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Human society is evolving, and the pace of this transformation increased considerably several decades ago. Families, being a unit of modern societies, are also undergoing changes that are specifically pronounced in the western world. Adoption, same-sex marriages, or living together without the corresponding legal procedures have become common. The roles performed by the members of the family differ from the patterns established in the twentieth century. The family featured in the popular TV series The Modern Family can serve as an appropriate illustration of the changes that took place in recent decades, making North American families different from the Standard North American Family.
First, it is necessary to consider the concept of the Standard North American Family (SNAF) in more detail. SNAF is an “ideological code” representing a standard family as a legally married couple who live in a shared household and have specific roles (Mitchell 2017: 6). The husband provides for the family and has a job, while the mother is responsible for childrearing and household chores. This code is deeply rooted in the concepts and constructs of structural functionalism. According to this theoretical paradigm, families ensure the stability of the society that is seen as an organism consisting of certain parts that strive for harmony (Mitchell 2017). These social units also have an appropriate structure characterized by well-defined roles and strict compliance with the established norms. In a family, as seen by the proponents of structural functionalism, each member of the family tries to contribute to the development of their household by following some rules and ensuring the acceptance of the wider community. However, such patterns can hardly be applied to the existing families residing across the United States irrespective of their income or ethnicity.
For example, the family under consideration can hardly be referred to as the SNAF, although it bears major features and principles of a family, as defined in terms of structural functionalism. The family under analysis consists of several nuclear families that live in their households. The head of the family, Jay Pritchett lives with his second wife, a Colombian immigrant, Gloria, who is substantially younger than her husband. Jay adopted Sofia’s son, and in several years, Jay and Sofia have their child, Joe. Mr. Pritchett still has a central influence on the family and is still the core of this social unit. He provides for his nuclear family, although Sofia starts working after the birth of Joe, trying to self-realize.
Jay’s daughter, Claire, was a housewife for approximately two decades and completely dependent on her husband, Phil. The family could be seen as the SNAF, but she became the head of her father’s business, which was the start of her career. Household chores were distributed among the spouses and their three children. The major difference from the SNAF is Phil’s active role in child rearing. At that, this aspect makes the family still adherent to the principles of structural functionalism, with all members contributing to the establishment of harmony. This nuclear family has close ties with Jay, who has the final word and is seen as a good advisor.
The most unconventional part of the family is Mitchell and his partner Cameron who live with their adopted children. Although the couple is legally married, they cannot be seen as the SNAF as they are both males. First, Cameron does not contribute to the family financially, which relates their family to a SNAF where one of the spouses focuses on the household while the other one provides for the family. Later, both partners start their careers, which is also rather consistent with the ideas of structural functionalism, where all members have roles and strive for harmony.
The TV series, as well as its title per se, illustrate the way modern social institutions have been transformed and continue transforming people’s lives and identities. The very concept of marriage has evolved and became free from various restrictions that existed for centuries. People are free to live together without legal limitations. The views regarding adoption and same-sex unions have become revolutionary, which enabled thousands of people to live happily the lives they longed to have. The government supports the development of marriage as a social institution ensuring harmony. In a way, modern families are conventional illustrations of the structural functionalist paradigm, as people are able to live harmoniously in their households and their communities. As featured in the TV series, the community is largely positive about the family in question irrespective of such elements as same-sex marriage, adoption, working females, and immigrants in a white community.
In conclusion, it is possible to state that The Modern Family sheds light on the way American society has been evolving in terms of core social institutions. The SNAF has lost its status as a standard since an increasing number of people do not pay attention to the conventions linked to gender roles, sexuality matters, and others. People have an opportunity to meet the needs at all levels of Maslow’s pyramid. Structural functionalism is a relevant approach to viewing modern American families where all members contribute to ensuring harmony within their households and a larger community. However, it is also necessary to note that the family in question pertains to the upper-middle class, while the experiences of Americans in other economic strata can be different.
Reference
Mitchell, Barbara A. 2017. Family Matters: An Introduction to Family Sociology in Canada. Toronto, Canada: Canadian Scholars’ Press.
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