The Film Our Family Wedding

In contemporary society, weddings are no longer just ceremonies intended to unify two people in love. Instead, couples now take the event as an opportunity to display their financial status by throwing extravagant ceremonies and parties. There’s an expectation for a “big, white wedding,” and much of what that entails derives from the portrayal of weddings in mainstream media, and films in particular. A foundational element of the “white wedding” image is the heterosexual couple—the bride and the groom. But as the world grows more accepting of same-sex couples, the belief that marriage should be between a man and a woman is being tested. The film Jenny’s Wedding (2015) examines the tensions that arise when an orthodox family, with their narrow

The Canadian nation prides itself on being accepting of its diversity and multiculturalism. One specific area many are grateful for the diversity and openness within Canada, is marriage; the legal or formal recognition of two individuals as partners in a relationship. (Google, 2014). With the consistent flow of immigration, marriage between the majority populations of White European people has increased between the Minority populations, including, but not limited to African Americans, Asians, Hispanics and American Indians. This stated, society still holds many judgements and stereotypes about the formation of these relationships and interracial marriage. How societal views have changed over the past few decades, opinions of those

Throughout time, media has been used to reflect society. One popular method of doing so is television. Many people rely on television as a source of entertainment and history. From shows from the 1950s to now, culture and society have been shown in its truest forms. Looking back at the shows from the past gives one a good insight on how families acted in different time periods. One can analyze different shows in different decades to see how family dynamic and trends have changed over time. To get a grasp of the how the perception of families changed throughout time, I choose 5 decades and watched an episode of a popular television show at the time. I watched the 1950s show “The Honeymooners” to start off with because it shows the dynamic of a white, heterosexual, cisgender couple. I then watched “Good Times” from the 1970s to show an African American, heterosexual, cisgender couple and their family. Next, I watched the 1980s show “Growing Pains” to illustrate a white, heterosexual, cisgender family. I choose these 3 specific shows to get a baseline of three different family dynamics (White, African American, family, and couple). I then compared specifically “Good Times” to the 1990s show “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”, and “The Honeymooners” and “Growing Pains” to the 2000s show “Modern Family”. Please note that homosexuality and non-cisgender will not

The change on the contemporary wedding, from what the society has been seeing in the 21st century, is phenomenal. People approach marriage very differently nowadays. Individuals still look for their “would-be” spouses. However, it's not for love or companionship purposes but convenience. In fact, Dr. Strohschein is quoted saying in the talk show says that marriage evolved to a "capstone" to an individual’s life and no longer a cornerstone of life as it used to be (Woodford, Luke, Grogan-Kaylor, Fredriksen-Goldsen, & Gutierrez, 2012). This paper explores Strohschein’s views in the light of sociological concepts and theoretical paradigm.

Research studies have shown that African Americans are currently the least likely ethnic group to be married in this country. This paper will examine some of the reasons why this trend exists when there was a time when marriage rates among blacks were about equal to those of whites. History, culture, economics and dominant culture influences have impacted the current trends in African American families. Many are choosing to postpone marriage, while others are finding alternative ways to cultivate family and raise children. Does the African American definition of family differ from that of the dominant culture? How has ecological systems influenced past and present trends in African American families? These questions and more are examined

Moreover, in our interview, she described what her article The Normal American Family was about, and stated that, while conducting her researches, she became interested in the internalized racial oppression within families. This internalized racial oppression within families later became based on the “white middle-class family”, to which I like to refer to as the “modern American family ideology”. The white-class family was the ideology that would be seen on television shows such as The Brady Bunch, as mentioned by Professor Pyke. She addressed the television show, The Brady Bunch, as one of the white-middle class families that many second generation Asian American immigrant students would compare to their families, and question why not being the same. Korean and Vietnamese second generation children seem to have built an ideal American family based on what they see on television or other American family, and that is why they have created certain ideals and characteristics that their families should meet. “Many of the image of normal family life that respondents brought to their description came in the form of references to television families or the families of non-Asian friends” (Pyke, 247). Professor Pyke mentioned that students would see these white middle-class families, and ask themselves why their families could not be the same. Or question why their parents could not be affectionate, just like their friend’s parents. The truth is that their parents could not be

