First published in 1990, this title presents a rich account of how television intersects with family life in American and other world cultures. From an analysis of the political and cultural significance of China's most important television series to detailed descriptions of how families in the United States interpret and use television at home, James Lull's ethnographic work marks an important stage in the study of the role of the mass media in contemporary culture. This title will be of interest not only to those in media and communications, but also to those in the broader fields of cultural anthropology and sociology.

Contenu

List of tables; Preface by David Morley; Acknowledgments; 1. An emerging tradition: ethnographic research on television audiences 2. The social uses of television 3. Family communication patterns and the social uses of television 4. A rules approach to the study of television and society 5. How families select television programmes: a mass-observational study 6. China's New Star: the reformation on prime-time television 7. Cultural variation in family television viewing 8. Ethnographic studies of broadcast media audiences: notes on method; Index