Homophobia and the Reception of Lesbian Characters in Audiovisual Narratives

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.12804/revistas.urosario.edu.co/disertaciones/a.5016

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Published: Dec 8, 2017
Issue: Vol. 11 No. 1 (2018): (Jan-Jun) Audience and Reception Studies: Minority Audiences and New Mediations
Section Estudios (Studies)


Keywords: Homophobia , identification with characters , reception , media psychology , lesbians Homofobia , identificación con los personajes , recepción , psicología de los medios , lesbianas homofobia , identificação com as personagens , recepção , psicologia dos meios , lésbicas

Main Article Content

Authors

  Isabel María Villegas Simón UNIVERSITAT AUTÒNOMA DE BARCELONA
Ariadna Angulo-Brunet Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Kexin Liu Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Abstract
The presence of lesbian characters has increased in popular audiovisual narratives such as television series and movies. It is therefore necessary to explore how they are perceived by heterogeneous audiences. The main goal of this research is to explore the relationship between homophobia, identification with characters, and enjoyment as processes of narrative reception in audiovisual fiction featuring lesbians. To do this, an empirical study was carried out, consisting of an online questionnaire in which 140 participants answered questions about their degree of homophobia. Then they watched prescribed television material and finally answered questions related to identification, enjoyment, and taste. Afer obtaining evidence of the validity of the Modern Homophobia Scale (mhS-l), the relationships between the scale’s dimensions and other variables were explored. The primary results show that people who have a lower degree of institutional homophobia enjoy the video and like it more. Likewise, men identify more intensely with lesbian characters and gays and lesbians enjoy it more. These results are interpreted in the light of media entertainment theories.
Author Biography

Isabel María Villegas Simón, UNIVERSITAT AUTÒNOMA DE BARCELONA

Doctoranda en el Departament de Comunicació Audiovisual i Publicitat de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
How to Cite
Villegas Simón, I. M., Angulo-Brunet, A., & Liu, K. (2017). Homophobia and the Reception of Lesbian Characters in Audiovisual Narratives. Anuario Electrónico De Estudios En Comunicación Social "Disertaciones", 11(1), 90–109. https://doi.org/10.12804/revistas.urosario.edu.co/disertaciones/a.5016
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