Adolescents' Interpretations Based on Television Viewing
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University of Northern Iowa UNI ScholarWorks Dissertations and Theses @ UNI Student Work 2008 Disability and difference: Adolescents' interpretations based on television viewing Paula Anne Schmidt University of Northern Iowa Let us know how access to this document benefits ouy Copyright ©2008 Paula Anne Schmidt Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.uni.edu/etd Part of the Special Education and Teaching Commons Recommended Citation Schmidt, Paula Anne, "Disability and difference: Adolescents' interpretations based on television viewing" (2008). Dissertations and Theses @ UNI. 738. https://scholarworks.uni.edu/etd/738 This Open Access Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Work at UNI ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations and Theses @ UNI by an authorized administrator of UNI ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. DISABILITY AND DIFFERENCE: ADOLESCENTS' INTERPRETATIONS BASED ON TELEVISION VIEWING A Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Education Approved: Dr. Sandra Alper, Committee Chair Dr. Deborah Gallagher, Committee Member Dr. John Smith, Committee Member Dr. John Henning, Committee Member Dr. April Chatham Carpenter, Committee Member Paula Anne Schmidt University of Northern Iowa December, 2008 UMI Number: 3343926 Copyright 2008 by Schmidt, Paula Anne All rights reserved. INFORMATION TO USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleed-through, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. ® UMI UMI Microform 3343926 Copyright 2009 by ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest LLC 789 E. Eisenhower Parkway PO Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 Copyright by PAULA A. SCHMIDT 2008 All Rights Reserved DISABILITY AND DIFFERENCE: ADOLESCENTS' INTERPRETATIONS BASED ON TELEVISION VIEWING An Abstract of a Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Education Approved: Dr. Sandra Alper, Committee Chair Dr. Sue A. Joseph Interim Dean of the Graduate College Paula Anne Schmidt University of Northern Iowa December, 2008 ABSTRACT This study was conducted in order to decipher adolescent interpretations of disability that were portrayed on television. Employing qualitative methodology and methods, I conducted focus groups with adolescents during which they viewed television programs containing portrayals of characters with disabilities, or otherwise defining differences. The sixth grade participants freely shared their perspectives of the programs and characters in addition to their thoughts about the nature of difference in general. Although I originally intended to interpret adolescents' reactions toward characters with disabilities, I found that it was not only characters with disabilities that they viewed in a judgmental manner. As the study participants discussed the overall nature of difference, they revealed their lack of acceptance not only of people with disabilities, but their lack of acceptance of difference as a whole. Any human difference was deemed unacceptable by my participants. The participants' reactions to the television programs and "different" characters revealed an ability to quickly identify the positive messages/morals regarding acceptance that were communicated through the conclusions of most episodes, but they almost always failed to see the applications of the episodes' messages/morals to their lives. The judgmental language about normalcy that they used in their discussions revealed a contradiction of acceptance of difference. In addition, both the participants' and the television characters' reactions to difference illuminated a disregard for individuals who had not met (unattainable) societal norms. As a result, this study highlights the parallel that exists between the intolerance of difference on television and that which exists within the adolescents' daily lived experiences. Portrayals of cruel humor and perpetuations of stereotypes by exploitation of personal difference are exacerbated by network- inserted laugh tracks and interpreted as "funny" by the participants. Interpretation of the adolescents' dialogues necessitates further examination of the nature of difference and disability as portrayed on television programming targeted toward adolescents. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The journey that has led me to this completed dissertation has been one that I will never forget. Every experience has helped me to grow in understanding of myself, my profession, my relationships, and my perspectives on the world. There are many people whom I thank for their contribution to my academic and personal success. First of all, I would like to express profound gratitude to my advisor, Dr. Sandra Alper, for her suggestions, support, and guidance throughout my years at UNI and especially during the course of this research. Her guidance enabled me to complete my dissertation successfully. I am also thankful to Dr. Deborah Gallagher and Dr. John Smith who have played a decisive role in changing my perspectives on the world. Their profound impact on my life guided all aspects of this dissertation. I would like to thank Dr. John Henning and Dr. April Chatham-Carpenter for their willingness to serve on my committee and for their feedback on various drafts of my research. In addition, I gratefully acknowledge the Inclusive Leadership grant, which partially funded my doctoral studies and was awarded to me by Dr. Sandra Alper and Dr. Deborah Gallagher. I am grateful to the many friends, family, colleagues, and students who have supported my efforts over the years. Although they are too numerous to list, their individual contributions to my life and success did not go unnoticed and are much appreciated. I am, as ever, especially indebted to my Bracelet Buddies, a strong group of women who have shared their love, laughter, tears, encouragement, and knowledge with iii me over the years. Deb Fordice, Janine Kane, and Janet Sauer have become more than fellow doctoral students and colleagues. I am so proud and honored to have studied with and learned from them. They have shared their love, lives, and experiences with me and have tremendously impacted my life. I am forever indebted to them. Finally, I would like to thank my husband and children. My husband, Dan, believed I could become Dr. Schmidt well before I had even conceived of the idea. Countless nights and weekends he assumed parenting duties so I could study and write. I can't even begin to thank him for his continual love and support. My daughter, Alaina, was just a toddler when I began my doctoral journey and my babies, Avery and Brody, were both born during the course of my studies. None of the three remember a time when Mommy wasn't working on a dissertation. I thank them for their understanding, patience, and unconditional love. In addition, I promise to continually strive to make the world a better place for them. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1 Adolescents, Construction of Disability, and Television 1 Why I Chose This Topic 1 What I Wanted To Learn From This Study 5 Media Critiques in the Disability Studies Literature 7 Research Intent 9 CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOGY AND DATA COLLECTION 10 Rationale for Qualitative Analysis 10 Qualitative Inquiry 12 Hermeneutics and Discourse Analysis 13 Researcher as Participant 15 Professional Ethical Values 16 Context of the Study 17 Selection of Participants 17 Bluff View Community Y Group 32 Approval and Conditions of Study 35 Community Profile 37 General Overview of Data Collection 37 Television Programs Selection 37 Age Group Selection 45 Data Collection 48 V Interview Questions 48 Focus Groups 51 Review of Transcripts and Taped Sessions 52 Emergence of Themes 53 Merging of Interpretations 55 Reflecting and Refocusing 57 CHAPTER 3: ACCEPTANCE/LACK OF ACCEPTANCE OF DIFFERENCE AND CORRESPONDING LITERATURE 59 Stigmatizing Difference(s) 59 Disability/Difference 59 Language of Normalcy and Judgment 71 Life Applications 83 CHAPTER 4: RELATIONSHIPS/INTERACTIONS AND CORRESPONDING LITERATURE 96 Disregard for Feelings of Others 97 Humor 97 Sarcasm 106 Getting Ahead 123 Life Applications 132 CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS 145 Introduction 145 Summary of Methods and Methodology 146 vi Lack of Characters with Disabilities 146 Lack of Supporting Literature 151 Participant and Character Parallels 153 Implications 155 Broad Societal Implications 155 Teacher and Pre-service Teacher Implications 159 Parental Implications 162 Media Implications 164 Adolescent Implications 165 Researcher Implications 166 Importance of Listening 167 Reflection 168 REFERENCES 170 APPENDIX A: SCRIPT FOR FOCUS GROUPS 178 APPENDIX B: FOCUS GROUP QUESTIONS 180 1 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Adolescents, Construction of Disability, and Television How do adolescents, when presented with adolescent television programming, interpret the characters portrayed as different from themselves and their peers? While much has been written about the effect television watching has on how