The Brady Bunch shows a new family dynamic that differs from previous eras in that they are a divorcee ans a widower who remarry. An interesting fact about the show is that while the creator intended for Carol Brady to be a divorcee it was never actually said on the show due to ABC refusing to allow that to be a part of the plot. This shows how in this era while there is an undertone of feminism in divorcing that it was still prevented from being a part of television. The family of four women and four men show a very different type of family than previous eras as it is two separate families coming together. In the first episode "The Honeymoon" when Mike Brady signs Mike Brady and family he is met with disapproval of having children as it was their honeymoon to which he responds "Its obvious this man does not dig the modern generation.
Mike Brady while not the bumbling idiot as seen in later sitcoms is still a father who is fallible. For example in the first episode his worries cause him to pour massive amounts of sugar in his coffee. While fallible he is still portrayed as the man of the family but on more equal terms with Carol Brady. For example in the episode "Sorry, Right Number" in season 1 Mike Brady's inability to set up a golf game makes him take control of the situation by getting another phone line. His issues still get precedent over the wife and the children while he is more lenient than in previous eras. Mike Brady is still the general of the troops a male role of disciplinarian and peace keeper of the family. This is a gender role of the man being the forceful hand. He also brings up the concept of places for men only in the episode "A Clubhouse is Not a Home" where he contends that men have a place in a clubhouse and women do not. He also says men should not play with dolls and dollhouses.
Carol Brady is a strong-willed women with somewhat feminist views. While the show is still on the conservative side as far as feminism she is portrayed as being in favor of more equal treatment. For example in the episode with the clubhouse the women are portrayed as incompetent when trying to build a clubhouse as a statement of equality. This just reinforced the stereotype women do not belong in construction and are homemakers. Mike Brady sends the women to make lemonade when they "fail" which they attribute to acting, yet it is evident that they could not build the house on their own. Carol Brady is portrayed on the other hand as a homemaker. Without a man in her life she resorts to living with her parents instead of on her own before she marries Mike Brady.
All In The Family shows a very different type of Family in American Television. It portrays a working class family but the children are no longer the young kids like in the Brady Bunch. They portray a much older family. Archie Bunker is an older male working class man who is strongly opinionated. His wife Edith is a somewhat silly woman who while aloof often is the one of reason. Their child Gloria marries a man name Michael Stivic who represents the new generation of counterculture.
The show really deals with stereotypes of race but also shows many gender role stereotypes and somewhat combating the stereotypes. The humor in the show can be found in the relationship between Archie Bunker and other characters. Archie Bunker fits in to Jackson Katz's idea of male identity and violence. In "Advertising and The Construction of Violent White Masculinity: From Eminem to Clique for Men" he describes how violence is attributed to males. Archie Bunker may not be physically violent, he is verbally abusive towards minorities and all things non-male. Episodes often depict Archie Bunker verbally abusing his son-in-law Mike Stivic as Mike's liberal views come in conflict with Archie's ideology. This clash between these character's illustrates this ideology that men need to act a certain way and in response to threats to this ideology results in violent protection.
The Partridge Family is a sitcom about a fatherless family that becomes a singing group. This sitcom looks into what a mother should be but there are some issues to deal with as well. On the one hand the mother is a widower who is raising her children on her own as opposed to depending on a male. On the other hand her occupation is not totally supported by her skills in a normal work environment. The dynamic of a single mother has been explored like in the Brady Bunch but often there is a man to save the woman whereas in this case she has to service out on her own. Her occupation is not your typical office job with lots of room for upward mobility but rather as a singer with her children. It is a step forward albeit a small one.
