User:LogicalParadox/sandbox

The Family as described within Gender Advertisements by Erving Goffman is described as "When families are depicted in advertising, parents are shown to be closer to their children of the same gender and in some instances men are shown separate from the rest of the family, in a protective manner. The father tends to maintain distance between him and his family members. This act shows protectiveness according to Goffman." The concept is under the pretense of the Nuclear Family and provides at least one father, mother, son, and daughter within the advertisement. This helps keep the concept contained and conformed to the simpler ideas of what a family should be, via the advertisement, and allows for easy injection or rejection of a single or two family members to suit the idea that the advertisement is trying to produce. For example; if we assume every family is one man, woman, boy, and daughter as a pretext we can easily assume that since the boy (or older son) is physically separated from the emotional or communal circle of the family that he is the protector and that the father is either out of the picture due to work, protecting outside the family, or otherwise. This also allows for simple male to male and female to female interactions such as mother teaching daughter and father teaching son, keeping the same stereotypes simple and now within the family itself instead of something that is outside the normal day-to-day urban life.

The Family Debated
( from http://www.aupairads.com/blog/New-features-urgent-ad-video )
 * Single indent The advertisements Goffman used are dated but the concept itself, where changing, is still seen in modern media and is only a quick Google search away with something as simple as "Family Ads" being put into the search bar. Though it is not the main focus of every advertisement anymore, the fact that it is still being produced at all is quite extraordinary and indicative of the concept of a Nuclear Family and how comfortable we are with it being a norm between people. The above image indeed has the stereotypical Nuclear Family within it; a father, mother, son, and daughter, all smiling and seeming content with the little depiction. Though today we will find still the same Nuclear Family in terms of gender, it has become varied in a few places such as Hispanic or Black parents and mixed ethnic children that would have been frowned upon in the 1950's. The family dynamic, though still contained within the idea of a Nuclear Family, as been adapted to promote mass child production, such as the Duggar family from the TLC hit show "19 Kids and Counting."

( from https://cine-fille.com/tag/19-kids-and-counting/ )

The show promoted a massive amount of children as a positive trait and actively broke the typical mold of what a family should be, though yes loving and caring the "19" factor is normally due to extended family, not immediate children. With this in mind we still see an extensive protective male ideology that has transcended the Nuclear Family concept and provides that protective male figure; son, brother, father, or married husband, within the family as a whole. Where in this image Mr. Duggar is in the center he is still holding the youngest daughter and the older boys are looming above, as a protective wall toward the rest of the family, allowing them to be safe from outside influences and sources that could be perceived as dangerous. Most of the younger brothers and sisters are within this wall of protective older brothers and even the older sisters and the mother are within this wall. Even outside the walls of a Reality TV Show, the idea of protective males within the family, even at a young age where they might not understand the implications of the actions on a social level, is a prominent one that over arches much of male identity within a family that has even one female, mother or otherwise. With males being the protectors, what does that leave for the female occupants of the family? They aspire to "unfold" as Goffman puts it, into a nature, attractive, older female form that is intended to never age beyond their youth.Typically the female counterparts are lavished in soft things: blankets, loose clothes, their hair is soft and complementing their more benign nature compared to the protective men that sit beyond, behind, or just near enough to them in the full family images to be the protectors. The girls and women when depicted together take another stance that is far more relenting and subdued, allowing their environments to define them as opposed to the things the men or boys of the family interact with. With this in mind we also consider the family today and where not drastically different, the family today has made some stark, and contrasting, changes from what people assume is the stereotypical family from the 1950's.

The term “normal family” have token a dramatic change over the years. Man are no longer the only breadwinners in the family, the wife or single mothers are claiming their position as a bread winner has come into place. Being that the “normal family” is define as, a caretaking mother, breadwinner father, that include one or more children.” Though many middle age people or senior citizens are more familiar with this concept of family. The 21st century of family doesn’t include composition nor the character of those family. 34% of the American families are single parents which put the female as the head of the family. 75% of women who have children are now working mothers compare to “normal family” where mothers are to stay home and give care to the children, and do house-keeping. “In 1965, 41.1% of women aged 35-44 were in the paid labor force. Twenty-one years later this same cohort of women (now 55-64 years old) were represented in almost the same proportion, 42.3%”. (Fraser, Arvonne S. "The Changing American Family." Context Institute. Caring for Families) After giving birth mothers were returning to the work force which indicated that their place in the paid labor force was not temporary. As women in the paid labor force increases, man work labor decreases. One reason of this happening is that woman are less paid in work forces. Companies would rather speed little money for a well done job. Changes that cause the shift from the “normal family” is that there is a strong economic force. And a one-person wage is no longer enough for a whole family. The dollar value in America has decrease since the 80s. families have more mouth to feed and parents also have to save for their retirement. Family incomes have drop over the years. “In February, 1988, the Congressional Budget Office released a report: "Trends in Family Income: 1970-1986." Staff of the U.S. House of Representatives’ Select Committee on Children, Youth and Families analyzed these findings and concluded that although "family income for the typical family rose during this period … income gains were not evenly distributed. Low income families with children, young families at all income levels and poor single mother families in 1986 were much worse off than their counterparts in 1970." (Fraser, Arvonne S. "The Changing American Family." Context Institute. Caring for Families). Adding a second earner to the work force kept the family from falling apart. Even if the family wage increase it doesn’t change the fact the divorce rates are raising. Which shift a caretaking mother to an economic supporter. Paid work outside the home is now the accepted form of self-insurance for women as well as men. We live in an age of selfishness where work has replaced relationships. Those who are self-sufficient have not little tolerance for relationship. More man and woman have refuse marriages to the fact the “normal family” is no longer the same as of today.

The stereotypical depiction of a family, which has definitely evolved and seen changes over the years, still follows some main rules and structures. It is very common to see a family depicted with two parents, a mother and father, and one or more children, normally seen as a son and a daughter. The father, depicted as the masculine presence in the family, is normally seen as has having a job outside of the house earning the money and protecting the family while the mother, the female presence, is seen as staying at home taking care of the children and the household. This depiction is something that is used in advertisements and media all around the world and has become accepted as a norm and is consider the most appealing version of a family to society. This idea of a “nuclear family” as described above, is so often depicted in media because it is believed to give comfort to the viewer. This “ideal” family is thought to show strength and support, and give an feeling of stability. People find comfort in the norm or the most accepted idea of something and having this “ideal” or “perfect” family appeals to most people because it has always been the accepted idea of a family.

Family shows have been a prime example of what a typical family looks like since the 50's. Where the nuclear family was strongest in such shows as "I Love Lucy", "Father Knows Best", "Leave it To Beaver", and "Timmy and Lassie" give us a base to determine previous family values. These shows were what everyone was watching and was what made a visual of how families are. As humans, we find families to be appealing. Just like shows today we watch "Modern Family", "Family Guy", and "The Middle". These shows have the typical mom and dad and the kids. When there is a not-so-typical-family show, such as "Two and a Half Men", and "Gilmore Girls", people are still appealed to it because there are still gender roles and there are still protective and supportive parent roles. Although in modern times, the "typical family" has evolved from including more children, to parents taking on both gender roles. For example, in "Jane the Virgin" shows the protagonist in single mom circumstances, and what roles she is going to be taking on. There are many televisions shows where they depict broken families, and it is still an attraction to the audience. As humans we enjoy seeing other peoples insides on family matters and situations; this being said no matter what the circumstances we are drawn to the classic family values and goals despite the evolving roles of all men, women, and children.