DOCSLIB.ORG

African American, First Generation College Women at a Selective University

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
African American, First Generation College Women at a Selective University ABSTRACT Title of Document: A DIFFERENT WORLD: AFRICAN AMERICAN, FIRST GENERATION COLLEGE WOMEN AT A SELECTIVE UNIVERSITY Jennifer Michelle Johnson, Doctor of Philosophy, 2013 Directed By: Associate Professor Sharon L. Fries-Britt, Department of Counseling, Higher Education, and Special Education The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of the academic and social experiences of African American, first generation college students attending a selective university. Following interpretive case study methodology, the major research questions guiding this study were: How do African American, first generation college students describe their academic and social experiences attending a selective institution of higher education? And How do African American, first generation college students mitigate barriers to college persistence? Through demographic questionnaire responses and individual semi-structured interviews with five African American women attending the University of Pennsylvania, participants identified the ways that their collegiate experiences were shaped by their social identities, precollege academic and social experiences, and interactions with members of their campus and home communities. Findings indicated that African American, first generation college women graduate from high school with a strong academic sense of self, developed after years of parental encouragement for academic achievement and positive precollege experiences with teachers and counselors. This academic sense of self contributed to students’ ability to adapt to the academic competiveness and classroom expectations of their given major upon matriculation. With time and self-reflection, students began to engage in academic behaviors linked with success. Socially, early experiences of isolation or alienation primarily occurred during students’ first semester, but were mitigated through interactions with peers or engagement in campus organizations and activities. Students identified availability of financial resources, their strong support networks, and their intrinsic motivation and academic self-efficacy as factors that contributed to their college persistence within the setting of a selective university. Finally, students specifically described how five salient aspects of their identity - their race, class, academic sense of self, gender, and spirituality, influenced not only the ways they individually engaged with the college environment, but also their perceptions of various members of the campus community. The findings of this study contributes to the complexity of understanding how African American, first generation college women experience a selective campus environment. Implications for campus policies and practices, as well as recommendations for future research are presented. A DIFFERENT WORLD: AFRICAN AMERICAN, FIRST GENERATION COLLEGE WOMEN AT A SELECTIVE UNIVERSITY By Jennifer Michelle Johnson Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of the University of Maryland, College Park in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy 2013 Advisory Committee: Professor Sharon Fries-Britt, Chair Professor Alberto F. Cabrera Professor Noah Drezner Professor Marcia Marinelli Professor Hanne Mawhinney, Dean’s Representative © Copyright by Jennifer Michelle Johnson 2013 Dedication This dissertation is dedicated to my family: my mother Earlene Hill, my father James Johnson, my brother Jayce “Eddie” Hill, and my sister Janelle Johnson. Without each of you, I would not be who I am today. ii Acknowledgements It has only been through God’s grace and the support of my family and friends that I complete this journey. To each and every person I have met and worked with over the years, I thank you as each of those experiences have contributed to the person I am today. First, I thank my parents and siblings for their ongoing support and motivation. To my mother, Earlene Hill, you helped me believe that there is nothing that I couldn’t do, and encouraged me to follow my dreams wherever they may take me. To my father, James Johnson, thank you for always demanding nothing less than best from all of us and being there to push and support me throughout my educational journey. To my big brother, Jayce “Eddie” Hill, the first college graduate in the family, you have always been a positive role model. I know the road hasn’t been easy, but you paved the way and I thank you for that. Your success helped me envision my own success. And finally to my “little” sister, my best friend, Janelle Johnson, you have always been there with me no matter the circumstances, through challenges and triumphs. You inspire me everyday to be the best me I can. To my extended family, the Hill Family, I thank each of you for your unconditional love and support over the years. To my Mema, Jannie B. Hill, you are the strongest woman I know. Thank you for modeling that strength and conviction throughout my life. To my aunts Denise and Sharon, my uncles Brother and Charles, my cousin Razi and my sister-in-law Jocylin - thank you for everything you have done for me and most importantly for cheering me on over the years. To my committee members (aka the “Dream Team”): Dr. Sharon Fries-Britt, Dr. Noah Drezner, Dr. Alberto Cabrera, Dr. Marcy Marinelli, and Dr. Hanne Mawhinney, iii thank you for your invaluable guidance throughout the dissertation process. Each of you has played a unique role in my experience and I am truly grateful for your advice, feedback, suggestions, and support of my research and me. To my “university” families