Millions of people around the world tune into their favorite reality dating shows every week to see who’s coupled up, who’s left alone, and who’s going home. From network TV to streaming platforms, reality dating shows have permeated screens worldwide and are raking in major money for networks and platforms. Streaming giant Netflix has embraced reality TV in recent years, and has made over $200 billion since going all in on reality TV and docu-series. While many of these shows have mixed reviews, they can also teach fascinating lessons about cultural identities.

Isa Iiams, SIS/BA ’24, decided to combine her love of pop culture and politics and chose to analyze how reality dating shows from around the world portray cultural identities for her undergraduate research project. Using shows from Asia, Europe, and South America as her basis, she broke down the lessons learned and turned entertainment into research. We caught up with Isa and asked her some questions about her research.

How did you pick your research topic?

My research is on reality dating television and cultural identities. I’ve always wanted to incorporate my interest in pop culture and in destigmatizing pop culture in academia and apply that to what I also love: studying culture and intercultural communication. As I was deciding on my research topic, I knew that I wanted to touch on cultural diplomacy and the role of media in it. I was debating if I should choose a topic that applies to the jobs that I want to do later or if I should do something that I might never have the chance to research again. I chose the unique topic of reality television because I think it's such a rich platform for cultural studies and learning about how we learn about other cultures in the 21st century.

With which faculty member did you work on your research, and how did that mentorship experience go?

My mentor for this research project was SIS professor Patrick Thaddeus Jackson. I've known him since my freshman year, and I actually took his class on pop culture and politics. He was instrumental in validating the fact that I could do this kind of research and that media and pop culture studies had a place in SIS. For me, it was an obvious choice to have him as my mentor, and I’ve felt very supported throughout the whole process.

What was your research process, and what were your general findings?

I did an interpretive comparative analysis and a discourse analysis. I chose three reality dating shows from three different countries and used the Hofstede cultural dimensions model as a framework for comparing these shows. I researched the foundations of that framework, and then, I chose the three different countries that produce a lot of this type of media. I chose Singles Inferno from South Korea, Too Hot to Handle from Brazil, and Love Island from the UK. All of the shows have a similar format and focus on singles on a beach finding love.

Reality TV is part of pop culture that a lot of people have engaged with, so it's important to understand what we're subconsciously learning about and what's being presented to us. For research, I watched all the episodes of their first season. I used my notes and my interpretation and observations of the shows to sift through what each of these cultural dimensions looks like in that show’s context and how that country is being represented on the shows in the six dimensions of the model. In a general sense, I found that dimensions like long-term orientation versus short-term orientation, motivation toward the achievement of success, and individualism versus collectivism were exhibited in all of those shows in the levels of that dimension that Hofstede had predicted. I looked into why those three dimensions might be more consistent and why those might be the most pervasive.

One of the biggest findings is that none of the shows represented the power distance aspects that Hofstede would have expected from that culture. Based on that realization, I dove into the question of why power distance might be a less sticky or pervasive cultural dimension and how global conversations of power distance and globalization in general are making our understanding of hierarchy different. This framework, which was created and based in the 80s, might not account for the fact that power distance is a more rapidly changing cultural dimension today than others.

How did your classes at SIS help prepare you for undertaking a research project like this?

A lot of my classes were really foundational in helping me understand interpretive research. We learned about the symbiotic relationship between our involvement in the creation of things and how that shapes the world. How we observe and interpret things matters. Another key thing I learned was discourse analysis. We focused on looking through media and products that have already been put out and then sifting through those and making our own conclusions and understanding of that media. That knowledge was perfect for applying to culture and trying to make sense of human behavior as I do in my research.

How has undergraduate research added value to your academic experience at SIS?

I'm really lucky that I had exposure to research early on in college. It's a life skill that is going to apply to all jobs no matter what I do. Having that research experience makes me feel more confident in the fact that I know how to do it and do it well. I felt very valued by my professors, and through the process, I’ve learned how to engage in dialogue about different beliefs and viewpoints. My academic experiences helped me to reaffirm the beliefs that I hold and has given me a new platform to discuss and convey them.

Check out trailers and clips from the three shows used in Isa's research below: