The document provides an overview of concepts related to marriage, family, and media portrayal of families. It defines key terms like family, marriage, and monogamy. It discusses media's influence through cultivation theory and how television portrays topics like crime, sex, and family dynamics. The document also examines different family types and characteristics of strong families, emphasizing communication, time together, and shared values.

1. Chapter 1 - Meaning of
Marriage & Family

2. Used by permission of
THE ACADEMY OF NURSING
2355 E. 3900 S.
S.L.C., UT 84124
801-506-0064

3. OBJECTIVE:
Come up with
a personal
definition or
statement on
what family
means to you.

4. TRIANGULATION
• Relationships may be
complex within a family.
• Triangulation (3 is bad -
2 group against a third or
two come to a third party
to help resolve their
conflict) Results in
problematic symptoms
for the third.
Groups of three come up with a 3 min skit on a family interaction.
Example: Household jobs, discipline, son not wanting to be like father.

5. WHAT IS MARRIAGE?
• Bond between a man
& woman.
– All 50 states but Hawaii do
not allow gay/lesbian
marriage.
– 1996 Defense Marriage
Act gave states the right to
decide.

6. WHAT IS MARRIAGE? (cont.)
• Commitment
• Intimacy and sexually
unite
(a defining reason why many marriages
stay together)
• Cooperate economically
• May give birth or adopt
– 50 years ago this was central reason for
marriage.
– Purpose for marriage has become much more
diverse.

7. WHAT IS MARRIAGE? (continued)
• Book’s definition: Legal union
between a man & woman, united
sexually, cooperate economically,
and may have children.
• Benefits: Live longer, healthier,
fewer accidents.

8. WHAT IS MARRIAGE? (cont.)
• Legally recognized union
– Marriage license
• Not open on Saturday.
• Fee: $50
• City & County offices on 21st S. State.
• Good for 30 days, good immediately.
• 18 years without parents consent.
• Second cousins may marry.
• No blood tests or physical exams
required.
• Both bride & groom must be present
place of birth.
• Need to know mothers maiden name &
parents.

9. CULTURE DEFINES WHAT A
MARRIAGE IS OR NOT
• Monogamy - one man, one woman. All 1st
world countries are monogamous.
• Polygamy - more than one wife or husband.
Example: Islam & Fundamental Mormons
• Bigamy – Marrying another person while still
married to someone else. It is against the law.
• Serial Monogamy or Modified Polygamy –
Succession of marriages over time. Typical of
US marriages.

10. MEDIA
ARE WE IMMERSED IN IT?

11. MEDIA
ARE WE IMMERSED IN IT?
• Everyone’s view of marriage is somewhat
distorted. No other family is exactly like your
family. But our family is not the only one we
"know."
• Popular Culture constructions or TV & movies
gives us privy to intimacies and conflicts which
are usually not acceptable public behaviors.
Discuss the PROs and CONs of TELEVISION.

12. CULTIVATION THEORY
• Cultivation theory: These consistent
themes, images, and stereo types that cut
across programming genres cultivate or
form world views.
– People who watch more than the average
amount of media are more likely to mistake
the media world for the real world.
• Average family has the TV on 7 hours a day.
• Average person watches 4 hours per day.
• Average person will spend 10 years of their life
watching TV.

13. PROS OF TV:
• Opens up the world to us.
• Communicates instantly what is
happening.
• Less prejudice, we see other cultures.
• Children learn from parents era and vice
versa.
• Families watch TV together.
• Gives more meaning to life to elderly.
• Entertaining – novelty in a box.

14. CONS OF TV:
• Shallow communication about wealth, races,
sex.
• We trust each other less.
• Spend less time being citizens and with families.
• Children bored with school due to razzel dazzel
of TV – shorten attention span.
• Freezes images in our mind (Sept 11).
• Speeds up time (ER, NYPD, Friends).