at the University of Pennsylvania and Bowie State University, I thank you. I have been tremendously Blessed to have the opportunity to work with the most supportive and affirming colleagues. To Marybeth Gasman, Laura Perna, and Shaun Harper, thank you for listening to me as I tried to figure out where I was going with my life! To the Penn Upward Bound family, Mike Cruz, Barbara Owens, Amber Hikes, and ALL of the students I’ve had the pleasure of working with over the years, working with you all inspired me to continue my educational journey as I strive to continue to be an advocate for students in college and in life. To my new Bowie State University family, everyone has been SO supportive of me from day one, your unwavering support, and occasionally “hey Dr. Johnson” comments meant more to me than words can express. To my MARYLAND family, thank you for making this place a home away from home. Thank you AAP (Sharon VanWright, Tiffany Cox, and Jerry Lewis), thank you LAS (Kim Tran, Barbara Goldberg, Kimberly Bethea, Shirley Browner, and Beverly Greenfeig), thank you COW, and thank you to my fellow students in the Higher Education concentration. In special recognition of my cohort, I thank Steve D. Mobley Jr. and Rebecca Villarreal. Steve, you were right there with me in (every) class. Thank you for working through the uncomfortable spaces with me, and for reaching out to me when you knew I needed it most. You are my “homie” for life! And to my friend Rebecca Villarreal, thank you for being my go-to study buddy, for helping me work iv through the life challenges that go beyond being a “student,” and thank you for always being there. I am forever grateful for our friendship. Lastly, I acknowledge my fellow Orangewomen and best friends, Christa Boatman, Karen Brown-Ewers, Kristal Harris, Desiree Sanchez-Hammond, and Crystal Trent-Paultre. It wasn’t just the luck of the draw that brought us together in Kimmel Hall it was Divine Intervention. As I reflect back on my college experience, I can’t even imagine how I would have made it without each of you. You were my peer role models and my support system. We have certainly learned a lot and experienced a lot together from our college years to now, and I am so proud of each of you and your accomplishments to date. No matter the distance that may separate us or that our busy schedules may make our times together few and far between, I know you will always be there for me, as I will always be there for you. LYLAS. v Table of Contents Dedication ........................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................ iii Chapter 1: Introduction ...................................................................................................... 1 Statement of the Problem ................................................................................................ 2 Purpose of the Study ....................................................................................................... 5 Rationale for the Study .................................................................................................... 5 Study Design ................................................................................................................... 7 Significance of Study ...................................................................................................... 9 About the Site ................................................................................................................ 10 Definition of Key Terms ............................................................................................... 13 Chapter 2: Literature Review ........................................................................................... 15 Conceptual Framework ................................................................................................
Load more

Recommended publications
  • An Analysis of Hegemonic Social Structures in "Friends"
    "I'LL BE THERE FOR YOU" IF YOU ARE JUST LIKE ME: AN ANALYSIS OF HEGEMONIC SOCIAL STRUCTURES IN "FRIENDS" Lisa Marie Marshall A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate College of Bowling Green State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY August 2007 Committee: Katherine A. Bradshaw, Advisor Audrey E. Ellenwood Graduate Faculty Representative James C. Foust Lynda Dee Dixon © 2007 Lisa Marshall All Rights Reserved iii ABSTRACT Katherine A. Bradshaw, Advisor The purpose of this dissertation is to analyze the dominant ideologies and hegemonic social constructs the television series Friends communicates in regard to friendship practices, gender roles, racial representations, and social class in order to suggest relationships between the series and social patterns in the broader culture. This dissertation describes the importance of studying television content and its relationship to media culture and social influence. The analysis included a quantitative content analysis of friendship maintenance, and a qualitative textual analysis of alternative families, gender, race, and class representations. The analysis found the characters displayed actions of selectivity, only accepting a small group of friends in their social circle based on friendship, gender, race, and social class distinctions as the six characters formed a culture that no one else was allowed to enter. iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This project stems from countless years of watching and appreciating television. When I was in college, a good friend told me about a series that featured six young people who discussed their lives over countless cups of coffee. Even though the series was in its seventh year at the time, I did not start to watch the show until that season.
