Abstract

The aim of this study was to analyze whether television viewing habits themselves contribute to defining the gender significance in a sample of 577 adolescents (270 boys and 307 girls) from the Basque Autonomous Region. Using responses to the CTV (Television Habits Questionnaire), the authors found several groups of people according to various indicators. Results indicate that television reproduces social gender stereotypes and may contribute to their perpetuation. Furthermore, the group most exposed to contents is the adolescent girls, in which an explicit lack of distinction between private and public life, and between more conventional and personal values can be found.

Abstract

Nowadays television plays an important role in the socialization of children and adolescents, by making available a wide range of models of behaviour. However, watching television is an activity that takes place, mainly, in a family context. Therefore, the family has an important mediating role. A study conducted in Coimbra with students from the 4th, 6th and 8th grades, suggests that family mediation should be more intentional and more frequent, in order to promote the development of active and critical TV viewers.