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Television organizations might also use the Internet message boards
as a rich medium to investigate audience response. TV Globo did
have a message board for the telenovela, as well as Telemundo. However,
the message board on Telemundo does not use the threaded format,
which makes it difficult to have the posts as a dialogue. The web
site for the telenovela might also be used as a continuation of
the educational process that is initiated by the telenovela. For
example, in the Globo “O Clone” web site there are many
additional sources of information regarding alcoholism and Muslim
culture. Visitors to the web site can learn about the different
Arabic words used in the novela and their translation, as well as
having deeper explanations of the themes touched by the novela.
This research methodology collaborates to the practice of audience
studies, with the utilization of the Internet and the discussion
board as the background for the study. The study of the posts allows
for the observation of the reactions and comments of the forum participants
in their own words, through the analysis of the messages, and without
the researcher’s interference. It helps to comprehend how
they translate the telenovela message, how they help each other
to clarify misconceptions and misrepresentations, and how they relate
what they see in the novela into their lives and how they critically
interpret the cultural content of the soap. The message writers
are highly involved with the telenovela, their participation in
the forum attest to that. It is important to emphasize that the
differentiated audience, fans of the telenovela, does not allow
extrapolation of the conclusions to the general population of viewers
of the telenovela. However, this limitation should not overshadow
the significance of the study. The research results can be important
to generate additional examination and inquiry efforts in an area
where there is need of further exploration (McAnany & La Pastina,
1999).
This dissertation has an axiological philosophical approach where
the values of the researcher are expressed, not only in the selection
of the theme, but also in the theories that sustain the investigation.
The theoretical framework for this research combines Bandura’s
social learning/cognitive theory notion of vicarious learning, self-reflective
capabilities, and Freire’s theory of dialogue and critical
thinking. These theories share a common belief that individuals
and communities have the intrinsic power to bring change through
self-efficacy and empowerment.
The utilization of the media as an educational tool has been implemented
in Entertainment-educational programs, based on Bandura’s
social learning/cognitive theory model of vicarious learning. These
programs are usually based on the dominant paradigm of development
communications, which believes in the utilization of the media in
the promotion of social change. On the other hand, Freire’s
dialogical communication believes in interpersonal communication
and community participation to accomplish change. Participatory
strategies advocate including the needs and wants of the population
in the process. Scholars that examined entertainment-education strategies
have established the need of interpersonal communication in order
to change behavior (Papa et. al, 2000). And some evaluators of the
participatory approach have also recognized the need of transmission
of knowledge in the implementation of projects (Morris, 2001).
This study is an indication that it is possible to find a common
ground in both theories and come up with a construct that will allow
the utilization of the media as an important font of information
dissemination, but also take into account interpersonal interactions,
dialogue, and critical thinking. The online messages are related
to the telenovela content related to Muslim culture, and the shared
knowledge and experiences that take place in the forum can be analyzed
as part of the construction of the social learning environment and
the participatory communication. The viewers learn vicariously by
watching the televised drama and by sharing their understanding
and doubts in the message board.
Even though these theories are sometimes seen as opposite, in this
research they are actually complementary. The intention here is
not to mix Bandura and Freire and come up with a third theory, but
it is rather to understand these theories in their essence and find
a common denominator. At the heart of these theories lie their commonalities:
the belief that individuals and communities have the intrinsic power
to bring change through self-efficacy and empowerment.
The effectiveness of this construct is demonstrated in using these
two theories to anchor this research. This new approach allowed
for the elaboration of a proposed model that extracted the ideas
of vicarious learning, self-reflective capabilities from Bandura’s
social learning theory and the notions of critical thinking and
dialogue championed by Freire along with their common belief in
self-efficacy and empowerment.
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