Is This A Modern Family?

The other family had like one or two issues while the nguyen had at least four issues. The Williams family had some issue with there father cheating on the wife and she acting perfectly fine saying stuff like,” Our thanksgiving is perfect and we have no issues.” Also the grandmother in the Williams family was egging on the mother about where their son Michael was Audrey kept responding saying “He’s busy and he won’t be able to come.” The Seelig family Had two main issue one being that the daughter is Rachel was lesbian and jerry was gay, which come to my second issue being that Rachel was pregnant and jerry was the donor But the father didn’t believe rachel he kept on denying it saying stuff like,”But jerrys gay? How can he be the father?!” that was really the only issue in that family. The Avila Family really had one issue and it was centered around the father, early on in the children life the father cheated on the wife and left them in the dust, now he came back and the ex wife has a new boyfriend and the two meet, the ex-father claims there still married but the mother yelled” You left us and abandon the children you made how could you come back and claim to still be there father after what you did?!” The ex-father begged for forgivness he said thing like” Im sorry for leaving you i want to make this up i want to get together again and have a happy family.” But the

Each family, when dissected, is built up on stereotypes to “mock” the dynamic. The “average” family that consist of Phil and Claire have typical jobs, Phil, who is a real estate rep, and Claire, a stay at home mom. Their three teenage children, Hailey, a typical high school girl obsessed with boys and strictly only concerned with her looks, the middle child, Alex, that is only focused on school and couldn’t be more opposite than Hailey, and youngest and only son, Luke that is struggling to fit in with the family being the only son. Phil’s attempt to be a “cool dad” comes off of a trying-to-hard father who cares strongly that his kids like him. Through the mockumentary style of filming the audience is able to gain insight on the challenges that come with working, parenting and growing up which are the “typical” struggles of almost any family. However, with a gay couple in the mix, it hits a broader spectrum which sheds light and attention to the entire LGBT community. Mitchell and Cameron, with their adopted child Lilly, easily have overlapping challenges in life, but through a different dynamic. Mitchell and Cameron, through their fictional interview, describe their daily challenges of work, parenting and Lilly growing up, but in addition to their challenge being gay. Since the gay community is growing and legalization of marriage has been successful in select states, the region of homosexuality is growing and

During the time of the 80s, there were many television shows that portrayed traditional families. A traditional family, which is two married parents of the opposite gender and their child or children. Even though, Full house doesn’t necessary mirror the traditional family values that all society knows, it’s one of the shows that helped break gender stereotypes. For example, the whole family tradition “norm” was that women would be the caregivers and men would provide for their family. In Bittney Davis article, “Recognizing Gender Roles in Nostalgic TV Series Full House” she mentions, “The expectation of a male’s purpose in the household is to provide for and

Sitcoms are an American staple, a fantastic pastime, and an in-depth look into current family values and standards. The United States Census Bureau defines the family as two or more people related by birth, marriage, or adoption residing in the same housing unit. This definition works well as a marker of internal family status, but it is a very limited definition of a family. Sociologists commonly extend the definition of family to include persons who provide one another with intimacy, emotional support, and love as it is a better representation of the families we have seen in the past few decades. Two beloved sitcoms, Friends and New Girl, each center around the lives of six main characters and how they form family in the late 90s and the

In this paper, I will compare two artworks that share a similar theme of the portrayal of family meals. Also, I will evaluate a contemporary issue shown in artwork that relates to the theme of family meals. The first work of art, The Merry Family was painted by Jan Steen in 1668 and in this painting, it depicts the theme of the portrayal of a family meal in a joyous and amusing setting, but Steen was known for integrating subtle hints into his work. These hints warned the viewer about what is depicted in the painting. The second work of art, The Potato Eaters was painted by Vincent van Gogh in 1885 and it depicts the portrayal of a family meal but in a more straightforward and somber setting. Van Gogh wanted to truthfully depict the people and their lives. My comparison of the two, chosen artwork will show how they may share a similar theme of the “portrayal of family meals” but differ in the meaning, tone and emotion being projected by the artists. I will also explore how this theme is expressed in modern artwork, particularly Eric McCandless’s What ‘Modern Family’ Says About Modern Families.

Both Barbara Kingsolver and Lisa Miller address “nontraditional” family stereotypes, such as gay and failed marriages, in argumentative form. The authors approached each issue by providing ethos, logos, and pathos along with making connections to texts, events, and personal experiences; but also differed by the amount of rhetoric used in each writing. Targeted audiences for these arguments are people who wish to understand other viewpoints on topics in which society battles with.

