INFLUENCE OF CHARACTER ROLES IN COMEDIC MOVIES ON ATTITUDES TOWARDS SEXUAL ORIENTATIONS OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN KENYA

Authors

  • Francis Maina Mararo Department of Media Technology and Applied Communication: Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT)
  • Professor Hellen K. Mberia Department of Media Technology and Applied Communication: Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), Kenya
  • Dr. Lillian K. Omoke Department of Humanities University of Embu (UoEm), Kenya

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47604/ijcpr.1359

Keywords:

Comedic Movies, Attitudes, Sexual Orientations.

Abstract

Purpose: This research intended to determine the influence of character roles in Comedic movies on attitudes towards sexual orientations such as lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders (LGBTs) of University students in Kenya. Comedic movies have exploited and portrayed various controversial topics including LGBTs using satire, irony, sarcasm, and stereotypes for humor purposes. The study used social learning theory (SLT) as the underlying proposition.

Methodology: The study used mixed methods research design that further used a convergent parallel mixed method model to obtain quantitative and qualitative data. It targeted University students sampled from 7 main chartered public and private Universities in Nairobi County. A sample size of 467 students was used. Focus group discussions involving 30 FGDs participants were also involved. Further, content analysis of the Modern Family comedic movie containing sexual orientations contents was also done. Inferential statistics used were descriptive, correlation, regression and ANOVA analysis.

Findings: The study revealed that indeed comedic movies use humor to introduce and thus influence attitudes towards sexual orientations of University students in Kenya. For instance, majority of the respondents agreed that there are more comedic movies containing positive sexual orientations character roles contents which eventually influenced the attitudes towards sexual orientations of University students in Kenya. Additionally, a majority of the respondents agreed that they are more tolerant and accepting of sexual orientations/LGBTs because of watching comedic movies containing sexual orientations. The study also noted that there is an increasing number of University students who openly admitted to be LGBTs.

Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: This study identified the media's role in changing the youths' attitudes towards sexual orientations. Evidence from media contents and societal occurrences, indicated that such sexual orientations are no longer hidden. Also, there have been increased open discussions of LGBTs plights and rights in the Kenyan media recently. Therefore, media contents in Kenya have become a ready platform through which contents with these sexual orientations have been exposed to the broader audience. However, the study also noted that this exposure has been met with diverse views splitting opinions with some opponents being homophobic.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

Francis Maina Mararo, Department of Media Technology and Applied Communication: Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT)

Ph.D. Student

Professor Hellen K. Mberia, Department of Media Technology and Applied Communication: Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), Kenya

Lecturer

Dr. Lillian K. Omoke, Department of Humanities University of Embu (UoEm), Kenya

Lecturer

References

Anaeto, S. G., Onabajo. O. S., Osifeso, J, B. (2008). Theories And Models of Communication.

Maryland, USA. African Renaissance Books Inc; 57-136

Bandura, A. (1971). Social Learning Theory. New York: General Learning Press.

Basow, S. A., & Howe, K. G. (1980). Role-model influence: Effects of sex

and sex role attitude in college students. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 4, 558-572.

Bond, B. J., Hefner, V., & Drogos, K. L. (2009). Information-seeking practices during the sexual

development of lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals: The influence and effects of coming out in a mediated environment. Sexuality and Culture, 13, 32-50. Doi:10.1007/s12119-008-9041-y.

Boon, S. D., & Lomore, C. D. (2001). Admirer-celebrity relationships among young adults:

Explaining perceptions of celebrity influence on identity. Human Communication Research, 27, 432-465.

Bufin, J., & Eschholz, S. (2000). Images of sex and rape: A content analysis of popular film. Violence Against Women, 6(12), 1317-1344.

Calzo, J. P., & Ward, L. M. (2009). Contributions of parents, peers, and media to attitudes towards

homosexuality: Investigating sex and ethnic differences. Journal of Homosexuality. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 53:2, 280-299, DOI: 10.1080/08838150902908049

Chambers, S. (2009). The Queer Politics of Television. London and New York: I.B. Taurus.

Cheung, C., & Yue, X. D. (2003). Adolescent modeling after luminary and star idols and

development of self-efficacy. International Journal of Adolescence and Youth, 11(3),251-267.

