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Soap Opera, Then and Now
Author(s) -
Harrington C. Lee
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
sociology compass
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 31
ISSN - 1751-9020
DOI - 10.1111/soc4.12349
Subject(s) - opera , sociality , sociology , scholarship , legitimacy , identity (music) , relevance (law) , soap , entertainment , media studies , aesthetics , social science , history , law , art history , political science , art , ecology , politics , world wide web , computer science , biology
This essay examines the sustained sociological relevance of US daytime soap operas, a seemingly dead or dying generic form that continues to influence the entertainment landscape as well as media scholars from across the academy. The essay begins by examining soaps' longstanding resonance with three‐core sociological concerns: identity, community or sociality, and cultural legitimacy. It then discusses scholarly research opportunities associated with the recent decline of the genre and concludes by examining current debates in soap opera scholarship.