TV's Negative Portrayal of Working Class Shapes Viewer Attitudes, Study Finds
Heavy television viewers are significantly more likely to blame poverty and inequality on personal failures rather than structural factors, according to Swedish research. The finding suggests media representation directly influences public attitudes toward social mobility—a concern for policymakers designing welfare programs and for broadcasters facing scrutiny over class portrayal.
Originaltitel: Does it Make a Difference?: Television’s Misrepresentation of the Working-Class as Cultivation Effects
<p>Previous research has concluded that the working-class is largely invisible on television. When the working-class is displayed; however, common frames highlight moral shortcomings and lack of responsibility. This study asks what difference such representations make. The study relies on cultivation analysis and a survey of the adult Swedish population to understand the extent to which heavy television viewers provide “television answers” in their descriptions of and attitudes toward the working-class. While some results are inconsistent, heavy television viewers seem more prone to view social inequalities as the result of working-class people's failure to take responsibility for their own well-being.</p>