Research done by Ran D. Conger, Frederick O. Lorenz, and K.A.S. Wickrama in “Continuity and Change in Family Relations,” discusses the increased independence of the child as time marches on. The research highlights the effect that television exposure had on the children’s behavior and increased independence. Similarly, Katharine Elizabeth Heintz conducted research to see if television portrayals of families influenced children’s perceptions of real families, or vice versa. Her data indicated that children’s perceptions of television families actually differed depending on their own family situation, specifically single-parent families. Jennifer Fogel research argues that as a result of contemporary television programming, the construction of family structure and the definition of “Family” are evolving significantly. In the end, what it found was that even amidst a multitude of diverse sentiments and structures of families on television, the most successful images of family continue to be bound to a performance of family that reaffirms the values deeply rooted in the nuclear family. In “Men Can: The Changing Image and Reality of Fatherhood in America”, Donald Unger writes about representations of men, masculinity and fatherhood in popular culture. He explores the stories of families in which fathers are primary caregivers or are full partners in raising the children. The book discusses the changing role of fatherhood, the social, cultural, and economic changes that have contributed to it, and the challenges for women. I was not surprised by a lot of my findings except for the information about the differences concerning children of single-parent homes. I think it would be interesting to explore this topic more deeply.
