“Make Your Family Proud”: Analyzing the Communication of Roles and Identity in Disney’s Encanto

ABSTRACT

In this study, we analyzed Disney’s Encanto through the lens of identity theory using qualitative content analysis to examine how family roles and identity were communicatively constructed. Results uncovered four themes regarding the Madrigal family’s role enactment (role confirmation, role disconfirmation, conformity to family identity, and identity salience of family roles). Findings capture the mutually influential, fluctuating nature of enacting roles and identity in a family system while highlighting the importance of appreciating intergenerational dynamics, as illustrated by the Madrigals. The analysis exemplifies how media portrayals can inform societal expectations about family roles and empowers audiences to think critically about those experiences within their own families.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. For example, as Pepa had the power to control the weather, she had the duty and responsibility of properly controlling it to best serve the family and community, thus establishing her role. For family members without gifts (i.e., Augustín, Félix, and Mirabel), role fulfillment was understood as enacting traits and actions that best served the family. For example, Abuela indicates that Mirabel’s proper role is to stay out of the way and let family members with gifts do the heavy lifting when she says, “So, the best way for some of us to help is to step aside, let the rest of the family do what they do best. Okay?” (12:12)

2. Certain sentences repeated in songs were not repeatedly counted in reported numbers (e.g., “We don’t talk about Bruno” was only coded once for the song). As these sentences were lyrics and were designed to fit a musical cadence, recording them individually would not have enhanced the analysis.