2000's

In general from years 2000-10 family structure has been portrayed as inconsistnant. In the shows analyzed all of them depict different family structure that are no longer based around the typical nuclear family. In all of the shows below the disintegration of facility is evident and there is always one or two characters that does not have a regular family. Whether this is to mix things up and keep them exciting or weather it is to give different types of people with different living situations and problems a chance to be represented is still in question. But there are still stigmas of women in television even in a family as being more sexualized. All of the shows have a character that uses their looks to get what they want. Women are being judged by their looks and are taught that that is most important. Also scandal is evident in all of these shows the portrayal of women as mischievous, manipulative, self-consumed people is also portrayed. In conclusion the 2000 represent women in the family structure as strong, but submissive, greedy but giving, and secrets especially from friends and neighbors are an important role.

1990's

About the 1990's:

The decade of the 1990's is most notably marked by its technological advances; the emergence of the World Wide Web occurred in 1992. This advent changed many aspects of life, largely the way in which individuals communicated. By 1998 100 million people were online which is very indicative of the rapid growth of this new world. Not only did this change the way individuals communicated but it also changed the ways in which money was spent. With internet connections powering monetary spending consumerism became more apparent. The 1990’s also marked the emergence of a new generation; this was a generation that set its own path and challenged the typical family structure as well as gender roles. This new type of family is most notable in the show Friends and the new role of gender and how it should be displayed was very apparent in Roseanne as well as Frasier. Friends redefined the meaning of family whereas Roseanne became a strong voice for working women while Frasier proved you could be a heterosexual male with once considered “feminine” qualities. Although these shows did contest present stereotypes there were also shows that reinforced existing stereotypes in new ways like The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. The Banks family is very standard for family sitcoms, affluent and functional, with a new twist being that they are African-American. The 1990’s was a pivotal moment for television and produced many shows that shed light on stereotypes present in American culture.

1980's

The 1980's brought the strong conservatism to television. Shows were about family values and it also started to redefine the role of men in television. The Archie Bunkers of the 1970's were replaced by the wholesome Danny Tanners and Tony Micellis. The role of women as caregivers and domesticators seemed to change. While the glass ceiling was still apparent, women become more successful in the workplace during this era. As a foil men started to become more important in the role of the house. Shows like Who's the Boss and Full House showed men clean, cooking, and caring for the children. This role reversal showed new dynamics in the structure of the family and the roles of gender. This is part of a change in ideology of men having to care for children on their own. In the past if it was a man on his own there was always a female presence to take care of the home while the men worked. In this era it was more equal and the ideology that men are these strong figures who are not as sensitive changed to a more soft view on masculinity.

1970's

The 1970's was the era of counter culture and the clash of the old and the new became a source of television plot. It can be most apparently seen in shows like All in the Family where Archie Bunker reflects the old idea of manhood and society facing off against his son-in-law Mike Stivic who represents counterculture of the era. While there are changes in the role of women as feminism was going strong gender roles were still similar to previous eras. The changes to the families them selves in television can be seen as it was no longer two parents and their children but a mix of two families or single mothers striking out on their own. It can be seen in The Brady Bunch, The Partridge Family, and Maude. Issues of divorce were becoming more acceptable but still carefully dealt with. In Maude divorce played a prominent role for both the main character and her daughter. Families while starting to change gender roles themselves only changed slightly. While there were steps forward, women were still often confined to the home as homemakers.

1960's

In the 1960’s, there was a significant backlash against the conservatism and conformity that typified the fifties. Millions of young Americans that were born after WWII became teenagers and young adults; they led the charge in rebelling against the more conservative values, beliefs and attitudes of their parents and older generations. Much of the changes that began in this era continue to play out to this day.
There was a significant change in the social and cultural fabric of the United States in the sixties, as minorities and other disenfranchised groups secured more rights through the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Within television, the changing of the times was reflected in new portrayals of the family that didn’t conform to the more traditional nuclear family. Although, traditional gender roles for men and women began to be more widely contested and debated, for the most part they remained remarkably consistent with the conservative portrayals of the fifties.
Popular television shows in the 1960’s included Bewitched, The Addams Family, My Favorite Martian, I Dream of Jeannie, Star Trek, the Outer Limits , The Beverly Hillbillies, The Flinstones and the Andy Griffith Show.

1950's

In the United States, the 1950’s have often been described as the “Age of Conformity”. There was a strong element of conservatism circulating in society, and this was reflected in many of the television shows airing at the time. Men were expected to work and bring home the money, and women were relegated to caring for the children and the home. Television at the time largely reflected the conservative attitudes, values, and beliefs of the population as a whole.

Millions of young men were able to pursue a college education in the fifties because of the GI Bill, something that for many of them never would have been feasible otherwise. It also enabled many young men to start businesses and buy their first homes. Thus the idea of the American Dream in the 1950’s was pervasive and very real.

At this time planned communities known as suburbs also began to emerge, first in Levittown, New York and then elsewhere across the country. The suburbs would become a popular setting for family oriented television shows that wanted to depict traditional gender roles for men and women within the nuclear family.

Most of the television shows that aired during the fifties reflected the conservative attitudes, values and beliefs of the populations as a whole.

Some popular television shows in the 1950’s included Leave it to Beaver, the Honeymooners, I Love Lassie, Father Knows Best, and the Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet.