Media Use and Political Engagement: Cross-Cultural Approaches| What Role Does Media Entertainment Play in Emerging Adults’ Political Identity and Engagement Across Cultures?

Authors

  • Frank M. Schneider University of Mannheim
  • Katharina Knop-Huelss Hanover University of Music, Drama and Media
  • Jinhee Kim Pohang University of Science and Technology
  • Larisa Buhin Touro College Berlin
  • Miriam Gröning Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg
  • Audris Umel Bremen International Graduate School of Social Sciences
  • Özen Odağ Touro College Berlin

Keywords:

media entertainment, identity status, political engagement, emerging adulthood, cross-cultural comparison

Abstract

In light of the controversial relationship and blurred lines between information and entertainment media, the current study’s goal aimed at qualitatively exploring media entertainment’s role in emerging adults’ political identity formation and engagement. By analyzing 55 semistructured interviews from Germany, Croatia, Turkey, South Korea, and the Philippines, we examined how emerging adults in 5 countries—differing in tightness-looseness, political culture, and media freedom—explore alternative political identities (identity exploration) and commit to a set of political values (identity commitment). Across countries, notable similarities supported the notion of traditional and new forms of entertainment as universal drivers of political identity formation and engagement (e.g., informational source, broadening one’s horizon). However, idiosyncrasies of countries reflected unique cultural values, beliefs, and norms, and the benefits of media entertainment pathways to political identity development appeared to depend on political freedom and democracy.

Author Biographies

Frank M. Schneider, University of Mannheim

Senior Researcher, Institute for Media and Communication Studies 

Katharina Knop-Huelss, Hanover University of Music, Drama and Media

Doctoral Student, Department of Journalism and Communication Research

Jinhee Kim, Pohang University of Science and Technology

Associate Professor, Division of Humanities and Social Sciences,

Larisa Buhin, Touro College Berlin

Associate Professor

Miriam Gröning, Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg

M.A. Student, Heidelberg Centre for Transcultural Studies

Audris Umel, Bremen International Graduate School of Social Sciences

Doctoral Student

Özen Odağ, Touro College Berlin

Associate Professor

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Published

2023-02-13

Issue

Section

Special Sections