Valores morales, empatía e identificación con los personajes de ficción: el universo representativo de “Cuéntame cómo pasó” (TVE)

En la presente investigación se muestran los resultados de un estudio de base experimental sobre el análisis de los valores morales presentes en la serie emitida por Televisión Española “Cuéntame cómo pasó”. La discusión se centra en los valores morales como el aspecto nuclear de este constructo audiovisual, en especial en su posible correlación con la identificación de los personajes y la empatía ficcional del formato. En el estudio participaron 47 estudiantes universitarios y 36 personas de más edad, quienes fueron sometidos a unos cuestionarios analíticos anteriores y posteriores al visionado de dos capítulos de la serie televisiva. Tras la aplicación pre-test y post-test de la Escala de Comportamientos Morales Controvertidos, y las escalas EDI (Identificación con los personajes de relatos audiovisuales de ficción) e IRI (Interpersonal Reactivity Index), se revela que aunque el sexo y la edad no son factores explicativos, el visionado del capítulo de ficción es capaz de provocar un cambio en la escala moral en los sujetos.

Nostalgic representation of reality in television fiction: an empirical study based on the analysis of the Spanish television series Cuéntame cómo pasó

The Spanish transition from dictatorship to democracy is often described as an example of negotiation or agreement between the elites (Sánchez Cuenca and Aguilar, 2009: 433). Journalistic and political elites, aware of their important historical role, agreed a consensus on certain issues (democracy, constitution, amnesty) or characters (King Juan Carlos I), in order to ensure the stability of the democratic process (Zugasti, 2007, 2008). Television, which articulates the discourse of the masses, has been one of the basic means used to illustrate the development. Among the highlights of recent major audiovisual content, Cuéntame cómo pasó (2001-present) -a TV-series designed to explain changes with a nostalgic tone in Spanish society since 1968 until today- stands out. By choosing a random sample of episodes for this research we propose to verify the validity of the representation of the political process which contextualizes the series. By analyzing many elements, such as the opinions of the main characters, their personal, political and geographical situations, we try to show the construction of a focal point that sanctifies the official version. We also stress the pacifying and nostalgic tone, which constructs stereotypes and taboos about the process and which characterizes this series as a symbolic culmination of the democratization undertaken by the elites.

Gender portrayals in food commercials: a content analysis of Spanish television advertisements

Content analysis of media messages from a gender perspective has a long tradition. In the particular field of advertising, most of the researches have been focused on generic samples of advertisements or on the advertising traditionally associated to a masculine or a feminine audience. However, few authors have analyzed gender contents in food advertising, in spite of the close relationship between gender structures and the social processes of food purchase and preparation. Thus, gender representations in food advertising broadcast in Spanish television are analyzed in this article. The main results obtained show clear gender differences. For example, there is a clear predominance of masculine voices over and a more balanced situation regarding protagonists. Besides, feminine protagonists are more frequently located indoors, portrayed as attractive women and connected to advertising claims related to beauty or to the healthy qualities of the product.