The census statistics during this period shows a distinct transition in family dynamics and the growth of blended families across the nation. The transition to a broader definition of what marriage can be is what arguably has led to societies social shift to a larger acceptance of marriage that maybe historically didn’t fit what the media portrayed as the ideal marriage; like blended families, interracial marriage, and in recent years the shift to acceptance of homosexual marriage and relationships that even in the 1960s was portrayed in cinema. The ideal shift of a “perfectly imperfect” television family that obviously have face trials and tribulations but still provides a loving home for children and a vessel for moral teachings is something that we still see today on television. Full House is arguably an outcome of the progression from The Brady Bunch era that expanded the idea of what marriage and family could be. Full house is a form of a blended family in a non-traditional way. Instead of a remarriage you have a widowed single father with three daughters and his two male best friends helping raise them. Without previous shows like The Brady Bunch paving the way for non-traditional families, shows like Full House might have never been given the avenue to tell these stories of non-traditional families that were actively living in the

Have you ever wondered if there is a difference between sitcoms back then and now? This paper is going to compare and contrast the differences between an episode of Full House and an episode of Modern Family. We are able to spot notable differences and similarities by comparing the characters, plot, and setting for both of these sitcoms.

Until quite recently, the traditional view of family that has predominated society has been comprised of gender roles. The “ideal” family in the past has consisted of a white, middle-class, heterosexual couple with about 2.5 children. In this heteronormative nuclear family, the father is the head of the household and the breadwinner of the family, while the mother is the one who cares for the children and completes household duties. Of course, most families do not fit into this mould and those who do not fit have been repeatedly marginalized due to their differences. It is no question that race, class, sexuality, ability, and many other identity markers intersect in how forms of family may vary. As explained by the concept of intersectionality, gender must be analyzed through a lens that includes various identity markers which contribute to how an individual experiences oppression. It is through the use of intersectionality, the discussion of patriarchy, and the deconstruction of “family” that bell hooks (1990) and Michelle K. Owen (2001) paint family as a site of belonging and contestation.

Today, non-traditional families dominate the scene. The “normal” family is now uncommon in our society (Shields 562). Teachers have to be cautious when assuming every child has a mommy or daddy. Social workers must no longer be surprised when their clients are actually grandparents taking care of their grandchildren. Some children may have two daddies, or some only have a mommy. The list goes on. The culprit creating these unusual families is not always divorce and can include the death of a parent, unwed mothers, or single-sex parents (Shields 562). New families are not required to be biologically related. In an article about her non-traditional family, “Why Do We Marry?” Jane Smiley points out that people with numerous marriages or partners extend the definition of family (564). She writes, family dinners consisted of “me, my boyfriend, his daughter and son by his second wife, my daughters by my second husband, and my seven-year-old son by my third husband” (563, 564). Relationships begin to resemble several broken, rerouted, and

“Blood doesn’t make you family” is the mantra of my favorite TV show, The Fosters. This phrase is repeated throughout each season to emphasize the true meaning of family and what one consists of. Broadcasted on ABC Family, the TV series is about a Lesbian couple, Stef and Lena, who have created a close-knit family of biological, adopted and foster children. The show deals with a variety of topics and issues such as the sexual identity, trauma and suicide as well as some litter topics. To clarify, Sexual Identity is defined as “who we are emotionally and/or physically attracted to”.

As early as 1950, television families have depicted not only the way we live today, but also the way we ought to live (Tueth, 2003). Hence, television has continued to present comedies about family life that ranges from the didactic model of domestic conventionalist and gradually to non-conventionalist ways of life. By conventionalist, I mean the depiction of the “nuclear” family that consists of clear roles, responsibilities, and gentle lines of authority that flow from the wise dad and understanding mom to the obedient children (Kutalas, 2005). Examples of these types of shows between 1947 to 1990 that constructed more than 60% of family sitcoms included: The Cleavers, The Cosby Show, Father Knows Best, Family Ties, and Growing Pains

Additionally, television shows on the late 80’s through the middle 90’s, present the same family concept but with a different topic. Comedy shows like “Married with Children” which illustrates a “white” family of four members living in a Chicago suburb area with an antisocial personality disorder, is a typical example of

Today society displays greater diversity within households. Most American households are now non-traditional or unconventional. Non-traditional or unconventional families include; single parenthood, singlehood and LGBT relationships. Modern family is a comedy exploring the different “modern” families. This show explores a huge unconventional family through a gay couple, made up of Mitchell and Cameron, and their adopted daughter Lily; a straight couple comprised of Phil and Clare, and their three children, Luke, Alex and Hayley; and a multicultural family which is comprised of Jay and his much younger wife Gloria and their son Manny. Modern family explores how the present day family is defined and , modern America means for family members. Despite Modern family’s groundbreaking success in representing non traditional families, the show continues to reinforce heteronormative values through stereotypes of queer identity in regards, gender roles within the relationship, gay adoptive parents and gay marriage.

Approximately 18 years ago, I was the first born child to Lora Joiner-Garrett and Derall Garrett. Several years later, they were to have my brother and sister, Keiden Garrett who is now 16, and Jada Garrett who is now 15. Yet even before my parents ever met, our family dynamics were being formed by how they were raised in their own families, and how their parents’ parents raised them, and so on, for many generations. This analysis will focus on my family within the ideas of sexual behavior and attitudes as well as power and authority within the household, and how the development of social beliefs and how my parents childhoods may have influenced the way our immediate family runs, in comparison to the average American household.