The representation of women in the family in Spanish television fiction

The rise of television drama in the late nineties challenged comedy as the most popular and resilient genre of fiction. The diversity of themes and growing complexity of new narratives have relegated family representations –key to comedy’s success- to contextualize sentimental and sexual relationships and, to a lesser extent, the work sphere of female characters. This article analyses the context and family relations of 709 female characters represented, with varying degrees of importance, in 84 programs of Spanish television fiction (series, serials, TV movies, miniseries and sketches) premiered in 2012 and 2013. The approach combines quantitative (SPSS coding) and qualitative (socio-semiotics and script theory) methods. The analysis reveals that Spanish television fiction offers a complex picture of family relationships, which mixes clichés and stereotypes, while trying to capture reality. Generational conflicts are the most common misunderstandings in everyday representations of female characters, although most of the women generally have the support of their families to address problems and difficulties of their exciting fictional experiences.El auge del drama televisivo, a finales de los noventa, le disputó a la comedia el protagonismo que la había convertido en el género más popular y resistente de la ficción a lo largo de más de cuatro décadas. La variedad de temáticas y la creciente complejidad narrativa de los nuevos formatos de ficción fueron relegando las representaciones de la familia, la clave del éxito de la comedia, al contexto de los avatares sentimentales, sexuales y, en menor medida, laborales de los personajes femeninos. Este artículo analiza el contexto y las relaciones familiares de los 709 personajes femeninos representados, con un grado variable de protagonismo, en los 84 programas de la ficción televisiva española de estreno (series, seriales, TVmovies, miniseries y sketches), emitidos a lo largo de 2012 y 2013. El método utilizado combina técnicas cuantitativas (codificación en SPSS) y cualitativas (socio-semiótica y script theory). El análisis revela que la ficción televisiva española proyecta una imagen compleja de la familia, en la que se mezclan tópicos y estereotipos, pero que intenta reflejar la realidad. Los conflictos generacionales representen las desavenencias más frecuentes de la vida cotidiana de los personajes analizados, aunque la mayor parte de las mujeres representadas en el contexto familiar suelen contar con apoyo de los suyos para afrontar los problemas y los conflictos de sus azarosas existencias de ficción.Este artículo ha sido elaborado en el marco del proyecto “La construcción social de la mujer en la ficción televisiva y la web 2.0: estereotipos, recepción y retroalimentación” (FEM2012-33411), financiado por el Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad. En esta parte de la investigación han participado, además de las autoras, Deborah Castro, Mariluz Sánchez, Belén Granda, Tatiana Hidalgo, Elsa Soro y Karina Tiznado (investigadoras), y Marc Bellmunt, Germán Muñoz, Lucía Trabajo, Estitxu Garay y Amaia Nerecan (colaboradores)

TELEVISIÓN CRÍTICA O INDUSTRIA DE LA RISA: EL CASO DE LA COMEDIA TELEVISIVA ESPAÑOLA (1990-2018)

Abstract: The critical potential of humour in television comedy has generatedan extensive debate among researchers of television fiction. Thesitcom, its main exponent, has been valued as a reproductive vehicle of the dominant ideology by a significant number of scholars. However, others authors have highlighted their transgressive capacity. This article analyses the critical or conservative meanings of the Spanish television comedy of the last 30 years focusing, mainly, on the introduction of current issues and problems that connect with the concerns of the audience and their respective narrative treatment.Resumen: El potencial crítico del humor en la comedia televisiva ha generadoun extenso debate entre los investigadores de la ficción televisiva.La sitcom, su principal exponente, ha sido valorada como vehículo reproductorde la ideología dominante por un número significativo de estudiosos.Otros, en cambio, han destacado su capacidad transgresora. Eneste artículo se analizan las significaciones críticas o conservadoras de lacomedia televisiva española de los últimos 30 años centrándonos, principalmente,en la introducción de temáticas de actualidad y problemáticasque conectan con las preocupaciones de la audiencia y su respectivo tratamientonarrativo. Abstract: The critical potential of humour in television comedy has generatedan extensive debate among researchers of television fiction. Thesitcom, its main exponent, has been valued as a reproductive vehicle of the dominant ideology by a significant number of scholars. However, others authors have highlighted their transgressive capacity. This article analyses the critical or conservative meanings of the Spanish television comedy of the last 30 years focusing, mainly, on the introduction of current issues and problems that connect with the concerns of the audience and their respective narrative treatment

Inflammatory mediators and immune response in Mexican adolescents

Introduction: Low-grade inflammation and increased immunity related to cardiovascular diseases have been described in children and adults, however, studies in Mexican adolescents are being done at present. Objective: To evaluate inflammatory proteins and indicators of immunity in adolescents by gender and body mass index. Material and methods: 115 Mexican adolescents, 15-18 years old (36 men), were divided into non-overweight, risk of overweight and overweight by CDC pediatric criteria by body mass index. Serum concentrations of ceruloplasmin, C3 and C4 were quantified by nephelometry; IL-6 and TNF-α from stimulated supernatant were analyzed with Human Th1-Th2 cytokine CBA II kit (BD Biosciences Pharmigen, San Diego, CA), and detected by flow cytometry. Data were analysed by Mann-Whitney U. Results: Gender differences were found in C3 (men: median 118.8, mean rank: 41.0; women: median: 143.9, mean rank: 65.7, p = 0.001) and ceruloplasmin (men: median: 31.01, mean rank: 47.06; women: median: 31.0, mean rank: 62.9, p = 0.015). Differences by BMI were found in C3 (women non-overweight: median: 137.00 mena rank: 36.52; women with risk of overweight/overweight: median: 175.80, mean rank: 57.69, p = 0.002) and C4 (men non-overweight: median: 23.40, mean rank: 16.60; men with risk of overweight/overweight: median: 26.40, mean rank: 26.36, p = 0.028; women non-overweight: median: 24.25, mean rank: 37.16 and women with risk of overweight/overweight: median: 32.80, mean rank: 54.42, p = 0.013). Conclusion: Inflammatory proteins are increased in adolescents with risk of overweight and overweight, particularly in women