The Actantial Role of Older Adults in Fiction Series from a Coeducational and Media Literacy Perspective

This article examines the representation and actantial role of older adults in a sample of Spanish fiction series from a coeducational perspective: Las del Hockey (Netflix), Irabazi Arte! (Disney+) and La Academia (Amazon Prime). This study, which takes a qualitative approach and features a descriptive-analytical scope, uses Greimas’s actantial model as its main methodological tool, which makes it possible to analyze characters not based on their psychological traits, but rather based on their function within the narrative through six roles: Subject, Object, Addresser, Receiver, Helper, and Opponent. The analysis is structured into three dimensions—personal, relational, and professional/academic—in order to explore the self-perception, intergenerational ties, and social agency of the four senior characters identified: José Ramón (Irabazi Arte!), Enric and Rosa (Las del Hockey), and Bellido (La Academia). Qualitatively, two opposing actantial profiles are identified. First, there are characters who act as Regressive Subjects, motivated by a desire to preserve power and the status quo, and who often function as Opponents of the protagonists. Then, there are characters who embody a transformative model, playing the roles of Helper and Addresser. They serve as anchors of emotional and ethical stability for younger people, challenging ageism by placing their wisdom and experience at the service of the fight for equality.