2. SOAP OPERA, REPRESENTATION AND THEMATISATION
2.3 Functions of soap operas
2.3.1 Soap opera as a vehicle of social change
Through television programmes as soap operas, the media sets the agenda for each programme that is produced and broadcast to target audiences. Soap operas have a series of issues that occur on a daily basis for audiences which unfold in the form of an agenda. To some extent, this can contribute to the development of society, also assisting in the expanded image of social reality. Some socio-political or economic agendas are set through soap operas that have enormous social interest where current events can be addressed and humourised (Mahlatsi, 2018).
However, in the colonial era, the media through press, radio and later television were used for seduction and dissimilation to inform and influence citizens of the peripheral countries about colonial culture. It is common knowledge that colonisers made programmes that would promote oppressive values and with the aim of demolishing local
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cultures, traditions and values of the colonised (Oliver & Oliver, 2017). However, most colonised countries were resistant enough to fight for liberation and democracy around the world. The existence of colonial media was that it was meant to bring civilization, popular culture and education to the colonised nations as it is claimed that there was no culture amongst those living in the marginalised countries (Oliver & Oliver, 2017).
2.3.2 Soap opera as a tool for edutainment
Soap operas also exist to entertain and educate audiences depending on their types.
Harrington, Scardaville and Lippmann (2015) maintain that entertainment is the main reason for the existence of soap opera in the developed countries where basic education is not relative to soap operas as citizens are mostly literate and well informed about social issues. Soap operas in developing countries entertain and subsequently serve as educational tools to reduce conflict amongst communities, eradicate poverty, communicate personal and educational development approaches to citizens. For that reason, a term referred to as edutainment which refers to a purposive placement of educational information in entertainment programmes and messages was coined to accommodate a relatively new purpose that soap operas serve in marginalised countries (Borzekowski, 2018).
Aladé and Nathanson (2016) elucidate that the edutainment function is referred to as drama-for-development because television programmes such as soap operas that were initially created to entertain are coupled with learning and progressive themes in their plots. Aspects of social, cultural and personal development are stewed in the narration of stories which prompts audiences to anticipate and expect more episodes to feed their suspense. Soap operas’ narrative traits allow them to be educative and entertaining within episodes with interchanging relevant themes that revolve around national, global and social issues that affect the society at large.
In Mexico, soap operas were specifically made for development. These soap operas are referred to as pro-development programmes as they were produced to promote development (Khalid & Ahmed, 2014). Soap operas are broadcast with the purpose of increasing society’s knowledge and shifting values and norms that influence social change. Equally important, soap operas are meant to spark conversations amongst
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audiences, interpersonal and intrapersonal introspection that should lead to social development (Phiri, 2019).
The most important strategy of edutainment through soap operas is to influence awareness and attitudes for the development of a country. For instance, a soap opera called Twenda na Wakati in Tanzania was produced to educate sexually active citizens about HIV prevention methods whilst, in 2007, India broadcasted Tinka Tinka Sukha to create awareness and educate audiences on issues of gender equality and community empowerment (Riley, Sood & Robichaud, 2017). In South Africa, soap operas such as Tsha Tsha and Yizo Yizo were used in the early 2000s to educate audiences on HIV/AIDS and the importance of civic education because it was significant and relevant at that time in the country (Milton, 2015).
In the developed countries, soap operas exist primarily to make revenue as these programmes are not primarily used to develop and educate citizens. This is influenced by the high rate of literacy, civilization and social, economic and political stability found in developed countries (Valor, 2018). The mandate of soap operas depends on the development of a country as broadcasters’ visions differ depending on the availability of funds among the private broadcasters as public broadcasters usually focus more on news and informing the citizens on core issues that concern the economy and the political state of affairs (Bello-Bravo, 2019). Soap operas in the developed countries are referred to as conventional programmes as their main aim is to depict issues of greed, violence and materialistic lifestyles. It is argued that these programmes are not concerned with development and pro-social values (Khalid & Ahmed, 2014).
In New Jersey, soap operas such as The Bold and the Beautiful, General Hospital and One Life to Live continue to purely entertain and generate revenue. These soap operas continue to survive although series programmes have taken over as the new soap operas, as they run on platforms such as Netflix where audiences pay monthly to watch these series. Public broadcasters continue to produce and broadcast the soap operas for entertainment of older generations that prefer to watch television sets rather than access programmes on gadgets as laptops and cell phones. This is an indication that public
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broadcasters do not rely on soap operas to educate but rather to entertain the few audiences that prefer traditional television networks and systems (Silver, 2019).
For this study, Skeem Saam is classified as an edutainment and pro-development soap opera as it is produced and broadcast in a developing country through the public broadcasting service. Skeem Saam’s storylines and themes are educative as social and economic challenges such as human trafficking, unemployment, black tax and poverty are showcased throughout the seasons of the soap opera. In the next chapters, a thorough examination of racial characterisation will elaborate on the kind of programme Skeem Saam is based on the classification in the next section.