De achterliggende gedachten in The Oprah Winfrey Show

The Oprah Winfrey Show is a very popular talk show in many countries. In other words, the show is an international success. This thesis aims at an explanation of the success. The main research question is: What is the reason of the success of The Oprah Winfrey Show in different cultures? The following sub questions were added to the main question: What themes does The Oprah Winfrey Show discuss and to what extent are these local or universal? What cultural values emerge from the themes in The Oprah Winfrey Show and to what extent are these local or universal? These questions are answered through a qualitative content analysis of 25 episodes of the show. The values in the show that are distinguished by the researcher are compared to dominant cultural values of the United States of America, The Netherlands, Surinam, India and Tanzania. This research shows that The Oprah Winfrey Show discusses themes and values that can be relevant in numerous cultures. The theories of Hofstede (2001), Inglehart (2005) and Schwartz (1992) are used to refer to the local and universal nature of the values in the show.