Erin Mccann

Date of Award

January 2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Communication

First Advisor

Pamela Kalbfleisch

Abstract

In the realm of interpersonal communication and intrafamilial research, one dynamic, the mother and daughter pairing, is especially poignant in exploring the ties of closeness, the openness of communication and the potential for long-term impact on a daughter’s development. When studying the mother and daughter dynamic through a work of fiction, patterns can be observed without bias, allowing for evaluation of the strength of relationship and identification of broader implication to the discipline of family communication. In this study, a textual analysis was conducted evaluating 21 exemplary episodes of the 2000s television show Gilmore Girls focused entirely on the interactions between the three primary female characters, Lorelai, Rory and Emily. By examining the communication patterns across a seven-year span and a multi-generational divide, it was determined that interpersonal relationships, though mutable and elastic, have the ability to lend credence to the development of self-esteem, personal growth and that there is room for evolution in relationships if both parties are willing and able. The observations found in this study can be broadly applied to mothers and daughters in real-world situations and the evidence collected by this study better help researchers to understand the complicated communication dynamics within families.

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