Our study of the family will look for both explicit and implicit assumptions about central
issues regarding family life (e.g. marriage, divorce, parenting, living on welfare, teen
pregnancy, family violence, child care, same sex relationships, etc.). Your paper will
analyze the views about family life that are embedded in these popular materials and the
implications of these views. To do this assignment, imagine what you would be able to
say about contemporary families if you only knew what you observed for this
assignment. Analyze these images of families in light of our course readings, lectures
and discussions.
When selecting what you will observe, make sure that there is content related to families.
You should observe at least ONE of the following:
10 TV programs (1/2 or 1 hour shows; reality or fictional shows)
or 5 movies
Please document all of your sources, including dates and times and titles. You do not
need to submit your notes.
What you are looking for:
Family structure: what kind of family is portrayed? In what way is it portrayed?
Are there assumptions about the correct family structure?
Roles: what roles do different family members play (e.g. gender roles, roles for
children and parents, etc.)? What are the assumptions about the roles people will
play? Is there any conflict in these roles?
Problems and Issues: what are the central problems and issues facing these
families? Are there conflicts or tensions? What is the basis of the conflict or
tension? Does the conflict get resolved? If so, how?
Imagery: how is the content presented (e.g. tone, style of words, sound, location,
etc.)? What do we feel about families after the observation?
Perspective: What is the perspective being assumed? What message is being
made about families today? What rhetoric do you observe about American
families? What purpose does rhetoric about family life serve?
Interpretations:
Your paper should be organized according to the subheadings listed above. Dont forget
an introduction and conclusion that ties your ideas together, a thesis that makes a
particular argument about what you found, and appropriate transitions between sections
of your paper. Think about the following questions: what did you discover about the
images of family that are projected today (including family structure, roles, problems and
issues, imagery and perspective)? Based on your analysis, would you say that American
families are in crisis or are they changing in ways that do not indicate a crisis? If you
were an alien who didnt know anything about American family life and these images
were all you had to consider, what would you conclude about American families today?
