The Modern Family: The Concept Of The Family

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The concept of the family is not a new one. It dates back at least as far as the Hammurabi Code, when family members could be sold to pay off debt. The way families are viewed by society is constantly in flux. The purpose of a family, however, as a group of people who support, love, care, nourish and educate one and other has remained constant for many generations now. The “acceptable” or expected makeup of such families is also something which has changed. In the fifties, the nuclear family created a model that many still dream of. A dutiful wife, her hard-working husband and their bright, well-behaved children living in a suburban home off one income was the dream. The parents would likely have been of the same race and religion, definitely …show more content…

The show follows an extended family spread across three households through the humorous antics of their everyday lives. The first household includes the patriarch of the family, Jay Pritchett, his substantially younger second wife, Gloria, and Gloria’s son from a previous marriage, Manny. The second household is made up of Jay’s daughter Claire, her husband Phil Dunphy, and their three children, Haley, Alex and Luke. The last household includes Jay’s son Mitchell “Mitch” Pritchett, his boyfriend Cameron “Cam” Tucker, and their adopted daughter Lily. The Tucker-Pritchett home truly pushes the boundaries of the “traditional” family, setting that model aside for a more current view on who can make up a family. While Mitch, Cam and Lily do not fit the definition of a nuclear family, they embody the strong values, fierce love and compassion that families everywhere strive …show more content…

TV shows have always been portraying families that hold the same values. Shows are also willing to show the potentially dark sides of families. However, it is the “harmonious association[s] of parents and children united by love and trust” that has “mesmerized popular culture in the United States” and the individuals within it. The model of the family has changed even as these views remain, showing that it is the bonds, values, character and ethics of a family that are what matter. Any family can embody this, regardless of whether they are nuclear or a more modern family, like Cameron, Mitchell and

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