault and robbery, Johnson et al. (2002) argue that there is a relationship between children’s television-watching habits and aggression as adults. Using the National Television Violence Study (1998), Anderson and Bushman (2002)