In this chapter of, Families as they really are, Coontz, a professor of history, asserts the theme of how as time went on the definition of a family has altered. Coontz begins this chapter by showing how every area in the world has a different definition of what is a family. Specifically, in the United States, the definition of a family has altered from the early colonial times to today. She explains the differences of the how every race has a different meaning for families. According to Coontz, originally a family could be considered anybody within the kin. Also, people in the early days did not marry because of love. People got married because of social and financial benefits. Another point that was emphasized by Coontz, was how originally there was not formalities for a marriage. A marriage was just two people that are close to each other. However, as time went on documentation was given out of a valid marriage. Coontz, goes on to state how in the 1950s all of this started to change. Families started to live together, the husband and wife got married because they both love each other. This was the time period where the nuclear family started to be the ideal family of a husband being the breadwinner, and the wife as a stay at home mother, and two children going to school. Coontz, concludes with how the definition and perspective of a family has changed over time, and will keep on changing.

Studies have been completed around the new typical family and the findings are surprising to some. Natalie Angier wrote an article in The New York Times called “The Changing American Family”, in the article she found that although people are indeed getting married, it

Over time, the American society has derailed from the traditional reason and forms of marriage and family set up. The American society acceptance of non-marital childbearing (single parenting), same- sex marriage has led to the trending poverty rate in average families. The main objective of the institution of marriage was meant to be between a man and a woman. Starting of a family should be a product of marriage. There is certainly a need for the American Society to embrace the old form of marriage and family setting as it is more beneficial to the upbringing of a child. This paper will focus on recent developments in marriage and family set up within the American society.

For our film focus, we chose to look at my uncle, John Greg, and his partner Michael and the relation to same-sex marriages and the “white wedding.” In our film, we ponder whether many same-sex weddings defy the traditional standards of an American wedding or if they conform to their own ideas. In my family’s case of John Greg and Michael, they conformed to many of their own concepts, while choosing to keep many of the classic wedding traditions that have been circulating for decades. John Greg and Michael present a fusion wedding, that stands out among many of the other same-sex weddings. Their wedding relates to our course material through Karen Dunak’s book, As Long As We Both Shall Love: Weddings In Postwar America, as she presents a chapter on same-sex marriages.

Like many social trends, marriage in the United States has changed over time. Investigation of these trends can aid in the comprehension of the status of marriage in our society, while also

A family is a group of two or even more individuals who live together and who are related either by marriage, birth, or adoption, According to the US census bureau. However, the Bureau does not recognize all the family members like the aunts, nieces or nephews, grandparents, and uncles. The American family is not like it used to be. Modern marriage offers something of a mystery for sociologists' .various benefits of marriage have been studied, for example, better finances, better heath, as well as a chance for children to be brought up in a stable environment. Marriage is an attractive proposition that many people have marched and protested, so that has allowed people to access it. However, the marriage rates have declined. This paper examines how family has changed over the past 50 years.

Although marriage traditions have drastically changed over the past century with the rise of feminism and increased acceptance of diversity, the traditions of western marriage have remained prominent throughout the United States. The common practices of having a white dress and wedding cake have remained; however, weddings have become progressively more extravagant. Additionally, home life and responsibilities for men and women have undergone changes, as well as the prospect of divorce becoming more common. While the main principles of marriage have continued to be classic or taboo, society is on its way to more contemporary

Compared to back in the old days as in my grandparent’s day of time the desired courtship and marriage my preferred marriage my preferred matrimony differs from their expectations in terms of the way to find a spouse, the form of hold a wedding, and the role to play in a family.

During the ensuing years, Lena would spend many evenings in that uncomfortable wooden chair, pretending to sip the pungent, fragrant “martoonies” Jo-Ann always served, contemplating Maude’s indignant back, and listening to what she would later call “Jo-Ann Stories”: madcap adventures which many times seemed as if they should have been played out in some crazy sitcom on television. Lena would remember stories such as the “Uninhibited Island” in which Jo-Ann would explain that she and a friend had flown to his privately owned island and decided to skinny dip. Once in the water, they heard whistling and catcalling. Turning, and looking up, they found a construction crew cheering them on.