Parler de télévision, parler de soi

Abstract

As a practice which constitutes the daily life of families, television viewing both structures and is structured by, the dynamics and social organization characteristic of the family. Far from functioning in a deterministic fashion, this role seems rather to be dependant upon the meanings and functions attributed by the different members participating in the activity and of the uses they make of it. Moreover, it also depends on the value investments and the social interactions that stem from the importance accorded to television viewing in conjunction with other daily activities. Through an analysis of the discourse produced by the members of a sample of families, this study updates how and up to what point talking about television within the family becomes a method for the auto-definition of each member. It is also a place for the construction of a theoretical definition of the family.

Keywords

• television
• uses
• identity
• discourse analysis
• family