Doctoral Dissertations

Date of Award

8-1996

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Major

Communication

Major Professor

Barbara A. Moore

Committee Members

Herbert H. Howard, Ronald E. Taylor, Dorothy Bowles, Julia A. Malia

Abstract

This qualitative study investigated how VCR viewing by American parents and young teenagers demonstrated the family system during its volatile adolescent development period. All participating families were two-parent families. Voluntary, face to face, in-depth interviews were conducted separately with twelve teenagers and six of their parents. VCR viewing diaries were also kept separately by five teenagers and five parents. Ethnographic data were provided by participant-observation of VCR viewing in two family homes. Triangulation of data revealed that mothers' role included responsibility for video viewing content. Mothers became guides (and referees) for video selections, which supported previous research (Jordan, 1990; Krendl et al., 1993a ). Fathers in this study mentored family discussions after VCR viewing. Teenagers and their parents agreed that there were no rigid rules surrounding VCR viewing, however mothers expressed concern for video content. "R-rated" selections were acceptable, but some boundaries concerning video content were expressed during in-depth interviews. All parents were concerned with what they considered extreme violence in some movie portrayals, and such content was never welcome in their homes. Explicitly sexual content was also considered outside family boundaries. However, parents and teenagers found many video selections that provided a relaxing "time out/’ and these offered benefits for shared or private VCR viewing. Interaction and communication among family members was found to be positively promoted from video selection through viewing in the home. Teenagers, 13 to 15 years of age, needed someone with a driver's license to accompany them to the rental store, and the mother usually took this part. Some video content promoted family negotiation or discussion; other content promoted bonding among family members. However, VCR viewing consistently provided a valuable resource during this volatile transition period in family life. Viewing required communication and interaction among family members and encouraged conscious decision-making. This contributed to a balance in the family system and allowed video movies to become invited guests rather than intruders in participants' homes. Videos also offered families the opportunity to join together or to go separate ways as family growth evolved.

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