Date of Award
2018
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
Education
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to determine how Black youth use television as a tool to communicate in their social interactions with their peers. The research question for this project is; In what ways do Black youth use Black television as a tool in school social settings? This study took a qualitative approach that called for the method of focus groups. Black students between the ages of 10-20 gathered into four focus groups to discuss how they use Black content to communicate with their peers. The results of the research show that Black youth use Black television as a tool in social settings for communication. Black students adapt vernacular and gestures from Black television shows to address interpersonal conflicts in social settings. The study also indicates that the portrayals of stereotypical Black characters on Black television shape the way Black students see themselves and allow themselves to communicate in social settings. The findings also show that Black television is interpreted as reality to most of the focus group participants and that girls more than boys use television to communicate with their peers. The study can play an integral role in their cultural capital.
Recommended Citation
Smith, Kiersten M., "The Educated Hustlers and Divas: How Black Youth Use Black Television as a Tool to Communicate While in School." (2018). Master's Theses. 4011.
https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_theses/4011
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
Copyright Statement
Copyright © 2018 Kiersten M Smith
