Interviews conducted with 31 older, retired adults in Dortmund, West Germany, concerning their use of cable television and its effect on their everyday lives are the focal point of this qualitative study. Also discussed is a quantitative study of a larger sample of German citizens over age 14 in the same geographic area before cable television was made available. That study, which will be repeated in the spring of 1988, considered differences between older and younger adults in their social integration, everyday activities, and use of and attitudes toward television. The qualitative interviews with older adults elicited information on the following topics: (1) reasons for application for cable television connection or reservations; (2) favorite programs and channels and the degree to which specific channels are known; (3) changes in daily routine since connection to cable television; (4) effects of television on interpersonal communication; and (5) use of other media, especially daily newspapers. The first, partial results of these interviews are described in a generalized fashion, but further evaluation of the transcript material is planned, including analysis of the data against the background of media-theoretical approaches. Five references are provided, three in German and two in English. (EW)
Authors
- Location
- West Germany
- Peer Reviewed
- F
- Publication Type
- ['Reports - Research', 'Speeches/Meeting Papers']
- Published in
- United States of America
Table of Contents
- DOCUMENT RESUME 1
- ED 291 347 1
- IR 013 135 1
- AUTHOR 1
- Straka Gerald A. And Others Older People and Communication Technology. 20p. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of t American Educational Research Association Reports - ResearchTechnical 143 -- 1
- PUB DATE 1
- MF01PC01 Plus Postage. Cable Television Developed Nations Foreign Research Television Surveys 1
- Countries Interviews Older Adults Qualitative Research Retirement Social Environment Televis 1
- ABSTRACT 1
- Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made 1
- AMERICAN EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH ASSOCIATION 2
- SIG OLDER ADULT EDUCATION AND AGING 2
- GERALD A. STRAKA THOMAS FABIAN HEIKE NOLTE AND JORG WILL 2
- OLDER PEOPLE AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY 2
- RESEARCH ON AGING Bremen University 2
- D-2800 BREMEN 33FRG 2
- . In this article the first 4
- Besides Local TV and Repetitions Channel Kabelfunk 5
- AND SATELLITE 1987. 6
- The public institutions nationwide programmes ARD ZDF 6
- WDR NDR BR can be received in Dortmund via cable. 6
- Descripiion of the way in which older people make use of 6
- Reconstruction of Social Reality consists of two parts 7
- Society for Consimer Research Nuremberg in AprilMay 1925 7
- The Zero Survey describes 8
- Cable TV Pilot Project before the cable. The sample N 8
- - general 8
- The group of older persons differs in practically 8
- Socialintegration and everyday 8
- - size of 8
- While relatively linear connections between age and social 9
- The problem-centered interviews were conducted by the interview 9
- - change of daily routine 10
- DESCRIPTION OF SAMPLE 11
- Apart from four interviewees who have been connected to 11
- With three exceptions all persons interviewed have lived in 11
- Half the group of older people whose interviews were included 11
- 1985. In accordance with an evalhation scheme these units 12
- - compared with cor- 12
- SOME CENTRAL RESULTS 12
- - reasons for application for connection to cable TV 12
- One of the decisive reasons 12
- - favourite programme 13
- - and short quiz programmes occupy the biggest part. 13
- - favourite channels 13
- After 19.00 hrs the other programmes prove more attractive. 14
- The interviewees found the Local Channel interesting above 14
- - Open Channel 14
- - Change of daily routine 14
- Of course we watch TV more often than before. Formerly we 15
- The guiding of topics of conversation by TV thus proves the 16
- - Use of other media especially daily newspaper 16
- Almost all interviewees are subscribers to a daily paper. 16
- 67-year-old woman. 16
- But TV and daily papers can also complement one another 17
- 6 - Outlook 17
- OktoberNovember 1987. 18
- We hope that the productions of these groups will not only 18
- 7. References 20
- MAYRING Ph. 1P83. Qualitative Inhaltsanalyse. Weinh-im. 20
- 1983. Interaktion and Kommunikation im Alter. 20
- In Reimann H. Reimann H. Hg.. Das Alter. Stuttgart 20
- 1985. Das problemtentrierte Interview. 20
- Hg.. Qualitative Forschung in der 20
