Entertaining Beliefs in Economic Mobility / Eunji Kim.

Format:

Book

Thesis/Dissertation

Author/Creator:

Kim, Ŭn-ji (Art scholar), author.

Contributor:

Mutz, Diana C., degree supervisor.

Hopkins, Daniel J., degree supervisor.

University of Pennsylvania. Department of Political Science, degree granting institution.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Political science.

Communication.

Political science--Penn dissertations.

Penn dissertations--Political science.

Local Subjects:

Political science.

Communication.

Political science--Penn dissertations.

Penn dissertations--Political science.

Genre:

Academic theses.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (138 pages)

Contained In:

Dissertations Abstracts International 81-04A.

Place of Publication:

[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania] : University of Pennsylvania ; Ann Arbor : ProQuest Dissertations & Theses, 2019.

Language Note:

English

System Details:

Mode of access: World Wide Web.

text file

Summary:

Americans have long believed in upward economic mobility and the narrative of the American Dream. Even in the face of rising income inequality, and substantial empirical evidence that economic mobility has declined in recent decades, most Americans remain convinced of the prospects for upward mobility. What explains this disconnect? I argue that Americans' media diets play an important role in explaining this puzzle. Specifically, contemporary Americans are watching a record number of entertainment TV programs emphasizing "rags-to-riches" narratives. Using detailed Nielsen ratings data and original content analyses, I demonstrate that such shows have become a ubiquitous part of the American media landscape over the last two decades. In three national surveys, I find that exposure to these programs increases viewers' beliefs in the American Dream; for heavy viewers, this effect is as powerful as that of having immigrant parents. Experiments conducted both online and in a lab-in-the-field setting establish that these media effects are causal. Importantly, the rags-to-riches programs, with their narrative emphasis on meritocracy, legitimize income inequality and dampen public support for redistribution. My results shed light on the lingering puzzle of why public preferences for redistribution have not shifted much despite rising disparities in wealth. By boldly expanding what constitutes politically relevant information in this post-broadcast democracy, my dissertation also carries important implications for the study of public opinion more generally.

Notes:

Source: Dissertations Abstracts International, Volume: 81-04, Section: A.

Advisors: Mutz, Diana C.; Hopkins, Daniel J.; Committee members: Matthew Levendusky; Michael Delli Carpini; Marc Meredith; Yphtach Lelkes.

Department: Political Science.

Ph.D. University of Pennsylvania 2019.

Local Notes:

School code: 0175

ISBN:

9781088352878

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license.

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