Reference no: EM133762176 , Length: 3 Pages

Assignment - Family in TV Land

Directions

In the United States over 95 percent of people believe the combination of husband, wife, and children constitutes a family. This two-parent family structure is known as a traditional nuclear family, referring to heterosexual married parents and children as the nucleus, or core, of the group. However, the "typical" American family has changed radically over the last 60 years. Today, only about 64 percent of children live in homes with two parents who are married, representing an all-time low (Pew Research Center). American's today are marrying later than ever before, divorcing sooner, cohabitating or choosing to remain single. Whereas married couples dominated the family structure in years past, only 30 percent of millennials feel that a successful marriage is an important part of life or defines a family.

U.S. families are changing in response to factors such as: higher rates of cohabitation, growing acceptance of divorce, a fast-growing blended family structure, same-sex nuclear families, single parent households and more career options for women, and the growing cost of housing and childcare.

Television is a powerful medium that has continually reinvented images of the American family over the past sixty years. Arguably, television has created an idealized image of the American family and not always portrayed a realistic depiction of what the typical family structure looks like. As you learned in Module 3, Media is a powerful agent of socialization that often dictates what we 'think we should be doing.' However, as times have changed, so have the images of family on television. This assignment will explore some of those changes and ask you to reflect on the evolution of the American family as portrayed in television.

*You will find a link to the document of shows to choose from here Family in TV Land --Show Options and at the end of the paper description.

Part One

The assignment begins with "Father Knows Best" (1954-1963). Here is the website for the show "Father Knows Best" that gives a lot of information about the show, its characters, and content. I want you to read one of the magazine articles on this website from TV Guide that was published during the time the show was syndicated. You will want to make some notes about what you learned about the show including audience reception, characters, and the content of the show.

Next, you will watch a full-length episode of the show (these can be found on the "Father Knows Best" website or on YouTube). You will then begin a content analysis of the show and you will do this for two other shows as well.

Here is what you will be looking for in the episode(s):

• Gender roles and family structure (mother, father, children)
• Parents as figures of authority
• Children (manners, obedience to authority)
• Content of the show (what message was the show trying to send to the audience?) How is the content reflective of the average American family at the time? (or not)

Part Two

1. Define a traditional family

2. Choose a show from the Traditional family list and watch at least one full episode

3. Provide a brief description of the show

4. Describe how the show portrays a family

5. What norms, values or beliefs are assumed in the show? How are they presented?

6. What roles do family members have?

7. Take note of:

• Gender roles
• sex
• race
• occupations
• class
• sexual orientation
• identity
• chores
• Roles and expectations of parents and children
• Communication styles

Part Three

1. Define a nontraditional family

2. Choose a show from the Nontraditional family list and watch at least one full episode

3. Provide a brief description of the show

4. Explain what makes this family non-traditional

5. Describe how the show portrays a family

6. What norms, values or beliefs are assumed in the show? How are they presented?

7. What roles do family members have?

8. Take note of:

• Gender roles
• sex
• race
• occupations
• class
• sexual orientation
• identity
• chores
• Roles and expectations of parents and children
• Communication styles

Part Four Sociological Analysis

1. Now, you will synthesize all of the analysis you have done from the TV Guide article and the episodes of traditional and nontraditional family portrayals on tv into a 2 to 3 page paper.

2. Choose at least one theoretical view (functionalism, conflict theory, symbolic interactionism) through which to analyze your chosen family shows.

3. Reflect on how well your show selections support a theoretical view of family. Use your identified families as support for or an argument against the theoretical view of family in society. Consider the following questions:

• What norms are assumed in this family?
• What roles do family members play in the family unit?
• How are the assumptions and points of view in this family understood through your chosen theoretical view?
• What argument do these families make about public perceptions of family behavior and structures?
• What period in time did you notice a change in how families were being depicted? What do you think accounts for the changes? What changes did you notice?
• Using your sociological imagination, how would you explain what you observed and the possible effects of these portrayals in media?

Family in TV Land --Show Options