»I have work, and then I have a dinner thing. And then I am busy, trying to become who I am« : A qualitative study of tv-series role in identity focusing on Hannah in Girls.

Women in visual media are generally underrepresented and stereotypically portrayed. It is a very undifferentiated image, that few women can actually identify with. Norm-breaking characters can have an essential part and a positive influence on humans identity formation, research shows. The purpose of this study is to examine eight women’s stories about how television shows had an impact on their identity formation, primarily focusing on Hannah from the very popular tv-series Girls. Hannah has been described as a plain and slightly overweight heroine, not suited for modern television. The study is built on a qualitative science-method through semi-structured interviews, with subjective stories as focal point. The selection of interviewees identify themselves as women and have seen Girls. The study shows that Hannah works as a role model by inspiring the interviewees to acknowledge and accept their self-view, in addition to increasing their bravery and place amongst other people. Thenceforth, they felt that there was a small representation of strong female characters on modern television and saw a necessity for Hannah in popular culture.