    [Show full text]
  • Blacks Reveal TV Loyalty
    Page 1 1 of 1 DOCUMENT Advertising Age November 18, 1991 Blacks reveal TV loyalty SECTION: MEDIA; Media Works; Tracking Shares; Pg. 28 LENGTH: 537 words While overall ratings for the Big 3 networks continue to decline, a BBDO Worldwide analysis of data from Nielsen Media Research shows that blacks in the U.S. are watching network TV in record numbers. "Television Viewing Among Blacks" shows that TV viewing within black households is 48% higher than all other households. In 1990, black households viewed an average 69.8 hours of TV a week. Non-black households watched an average 47.1 hours. The three highest-rated prime-time series among black audiences are "A Different World," "The Cosby Show" and "Fresh Prince of Bel Air," Nielsen said. All are on NBC and all feature blacks. "Advertisers and marketers are mainly concerned with age and income, and not race," said Doug Alligood, VP-special markets at BBDO, New York. "Advertisers and marketers target shows that have a broader appeal and can generate a large viewing audience." Mr. Alligood said this can have significant implications for general-market advertisers that also need to reach blacks. "If you are running a general ad campaign, you will underdeliver black consumers," he said. "If you can offset that delivery with those shows that they watch heavily, you will get a small composition vs. the overall audience." Hit shows -- such as ABC's "Roseanne" and CBS' "Murphy Brown" and "Designing Women" -- had lower ratings with black audiences than with the general population because "there is very little recognition that blacks exist" in those shows.
    [Show full text]
  • Grown-Ish Introduction
    THE REPRESENTATION OF FEMALE AFRICAN MONEJAH BLACK AMERICAN COLLEGE NATHANIEL FREDERICK, PHD, FACULTY STUDENTS ON MENTOR EMMANUEL NWACHUKWU, FACULTY TELEVISION: A MENTOR CONTENT ANALYSIS DEPARTMENT OF MASS COMMUNICATION OF A DIFFERENT WINTHROP UNIVERSITY WORLD AND GROWN-ISH INTRODUCTION Source: Wikipedia Commons Source: Fan Art TV •1987-1993 • 2018-present •Spin-off of The Cosby • College • Spin-off of Black-ish: experience of Show: black female the female black female daughter daughter (Denise African (Zoey Johnson) American lead attends California Huxtable) attends Hillman Predominantly Historically Black character University (PWI) White College (HBCU) College or University Institution Source: HBCU Buzz Source: TV Over Mind WHY IT MATTERS The representation of the female AA college student The representation of the college experience PWI non-minority students who have limited first-hand experience with AAs prior to/during college Who’s watching? What are they learning? High school students who have limited knowledge of what to expect in college LITERATURE REVIEW The Social Construction Sitcoms and African of the African American American Portrayal on Family on Television Television Television as a Vicarious Perceived Realism Experience THE SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF THE AFRICAN AMERICAN FAMILY ON TELEVISION: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE COSBY SHOW AND BLACK-ISH Differences in How AA family is Similarities in family Textual analysis on willingness to address constructed on demographics (well- The Cosby Show and certain topics such as television, evolved rounded, educated, Black-ish racial issues and over time suburban) stereotypes Stamps (2008) Source: Amazon Source: NPR SITCOMS AND THE AFRICAN AMERICAN PORTRAYAL ON TELEVISION Situational Comedy • Comical, yet expected to be Characters with Tells us how to run traits the audience moral our lives relate to • “The producers seem to have forgotten that you can’t raise a Berman moral issue and play with it— (1987) people expect you to solve it.
    [Show full text]
  • Fall Colors, 2001-02: Prime Time Diversity Report. INSTITUTION Children Now, Oakland, CA
    DOCUMENT RESUME ED 464 750 PS 030 374 AUTHOR Parker, McCrae A.; Miller, Patti; Espejo, Eileen; Grossman-Swenson, Sarah TITLE Fall Colors, 2001-02: Prime Time Diversity Report. INSTITUTION Children Now, Oakland, CA. SPONS AGENCY Mott (C.S.) Foundation, Flint, MI. PUB DATE 2002-04-00 NOTE 49p.; For Fall Colors II, see ED 444 707. Also supported by The Atlantic Philanthropies. AVAILABLE FROM Children Now, 1212 Broadway, 5th Floor, Oakland, CA 94612. Tel: 510-763-2444; Fax: 510-763-1974; e-mail: [email protected]. For full text: http://www.childrennow.org/media/fc2002/fc-2002-report.pdf. PUB TYPE Information Analyses (070) EDRS PRICE MF01/PCO2 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Comparative Analysis; Content Analysis; *Cultural Pluralism; *Diversity (Institutional); Ethnicity; Mass Media Effects; *Programming (Broadcast); Racial Distribution; Television Research IDENTIFIERS Diversity (Groups) ABSTRACT Television is an integral part of American culture, and has the ability to play a major role in shaping belief systems, particularly for the youngest and most impressionable viewers. This study is the third annual study of diversity of characters in prime time television programming. The study examined the first two episodes of each prime time entertainment series airing on the six broadcast networks. The findings indicate that despite ongoing emphasis, encouragement, and pressure on the part of media advocates, civil rights groups, government officials, and even some entertainment industry leaders, the networks have yet to produce a prime time
    [Show full text]