15. ERA OF TV:
• 1953: ½ OF ALL
FAMILIES OWNED A
TV.
• 1957: 90% OF ALL
FAMILIES OWNED A
TV.

16. ERA OF TV (cont.)
• Most of us will spend
10 years of our life
watching TV.
• On your death bed
will you wish you had
watched more TV?

17. ACTIVITY:
• Divide into 6 groups and each discuss one
of the following as to how it is portrayed on
TV
– Crime
– Sex
– Conflict and problems in families
– Men & Women
– Races
– Single parent families

18. HOW DOES MEDIA PORTRAY
AMOUNTS OF CRIME?

19. HOW DOES MEDIA PORTRAY
AMOUNTS OF CRIME?
• Create a perception that the world is a
dangerous place.
• People that are more fascinated with crime
watch more shows on crime which confirm
their views.

20. HOW DOES MEDIA
PORTRAY SEX?

21. HOW DOES MEDIA
PORTRAY SEX?
• Sex acts like extramarital affairs, premarital,
rape, prostitution appears to happen 4x more
frequently than they really do.
• Physical beauty and appearances are extremely
important.
• Rarely see anything on birth control.
• Rarely see loving marital sex.

22. HOW DOES MEDIA PORTRAY
CONFLICT & PROBLEMS
IN FAMILIES?

23. HOW DOES MEDIA PORTRAY
CONFLICT & PROBLEMS
IN FAMILIES?
• Love will conquer all.
• 30 minutes can resolve any problem.
• Usually solved with manipulation or humor.
• Divorce is rare & a trend towards non traditional
families.
• Total omission of household chores which is a
huge source of conflict.
• Life is much less complicated than in reality.
– Rarely see divorce, unemployment, chronic illness,
death, poverty, caring for elderly.

24. HOW DOES MEDIA PORTRAY
MEN & WOMEN?

25. HOW DOES MEDIA PORTRAY
MEN & WOMEN?
• Middle class women
like the Cosbys.
• Working class men
like Homer Simpson.

26. HOW ARE DIFFERENT
RACES PORTRAYED?

27. HOW ARE DIFFERENT
RACES PORTRAYED?
• Whites over represented.
• Blacks improving.
• Perpetuates racism.

28. HOW ARE SINGLE PARENT
FAMILIES PORTRAYED?

29. HOW ARE SINGLE PARENT
FAMILIES PORTRAYED?
• Fathers head household 5x as often.
• Single women want to marry & single men
enjoy their freedom.
• The reality is single father remarry more
often than women.
• Step families have harmony or solve a
problem in a single episode.
• Affiliated kin shown as families.

30. SOAP OPERAS: What do you see
on afternoon TV?
• High rates of conflict,
betrayal, infidelity, divorce
& multiple marriages with
secrets they keep from
their spouse.
• Exaggerated amounts of
sex.

31. TALK SHOWS:

32. TALK SHOWS:
• Group therapy for the masses that everyone can
afford.
• Primary purpose is to entertain or raise the
rating. Definite difference in scholarly research
whose primary purpose is to gain knowledge.
• Topics are high interest or shocking materials to
attract an audience.

33. WE ARE IMMERSED IN THE
MEDIA!
WHAT CAN WE DO?
• To keep from being used?
• To keep from being manipulated?
• To keep from being negatively influenced?
• To keep the media from displacing the
family, education, or religion in our lives?

34. ADVICE:
• Be skeptical.
• Search for biases, stereotypes, and lack of
objectivity.
• Look for moralizing. What are the underlying
values?
• Go to the original source and see how valid they
are.
• Seek additional information. The whole story
was probably not told - watered down info.

35. WHAT IS FAMILY?
Try to come up with a satisfactory definition of family.

36. ARTICLES ON FAMILY SITUATIONS:

37. ARTICLES ON FAMILY SITUATIONS:

38. ARTICLES ON FAMILY SITUATIONS:

39. ARTICLES ON FAMILY SITUATIONS:

40. ARTICLES ON FAMILY SITUATIONS:

41. DEFINITIONS OF FAMILY
• Nuclear family:
Mom, Dad, Kids
• Traditional family:
Father bread winner,
Mom is homemaker
(Only 8-11% of all
families)

42. On a blank piece of paper, draw your family visually.
(Refer to page 29 Genogram)
On the other side with pictures draw what a family is -
no words.
Have a few share theirs. Some may include friends,
foster family, grandparents, step families, mother-in-law,
aunts/uncles, nephews/nieces, etc.

