Integrated Summary People describe the “traditional family” according to perceptions and evaluations that oftentimes has something to do with images that other people have.

Usually, however, these visions are probably in terms of prevailing myths based on many different kinds of marriages and families that never coexisted in the same time and place. They are further cultivated and spread by media, controlled primarily by the white middle-class, presumably the culprit behind the cultivation of these same myths.Comparing these myths against the facts about real families would tell us that there is not now and never has been a single model of the family. The first myth is the idea that there is a universal nuclear family pattern. This blinds us to the reality of diverse marriage and family arrangements usually brought about by the differences in cultures of people and nations. Social kinship ties or living arrangements do not flow from biological unions.

Second is the assumption that the traditional family is self-reliant.The fact is that families have always depended on others, from their neighbors to social institutions like the church and the government. The third refers to the arrangement that husbands and fathers provide economic support while wives and mothers are the caregivers and moral guardians. This belief promotes traditional gender roles between men and women which, in turn create problems among couples especially if the parties do not satisfy the expected roles. The fourth myth singles out African-American families as the least stable and functional.

This is fueled by racist stereotypes and media exaggerations and distortions.This promotes a systematic discrimination that racial groups have been experiencing throughout history, creating further disparities between blacks and whites. Finally, the 1950s perpetrated the mythical image of the family as a middle class institution consisting of a father who works, a mother who takes care of him, and children who were well-behaved and obedient. This image was further promoted by media and TV shows. The truth is that families have never been static, not the same, and there is not now and never has been a single model of the family.Families and experiences are different and the difference does not connote better or worse.

In the end, everyone has to realize that there is no such thing as a “traditional” or even “ideal” family pattern. The word “family” itself needs to be constantly redefined and made subjective, the definition not based on a singular model but on what works for a particular group of people who would like to come together and affix this word to their unit. It would certainly be beneficial to diverse groups now getting due recognition from societies such as families headed by interracial and gay couples.Media would help a lot if it would start depicting more of this diversity and challenging the myths discussed above through thought-provoking TV shows and advertisements.

Hopefully, constant discussions would be the key to update and change people’s beliefs. Intro Summary People describe the “traditional family” according to perceptions and evaluations that oftentimes has something to do with images that other people have. Usually, however, these visions are probably in terms of prevailing myths based on different kinds of marriages and families that never coexisted in the same time and place.Examples of these myths and stereotypes include the following: the idea that there is a universal nuclear family pattern; that the traditional family is self-reliant; there are differing spheres for wives and husbands; the African-American family is unstable; and, the prevailing image of the idealized nuclear family of the 1950s. Unfortunately, these myths are further cultivated and spread by media, controlled primarily by the white middle-class, presumably the culprit behind the cultivation of these same myths.Comparing these myths against the facts about real families tells us that there is not now and never has been a single model of the family.

Full Summary Most people describe the traditional family in terms of perceptions and evaluations that are widely-held but are usually mythical images of the past based on many different kinds of marriages and families that never coexisted in the same time and place. Some of these myths have a positive effect in bonding family members together, but most distort and create unrealistic expectations on some. The following are 5 of the most popular myths and stereotypes about the family:First is the idea that there is a universal nuclear family pattern. This blinds us to the reality of diverse marriage and family arrangements usually brought about by the differences in cultures of people and nations.

Second is the assumption that the traditional family is self-reliant. The fact is that families have always depended on others, from their neighbors to social institutions like the church and the government. The third refers to the arrangement that husbands and fathers provide economic support while wives and mothers are the caregivers and moral guardians.This belief promotes traditional gender roles between men and women which, in turn create problems among couples especially if the parties do not satisfy the expected roles. The fourth myth singles out African-American families as the least stable and functional. This is fueled by racist stereotypes and media exaggerations and distortions.

This promotes a systematic discrimination that racial groups have been experiencing throughout history, creating further disparities between blacks and whites.Finally, the 1950s perpetrated the mythical image of the family as a middle class institution consisting of a father who works, a mother who takes care of him, and children who were well-behaved and obedient. This image was further promoted by media and TV shows. The truth is that families have never been static, not the same, and there is not now and never has been a single model of the family.

Families and experiences are different and the difference does not connote better or worse.