This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Henderson, L. Articles by Franklin, B. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                   What's this?

Sad Not Bad

Images of Social Care Professionals in Popular UK Television Drama

Brunel University, UK, lesley.henderson{at}brunel.ac.uk

Bob Franklin

Cardiff University, Wales, UK

• Summary: The social work profession has a negative profile in news media but how is it presented in television drama? We report on a study of social workers and social care professionals in UK television drama between March and May 2003. Using detailed quantitative content analysis and qualitative thematic analysis we examine how characters are positioned within the fictional community (their role in storylines, personal and professional attributes, relationship with other characters).

• Findings: Social care workers and social workers are largely synonymous in television drama and tend to feature in storylines concerning children (access disputes, fostering, adoption). However, our findings reveal an unexpected paradox. Television drama is apparently more likely to portray these characters in positive terms, as friendly, sympathetic and `good listeners'. At the same time, social care characters are represented as highly bureaucratic, isolated, sad individuals rather than an integral part of the — largely working class — community that they serve.

• Applications: Television drama represents an important cultural resourcewhere stereotypes associated with news media may be challenged. If we are to gain a better understanding of why the profession is marginalized in television fiction it is important to explore the process of production with those who make the programmes.

Key Words: drama • image • soap opera • social work • television

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				A. McInnes and V. Lawson-Brown `God' and Other `Do-Gooders': A Comparison of the Regulation of Services Provided by General Practitioners and Social Workers in England Journal of Social Work, December 1, 2007; 7(3): 341 - 354. [Abstract] [PDF]