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Leedham, Maria
(2024).
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/14680173241240980
Abstract
Summary
Social workers, alongside many professionals in ‘caring’ domains often feel they are poorly represented in television dramas. This study draws on a 172-million-word database to consider how social workers and seven other professions (cop, doctor, nanny, nurse, priest, teacher, therapist) are portrayed in English-medium TV programmes in the period 2010-2017. IMDb plot summaries are analysed, and 200 examples per profession (n=1,600) are classified as negative, positive or neutral. Employing the methodology of corpus linguistics, the study contrasts with previous research as the focus is on the language surrounding mentions of professionals rather than on visual depictions or characters’ actions.
Findings
The study evidences the prevalence of negative societal discourses around social workers as either judgmental bureaucrats or uncaring ‘childcatchers’, contextualising the findings through comparison with other professionals. The analysis also suggests that social work characters on TV – in common with those from other female-dominated professions such as nanny, nurse – are frequently referred to in terms of their sexual availability or physical appearance.
Applications
Findings will have practical relevance for those interested in the recruitment, job satisfaction and retention of practitioners, and in reducing the stigmatisation of social workers and their clients. The innovative methodology employed in the study offers particular insights for social work researchers and also script writers. The study evidences the ongoing need to support media professionals and the general public to better understand the challenges facing the profession and thereby reduce the tendency towards a culture of blaming individuals for society’s failings.
Plain Language Summary
Social workers often feel they are poorly represented in television dramas. This study compares the depiction of social workers with that of a range of other professionals, using a large collection of television transcripts. Examples are classified as negative, positive or neutral. In addition, the study found that social work characters are often negatively described as either bureaucrats or 'childcatchers'. Social workers as well as other female-dominated professions such as nanny or nurse are often referred to in terms of their sexual availability or physical appearance. It is hoped that this study will support media professionals and the general public to better understand the challenges facing the profession and thereby reduce the tendency towards a culture of blaming individuals for society’s failings.
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)