43. Family Types
• Living alone
• Cohabitation
• Couple with no children (DINK)
• Divorced adults
• Single parent families
• Step families
• Adoptive/Foster family/legal guardians
• Grandparents living with families or raising
grandchildren
• "Boomerang" families - children move back in

44. The Decline of Traditional
Families

45. Household Composition

46. DEFINITION OF FAMILY
Book’s
definition:
Two or more adults
related by blood,
marriage, or affiliation
who cooperate
economically, share a
common dwelling
place and may rear
children.

47. Functions of Families
• Family ties like intimacy.
• Economic cooperation - families are consuming
and producing units.
• Reproduction and socialization.
• Only a family can produce a socialized adult.

48. WHAT SHOULD A CHILD LEARN
IN A FAMILY?
• Values, moral
• Culture and traditions
• Self concept
• How to solve problems/conflict resolution
• Commitment to family is first
• Each member must contribute
• Change is possible
• How to make a decision
• Communication

49. Assignment of Social Roles and
Status (Identity)
• We belong to two families in our lifetime:
• Family of Origin: You were the child
• Family of Procreation: You are the parent

50. WHY LIVE IN A FAMILY?
• Love and closeness
• Offer continuity in
emotional attachments,
rights, and obligations.
• Close proximity which
facilitates cooperation and
communication.
• Abiding familiarity with
others. Can know
ourselves and others well.
• Economic benefits.

51. IS THE AMERICAN FAMILY
DYING OR CEASING TO EXIST?
Consider this:
• Nine out of ten people continue to live in
households as family members
• Nine out of ten young adults marry.
• The majority (three out of four) of those
who divorce will remarry.
• The majority of those who marry will have
children.

52. CHARACTERISTICS OF STRONG
FAMILIES
• Appreciation – notice the less obvious
things, express appreciation often.
• Kindness –tends to be catching.
• Communication – listen so others will talk,
talk so others will listen.
• Time Together – plan it, don’t wait to find it,
need quantity to have quality.

53. CHARACTERISTICS OF STRONG
FAMILIES (cont.)
• Values and Standards – communicate them
clearly, follow them consistently.
• Strictness & Permissiveness – firm, fair, and
friendly.
• Problem Solving – look for solutions, not for
blame.
• Traditions –give a sense of identity.
• Fun & laughter – plan it, use props, bring
home jokes.

54. CHAPTER 1 VOCABULARY
1. Family: 2 or more adults related by blood,
marriage, or affiliation. Who cooperate
economically, may share common dwelling
place & may rear children.
2. Marriage: Legal union between a man &
woman united sexually, cooperate
economically and may have children.
3. Monogamy: 1 husband or 1 wife, sexual
exclusivity
4. Polygamy: More than one husband or wife
at the same time.

55. CHAPTER 1 VOCABULARY
cont’d
• 5. Serial Monogamy or Modified Polygamy:
Succession of marriages over time. Typical of US
marriages.
• 6. Cultivation Theory: Media images form view of
world.
• 7. Nuclear Family: Consists of mother, father and at
least one child. (Traditional Family)
• 8. Family of origin: Family of which one is reared as
a child.
• 9. Family of Procreation: Family one forms as a
couple.

56. CHAPTER 1 VOCABULARY
cont’d
• 10. Family of cohabitation: Family formed
by two people living together whether
married or unmarried, may include children
or stepchildren.
• 11. Affiliated Kin: Unrelated people who are
treated as if related.
• 12. Kinship system: Social organization of
the family, conferring rights and obligations
based on status.
• 13. Conjugal: Related by marriage
• 14. Consanguineous Relationship:
Relationship formed by common blood lines.