The image of the father in Downton Abbey: manifestation of identity in virtuous actions

Abstract

The British television series Downton Abbey (directed by Julian Fellowes) could be considered a media phenomenon without precedent. Since its release in 2010 and throughout its six seasons, it reached a global audience in over 220 countries. At a time when the father figure is dissolving, fading, or missing in the content of television series, the worldwide success of Downton Abbey features the image of Lord Robert Crawley (Hugh Bonneville), Earl of Grantham, the father of an aristocratic family in England. This article will analyze paternal image from its ontological and historical roots, considering truth, transcendence and goodness, as well as manifestations of paternal virtues. Given the fact that virtue is not easily measured, the analysis will show that a father's identity can be reflected in a series of virtuous actions, as manifestations of core virtues. These virtues are the basis for a quantitative content analysis of the seven episodes of the first season, through the application of a methodological tool for audiovisual analysis.

Keywords:

• Downton abbey
• father
• fatherhood
• identity
• virtue
• family

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1 From an online dictionary definition of the Spanish phrase for Self-control, Dominio de sí. http://diccionario.sensagent.com/dominio+de+s%C3%AD+mismo/es-es/

2 From an online dictionary definition of the Spanish word for Balance, Equilibrio. http://definicion.de/equilibrio/#ixzz3bk5p6DUj

3 From an online dictionary definition of the Spanish word for Peace, Paz. http://definicion.de/paz/#ixzz3bk9IkdyZ

4 From an online dictionary definition of the Spanish word for Coherence, Coherencia. http://definicion.de/coherencia/#ixzz3bq981ErL

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Elba Díaz-Cerveró

Elba Díaz-Cerveró holds a PhD. in Journalism from the Universidad San Pablo-CEU, Madrid. She has developed extended research around various discourses of the international press and journalistic agendas. She also has headed several research projects endowed by public funding, mostly in the framework of television and new technologies and their different audiences, with special emphasis on children’s audiences. She has published three books, the last of them entitled On the other side of the tunnel. The journalistic coverage of the escape, recapture and extradition of Chapo Guzmán. She has also published more than a dozen scientific articles and chapters in books, and has lectured on these topics at numerous international conferences. Lately, Dr. Díaz-Cerveró became lecturer and researcher at the School of Communications, Universidad Panamericana, Campus Guadalajara, as well as active member (Level 1) of the National System of Researchers (SNI) at CONACYT, Mexico.

Rafael Hurtado

Rafael Hurtado holds a Phd in Government and Culture of Organizations from the Instituto Empresa y Humanismo, Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona. He is an active member of various research projects around marriage and family studies, such as Observatorio Internacional de la Familia (UNAM), Family and Media (PUSC) and The International Organization for the Family (IOF). He is author and co-author of six books, and various academic papers and chapters. He is currently a permanent lecturer and researcher at the Departamento de Humanidades, Universidad Panamericana, Campus Guadalajara.

María G. Crespo

María G. Crespo holds a PhD. in both Theology and Education from the University of Navarra, Pamplona. She is currently a permanent lecturer at the Faculty of Communications and Enterprise at the Universidad de Piura, Perú.