Taking Account of The Macro in the Micro-Politics of Family Viewing - Generational Strategies

This article uses Bourdieu's concept of habitus, to explore how externaldiscourses relating to young people and television, enter into themicro-politics of family viewing. It is based, primarily, on observation datacollected by informants in the homes of young people. These data reveal thetactics and strategies that are used both by the young people and by their‘parents’ to control the viewing process. It is possible to tentatively identifythe projection of discourses of vulnerability onto young people who, in turn,attempt to position themselves as competent viewers evoking public discoursesaround youth and media savvy. Within the family setting these viewers develop a‘sense for the game’ of viewing which informs the strategies they use toincrease their control of the viewing experience.