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Table of Contents

Studying Soap Operas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

A. Some characteristics of soap operas . . . . . . . . 3

B. Studying soap operas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

C. Soap opera in popular usage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

2. The Life of Soap Operas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

A. History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

B. Challenges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

C. Following soap operas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

D. Moving forward . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

3. Watching Soap Opera Viewers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

A. Characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

B. Children and young people . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

C. Audience engagement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

D. Audiences and meaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

E. Types of viewing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

F. Fans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

4. Studying Soap Operas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

A. Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

B. Genre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

C. Feminism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

D. Pleasure of viewing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

E. Representation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

F. Identity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

G. LGBT concerns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

H. Sexuality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

I. Politics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

J. The production of soap operas . . . . . . . . . . . .22

K. Aesthetics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

L. Studying specific programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

5. Teaching with Soap Operas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

A. The education-entertainment model . . . . . . . .24

B. Health campaigns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

C. Other education topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

D. New directions in educational soap operas . .27

6. Research Utilizing Soap Operas . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

7. Soap Operas Around the World . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

8. Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42

References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43

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