Chi, X, & Hawk, S.T. (2016), Attitudes toward Same-Sex Attraction and Behavior among Chinese

University Students: Tendencies, Correlates, and Gender Differences. Front. Psychol. 7:1592. Doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01592

Clum, J. M. (2000). Still acting gay (Rev. Ed.). New York, NY: St Martin's Griffin.

Davis, G., (2007). Queer as folk. London: British Film Institute.

Deiter, N. (August 17, 1976). Gay people on television, unpublished article.

Dobinson, C., & Young, K. (2000). Popular cinema and lesbian interpretive strategies. Journal of

Homosexuality, 4(2), 97-122.

Dunn, K. (2010). Biological determinism and LGBT Tolerance: a quantitative exploration of

biopolitical beliefs. West. J. Black Stud. 34 367-379.

Dyer, R., (1986). Heavenly Bodies: Film Stars and Society. Basingstoke: Macmillan.

Evelyn, S. M. and Kupa, M. A. (2015). "The viewers perception on the portrayal of gays and

lesbians in selected television programmes". Unpublished MA Dissertation, University of Limpopo.

Fejes, F, Petrich, K. (1993). Invisibility, homophobia, and heterosexism: Lesbians, gays, and the

media. Critical Studies in Mass Communication. 10:396-422.

Field, A. P. (2013). Discovering statistics using SPSS: and sex and drug and rock "˜n' (4th ed.)

London: Sage

Fisher, A, D., Hill, J, D., Joel., W, G., Gruber., L, E., (2007). Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Content

on Television: A Quantitative Analysis Across Two; 52(3-4): 167-188.

Fouts, G., & Inch, R. (2005). Homosexuality in TV situation comedies: Characters and verbal

comments. Journal of Homosexuality, 49(1), 35-45.

Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, (2000). Where are we now on TV report: 2000

season. Retrieved 8th May 2018 from https://www.glaad.org/publications/whereweareontv11.

Goldman, N. (2013). Comedy and Democracy: The Role of Humor in Social

Justice. Washington DC.

Gomillion, S.C., & Giuliano, T.A. (2011). The influence of media role models on gay, lesbian, and

bisexual identity. Journal of Homosexuality, 58, 330-354 Doi:10.1080/00918369.2011.546729.

Greenberg, B. S., & Busselle, R. W. (1996). Soap operas and sexual activity:

A decade later. Journal of Communication, 46,153-160.

Gross, L. (1994), What is wrong with this picture? Lesbian women and gay men on television. In:

Ringer, RJ.,editor. Queer words, queer images: Communication and construction of homosexuality. New York, NY: New York University Press;. P. 143-156.

Gross, L. (2001). Up from invisibility: Lesbians, gay men, and the media in America. New York:

Columbia University Press.

Hart, K. R. (2000). Representing Gay men on American television. The Journal of Men's Studies,

(1) 59-79.

Hicks, G., (2002). "Media at the Margins: Homoerotic Appeals to the Gay

and Lesbian Community," In Sex in Advertising: Perspectives on the Erotic Appeal. Reichert et al., eds., Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Independent Advisory Group on Country Information-IAGCI, (2020, April), Country Policy and

Information Note Kenya: Sexual orientation and gender identity and expression, London.

Karunanayake, D., & Nauta, M. M. (2004). The relationship between race and students' identified

career role models and perceived role model influence. Career Development Quarterly, 52(3), 225-234. Doi: 10.1002/j.2161-0045.2004.tb00644.x

Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (2013), population data on education, https://www.knbs.or.ke/

Kivel, B. D., & Kleiber, D. A., (2000). Leisure in the identity formation of lesbian/gay youth:

Personal, but not social. Leisure Sciences, 22, 215-232.

Kodero, H.M, Misigo, B.L, Owino, E.A, Mucherah, W., (2011), Perceptions of Students on

Homosexuality in Secondary Schools in Kenya. Int. J. Curr. Res.3(7):279-284.

Lockwood, P. (2006). "Someone like me can be successful": Do college students need Same gender role models? Psychology of Women Quarterly, 30(1), 36-46. Doi: 10.1111/j.1471-6402.2006.00260.x

Matthews, D. (2005). Media memories: The first cable/VCR generation recalls their childhood and

adolescent media viewing. Mass Communication and Society, 6: 219-241.

