American Social Film as an Agent in Intercultural Communication

Abstract

American movies play an important role in global understanding. In some ways, it contributes to intercultural understanding by presenting sympathetic and accurate portrayals and images of distant places and people. Drama helps the viewers learn a great deal about the places they have never visited or cultures they have never encountered. This research aims to analyze the image of the American family in American social films because this image helps to transfer cultural values to viewers worldwide. The method included a quantitative approach with content analysis of 25 films presented in Egyptian cinema in 2023, including 41 American Families portrayed in these films. The results indicate that 48.8% of households were interconnected. The most common social problems 11.9% of American families faced were marital disputes and insecurity due to criminal activity against family members—11.1% experienced loneliness, and 6.34% experienced the absence of one parent. The conflict between parents and children, poor choice of friends, and mistreatment of the children by the father are presented by 5.55% of American families. Other social problems include husband control (4.76%), rape, jealousy, and suspicion among family members (3.69%).