  • “It's Gonna Be Some Drama!”: a Content Analytical Study Of
    “IT’S GONNA BE SOME DRAMA!”: A CONTENT ANALYTICAL STUDY OF THE PORTRAYALS OF AFRICAN AMERICANS AND HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES ON BET’S COLLEGE HILL _______________________________________ A Dissertation presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School at the University of Missouri _______________________________________________________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy _____________________________________________________ by SIOBHAN E. SMITH Dr. Jennifer Stevens Aubrey, Dissertation Supervisor DECEMBER 2010 © Copyright by Siobhan E. Smith 2010 All Rights Reserved The undersigned, appointed by the dean of the Graduate School, have examined the dissertation entitled “IT’S GONNA BE SOME DRAMA!”: A CONTENT ANALYTICAL STUDY OF THE PORTRAYALS OF AFRICAN AMERICANS AND HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES ON BET’S COLLEGE HILL presented by Siobhan E. Smith, a candidate for the degree of doctor of philosophy, and hereby certify that, in their opinion, it is worthy of acceptance. Professor Jennifer Stevens Aubrey Professor Elizabeth Behm-Morawitz Professor Melissa Click Professor Ibitola Pearce Professor Michael J. Porter This work is dedicated to my unborn children, to my niece, Brooke Elizabeth, and to the young ones who will shape our future. First, all thanks and praise to God, from whom all blessings flow. For it was written: “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). My dissertation included! The months of all-nighters were possible were because You gave me strength; when I didn’t know what to write, You gave me the words. And when I wanted to scream, You gave me peace. Thank you for all of the people you have used to enrich my life, especially those I have forgotten to name here.
    [Show full text]
  • Whether You're Dark Or You're Fair
    “Whether You’re Dark or You’re Fair”: The Black Female Body in A Different World and School Daze By Inda Lauryn Note: This piece was written sometime between 2003 and 2006 during my graduate school years. It was never published. Introduction Although the primary purpose of comedy is to make us laugh, it also at times serves as a vehicle to address or comment upon societal issues. Historically, film and television executives have assumed that audiences would not be receptive to socially-conscious programming, particularly programming that comes with an African-American face. For instance, Herman Gray (1995) argues that blackness and blacks “served to amuse and comfort culturally sanctioned notions of whiteness, especially white superiority and paternalism (p. 75),” implying that African Americans exist in a very limited capacity within the television world. Interestingly, African Americans have mostly been relegated to the realm of comedy (and musical performance) in their film and television representations. As a result, not only have these representations carried a significant amount of weight within the overall scheme of African- American images, but they have also led African Americans to seek more creative ways in which to use comedy for purposes other than laughter. Quite possibly the success of Norman Lear’s situation comedies from the 1970s and the success of blaxploitation cinema of that same era forced executives to realize that there was a viable black audience willing not only to laugh at itself but also willing to examine the social conditions surrounding them. Yet, at the heart of these representations lie the legacies of the tom, the buck, the coon, the tragic mulatto, the mammy, Sambo and Sapphire, as scholars such as Donald Bogle (1994) have documented.
    [Show full text]
  • Hillman College Is a Different World from Where You Come
    HILLMAN COLLEGE IS A DIFFERENT WORLD FROM WHERE YOU COME FROM: A THEMATIC ANALYSIS OF RELATIONSHIPS IN A DIFFERENT WORLD Natilie Yvonne Williams 130 Pages This study focuses on the identity and relationships portrayed in the television series, A Different World. Although the popular series ended in 1993, this show continues to resonate with the African-American community. Specifically, Ron, D’Wayne, and Whitley are the primary characters of focus. Ron and D’Wayne maintain a brotherhood, while Whitley and D’Wayne maintain a romantic relationship. Both of these relationships include implicit expectations, illustrate varying levels of reciprocity, and provide identity- shaping communicative feedback. KEYWORDS: A Different World, Communication Theory of Identity, HBCU, Identity, Identity Negotiation Theory, Social Exchange Theory HILLMAN COLLEGE IS A DIFFERENT WORLD FROM WHERE YOU COME FROM: A THEMATIC ANALYSIS OF RELATIONSHIPS IN A DIFFERENT WORLD NATILIE YVONNE WILLIAMS A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE School of Communication ILLINOIS STATE UNIVERSITY 2016 © 2016 Natilie Yvonne Williams HILLMAN COLLEGE IS A DIFFERENT WORLD FROM WHERE YOU COME FROM:A THEMATIC ANALYSIS OF RELATIONSHIPS IN A DIFFERENT WORLD NATILIE YVONNE WILLIAMS COMMITTEE MEMBERS: Joseph Zompetti, Chair Lauren Bratslavsky John Baldwin Pamela Hoff ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This thesis has been a journey, but most importantly, it has been a passion project. I thank God for the peace that has made this such a low-stress venture, no matter how time consuming. I am beyond grateful to God for the wisdom and understanding that has gotten me to this very point in my life.
    [Show full text]
  • Mainstage Playbill Richard Hopkins, Producing Artistic Director
    Mainstage Playbill Richard Hopkins, Producing Artistic Director written by John Markus and Mark St. Germain, original music by Randy Courts, original lyrics by Mark St. Germain Levin Valayil, Joel Blum, D.C. Anderson, Scott Wakefield. Photo by Matthew Holler. Sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture. THE FABULOUS LIPITONES written by John Markus and Mark St. Germain, original music by Randy Courts, original lyrics by Mark St. Germain CAST (in alphabetical order) Howard Dunphy.........................D.C. Anderson* Wally Smith...............................Joel Blum* Baba Mati Singh (Bob)................Levin Valayil* Phil Rizzardi..............................Scott Wakefield* Scenic Designers Costume Designer Isabel & Moriah Curley-Clay April Soroko Lighting Designer Sound Designer Musical Staging Christopher Bailey Jason Romney Joel Blum Stage Manager Roy Johns* Musical Director Steven Freeman Director John Markus Season Underwriters Georgia Court, Dennis & Graci McGillicuddy, Anne Nethercott Please Note: There is a strobe light effect used in this production. Originally produced for Goodspeed Musicals by Michael P. Price, Executive Director Goodspeed Musicals has achieved international acclaim for its dedication to the preservation and advancement of musical theatre. Under the direction of Michael P. Price since 1968, Goodspeech produced three musicals each season at the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, Connecticut and specialized in producing and developing new musicals at the Norma Terris Theatre in Chester, Connecticut. For the Goodspeed stages, 19 musicals have gone to Broadway (including Man of La Mancha, Shenandoah, Annie) and over 75 new musicals have been launched. Also integral to its mission, Goodspeed houses the Scherer Library of Musical Theatre and has established the Max Showalter Center for Education in the Musical Theater to educate and train future generations of theatergoers and theatrical professionals.
    [Show full text]
  • Women's Leadership in Primetime Television an Introductory Study
    Women’s Leadership in Primetime Television An Introductory Study Natalie Greene Spring 2009 General University Honors Capstone Advisor: Karen O’Connor Greene 1 Women’s Leadership in Prime-time Television: An Introductory Study Introduction When television executives report their core audience, women always come out ahead. A 2007 Nielsen Media Research report showed that, with only two exceptions, every broadcast network channel had more female viewers than men. ABC’s female audience almost doubled its male audience during the 2007-08 season (Atkinson, 2008). 1 Women onscreen, however, seem to reflect a different reality, making up only 43% of characters in the prime-time 2007-08 season (Lauzen, 2008). 2 As studies going back as far as the 1970s show, women on screen not only fail to represent the proportional makeup of women in society, they also overwhelmingly show a stereotypically gendered version of women (McNeil, 1975; Signorielli and Bacue, 1999; United States Commission on Civil Rights, 1977). This paper aims to address the evolution of women’s leadership in prime-time network scripted television from 1950 to 2008. Because of the way that women have been traditionally marginalized in television, it is important to study the shows that have featured women as lead characters. Characters such as Lucy Ricardo ( I Love Lucy, 1951-1960) influenced later female leads such as Ann Marie ( That Girl, 1966-1971), Mary Richards ( The Mary Tyler Moore Show, 1970-1977) and Murphy Brown ( Murphy Brown, 1988-1998). Thus, along with an introduction to socialization theory and feminist television criticism, this paper covers a selection of some of the most influential female characters and women-centered shows of this period.
