Syracuse University SURFACE S.I. Newhouse School of Public Mass Communications - Dissertations Communications 2011 Audience Engagement with Mother-Daughter Relationships in Prime-Time Television of the 21st Century: A Qualitative Analysis of Interpretation, Sensemaking, and Perceived Effects Meghan L. O'Briend Syracuse University Follow this and additional works at: https://surface.syr.edu/com_etd Part of the Mass Communication Commons, and the Women's Studies Commons Recommended Citation O'Briend, Meghan L., "Audience Engagement with Mother-Daughter Relationships in Prime-Time Television of the 21st Century: A Qualitative Analysis of Interpretation, Sensemaking, and Perceived Effects" (2011). Mass Communications - Dissertations. 82. https://surface.syr.edu/com_etd/82 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at SURFACE. It has been accepted for inclusion in Mass Communications - Dissertations by an authorized administrator of SURFACE. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. ABSTRACT This qualitative analysis examines audience engagement with fictional portrayals of mother-daughter relationships in prime-time television of the 21st century. I used in- depth interviews with women of different backgrounds to explore how real mothers and daughters interpret portrayals of mother-daughter relationships on television; how they make sense of their own mother-daughter relationships through their engagement with these portrayals; and how and to what extent their engagement with these portrayals influences their own lives and mother-daughter relationships. The results of this study uncovered a process of audience engagement with mother-daughter relationships on television that involved the viewing experience, interpretation, sensemaking, and perceived effects on the participants' real lives and relationships.