Mbugua, S, N., & Mbindyo, J., (2010), Mass media framing of homosexuals: A content analysis of

the National daily newspapers in Kenya. Unpublished thesis submitted at the University of Nairobi, Kenya.

Natalie, E., (2010). Queer British television: policy and practice, 1997-2007. PhD thesis, University of Nottingham.

Ndonye, M. M, Yieke, F, & Onyango, O.J. (2015). Ethnicity as discursive construct in Kenyan

Television comedy humorous harm? Journal Pan African Studies, Vol. 18, No. 3, august 2015.

Ochman, J. M. (1996). The effects of nongender-role stereotyped, same-sex role models in

storybooks on the self-esteem of children in grade three. Sex Roles, 35, 711-736.

Oliver, M.B., & Kalyanaraman, S. (2002). Appropriate for all viewing audiences? An examination

of violent and sexual portrayals in movie previews featured on video rentals. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 46(2), 283-299.

Omondi, W., Kiptiony, J., and Chemwei, B., (2016). Perception of University Students on the

Influence of Religious Affiliation on Homosexuality Adoption in Universities in Rift Valley Region, Kenya, International Journal of Scientific Research and Innovative Technology. Vol. 3 No. 9; ISSN: 2313-3759.

Pearl, J., & Pearl, J. (1999). The chosen image: Television's portrayal of Jewish themes and

characters. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company.

Pew Research Center (2014). Public sees Religion's Influence Waning: Growing Appetite for

Religion in Politics. www.pewresearch.org.

Raley, A.B., & Lucas, J.L. (2006). Stereotype or success? Prime-time television's portrayals of gay

male, lesbian, and bisexual characters. Journal of Homosexuality, 51(2), 19-38.

Rao, S. (2011). "Joke's on you!" Stand-up comedy performance and the management of hecklers.

Senior thesis, Department of Sociology, Haverford College.

Renze, J, and Weisstein, E, W. (2018), law of large numbers, from Mathworld-A wolfram web

resource. http://mathworld.wolfram.com/LawofLargeNumbers.html

Rudy, H. (2016), The Depiction of Homosexuality in American Movies, Faculty of Pedagogy and

Education Universitas Prima Indonesia (UNPRI) Medan, Vol. 28.

Sawyer, S. F. (2009). Analysis of Variance: The Fundamental Concepts. Journal of Manual &

Manipulative Therapy, 17(2), 27E-38E.

Seif, R., (2017). The Media Representation of Fictional Gay and Lesbian Characters on Television: A Qualitative Analysis of U.S. TV-series regarding Heteronormativity.

Streitmatter, R., (2009). From "˜perverts' to "˜fab five'. The media's changing depiction of gay men

and lesbians. New York and London: Routledge.

Svetkey, B. (2000, October 6). Is your TV set gay? Entertainment Weekly, 24-28. Unpublished

Masters thesis, Jonkoping University school of education and communication.

Smith, S. L, Choueiti, M, & Pieper, K., (2016). Inequality in 800 popular films: Examining

portrayals of gender, race/ethnicity, LGBTs, and disability from 2007-2015.

Udo-Akang, D, (2012), Theoretical Constructs, Concepts, and Applications, American

international journal of contemporary research, Vol. 2(9) www.aijcrnet.com

Wittgenstein, L. (2007). Lecturers and Conversations on Aesthetics, Psychology and Religious

Belief. U.S.A: University of California Press. Print.

Wohlford, K. E., Lochman, J. E., & Barry, T. D. (2004). The relation between chosen role models

and the self-esteem of men and women. Sex Roles, 50, 575-582.

Yamane, T, (1973). Statistics: an introductory analysis. 3rd ed. New York (N.Y): Harper and

Row.

Downloads

Published

2021-09-04

How to Cite

Mararo, F., Mberia, H., & Omoke, L. (2021). INFLUENCE OF CHARACTER ROLES IN COMEDIC MOVIES ON ATTITUDES TOWARDS SEXUAL ORIENTATIONS OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN KENYA. International Journal of Communication and Public Relation, 6(2), 54 – 74. https://doi.org/10.47604/ijcpr.1359

Issue

Section

Articles