    [Show full text]
  • Re-Presenting Black People Through OTT Television Bradley C
    Eastern Illinois University The Keep Masters Theses Student Theses & Publications 2018 Re-Presenting Black People Through OTT Television Bradley C. Chatman Eastern Illinois University This research is a product of the graduate program in Communication Studies at Eastern Illinois University. Find out more about the program. Recommended Citation Chatman, Bradley C., "Re-Presenting Black People Through OTT eT levision" (2018). Masters Theses. 3551. https://thekeep.eiu.edu/theses/3551 This is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Theses & Publications at The Keep. It has been accepted for inclusion in Masters Theses by an authorized administrator of The Keep. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The Graduate School� -- F.11,111{\Iil1 I ... ,;; C"1\'l ll'111 Thesis Maintenance and Reproduction Certificate FOR: Graduate Candidates Completing Theses in Partial Fulfillment of the Degree Graduate Faculty Advisors Directing the Theses RE: Preservation, Reproduction, and Distribution of Thesis Research Preserving, reproducing, and distributing thesis research is an important part of Booth Library's responsibility to provide access to scholarship. In order to further this goal, Booth Library makes all graduate theses completed as part of a degree program at Eastern Illinois University available for personal study, research, and other not-for­ profit educational purposes. Under 17 U.S.C. § 108, the library may reproduce and distribute a copy without infringing on copyright; however, professional courtesy dictates that permission be requested from the author before doing so. Your signatures affirm the following: •The graduate candidate is the author of this thesis. •The graduate candidate retains the copyright and intellectual property rights associated with the original research, creative activity, and intellectual or artistic content of the thesis.
    [Show full text]
  • Race and the Global Popularity of the Cosby Show Timothy Havens INDIANA UNIVERSITY
    ‘The biggest show in the world’: race and the global popularity of The Cosby Show Timothy Havens INDIANA UNIVERSITY Introduction The Cosby Show changed the face of American television and set a new standard for representing African American families in non-stereotyped roles. It rewrote the book on syndication when Viacom required stations to bid for the privilege of airing the show (Heuton, 1990), and it fuelled the networks’ efforts to have the FCC’s financial-syndication rules repealed to allow NBC to share in the show’s $600 million syndication revenues (Andrews, 1992). The Cosby Show also profoundly altered international television syndication, proving the international marketability of the now staple comedy format, establishing Viacom as a major distributor during a time of global deregulation, and drawing dedicated audiences as only Dallas and Dynasty previously had. While many scholars have addressed the show’s domestic popularity (Boyd, 1997; Downing, 1988; Gray, 1995; Press, 1991; Taylor, 1989), its international acceptance remains a virtual mystery.1 Recently, the world has witnessed a dramatic increase in the export of middle-class African American situation comedies which are directly linked to The Cosby Show’s success. This article investigates the various economic, textual and audience practices that led to the show’s international success, and that continue to make middle-class African American sitcoms lucrative international fare. In an era of increased interdependence of television markets, where shows must exhibit international appeal ‘before anything moves forward’ (Schapiro, 1991: 29) in domestic production, The Cosby Show set the representational and marketing standards that continue to determine what types of African American shows get produced, and where Media, Culture & Society © 2000 SAGE Publications (London, Thousand Oaks and New Delhi), Vol.
    [Show full text]
  • Sardonic Humor Is My Way of Relating to the World__ Audience
    1 Abstract: There is a lengthy history of teenagers on television, and of teenagers as a television viewing audience. Over the past decade, developments in how technology allows audiences to interact with television have affected both the structure and content of television that features and caters to teenagers. Using specific texts (most notably Gossip Girl (The CW, 2007-2012), Riverdale (The CW, 2017-), and Heathers (Paramount, 2017)) and the paratexts formed by audience members in their interaction online with the original texts and their creators, this thesis seeks to understand how teen television has adapted itself to fit the models created by the internet and its users and the nature of its potential repercussions for the genre and for television in general. 2 “Sardonic Humor is My Way of Relating to the World”: Audience Interaction With Teen Television, 2007 - Present Chloe Harkins Bachelor of Arts Thesis, Film Studies Program 3 Acknowledgements: I would like to first thank my thesis advisor, Robin Blaetz, whose infinite enthusiasm for and faith in this project, as well as her patience in approaching a subject out of her usual realm of study, truly was what kept it going. Thank you to the other two members of my thesis committee; Elizabeth Markovits, who has provided consistent support and massively assisted my growth throughout my four years at Mount Holyoke, and Amy Rodgers, who gave me one of my most rewarding experiences in a class during my last semester. Thank you to all my professors at Mount Holyoke, Hampshire, and Amherst, especially those in media studies who helped me build the understanding of television/the internet/“television and the internet” that became the basis for this work.
    [Show full text]