Friendships on Screen: A Cross-Cultural Content Analysis of American and Russian Sitcoms

Abstract

This study investigates friendship dynamics and communicative acts in American and Russian TV sitcoms, reflecting broader cultural norms. By analyzing sitcoms from more individualist (US) and more collectivist (Russian) cultures, the study aims to identify variations in self-disclosure, empathy, advice-giving, critiquing, appreciation, and complimenting within friendships. Findings revealed more male dyadic interactions overall, with no female dyadic interactions in the Russian show "Interni," suggesting ongoing gender imbalances. Contrary to expectations, Russian characters exhibited more depictions of self-disclosure than American characters, which refutes the social mobility theory. Additionally, Russian characters were more likely to give advice and critique, while American characters showed a higher prevalence of mixed-gender interactions. Male characters displayed empathy more frequently than females, indicating a possible attempt to broaden audience appeal. The limitation of generalization of the findings due to small sample size is noted.  The study highlights the link between cultural norms and their reflections in cultural products such as media and entertainment.