Evolution Of The Traditional Family In The 1950's

A half-century ago, the concept of family was entirely different than what it is modeled as today. The typical family was generally working or middle class, and it consisted of a husband who worked to support the family, and a wife who stayed home to tend to the house and children. The structure of the traditional family along with the general nature of society, have since changed however. No longer does the word “family” have a universal application in society. The supreme portrait of family is ever changing because societal values seem to evolve and diversify as time passes. Today, much of this evolution in the perceptions of kinship ideals can be attributed to media and advertising influences.
A typical family in the 1950s would probably
eat their meals together, own a car, and have a house with a radio and a television set. A husband would go to work from nine to five in a suit and tie that was hand washed and ironed by his wife. Families had been this way for generations, however, family member roles in society began to change as women took on more active roles in the workforce. For example, instead of solely working for their husbands in the home, women took on opportunities involving education or jobs in many growing fields of industry. Along with that of their husbands, they now doubled the income of their household. These types of families had more money to spend on luxuries including the latest technologies where advertising was beginning to become a serious influence to societal norms.
With the rise of technology following the 1950s, advertisers could begin to create the perception of what the family was supposed to be through radio and later, through television.
Mass media consumption led advertisers to alter the perceptions and preferences of the people because the agencies could make money through their influence. They have since created an overall expectation surrounding society’s views of family. As time passes, that expectation changes and radio broadcasts and especially television have revealed this evolution of family structure and acceptance. At one time, all families generally began with a man and a woman of the same race and from the same ethnic background. Today, however, there is greater tolerance for what was once deemed as an “atypical” family. Families are now more ethnically, racially, and religiously diverse than ever before, and the media seems to support the change. Families now may or may not consist of children while others may have parents of the same gender. All of these examples are relatively new additions to society’s concept of a typical family. I feel that the changes are improvements and that it is important for the media to continue to spread the message of tolerance. It allows for everyone to seek happiness in what they feel comfortable with, and be accepted regardless of how they define a
family.
In conclusion, advertising and the media have been positive influences altering society’s overall understanding of family in history thus far. The diverse definition of family life and the level of tolerance for a changed perception of family that can be observed today is mainly the result of the medias influence. Through its influence, the media has the potential to decide the typical accepted way of life and in the future, it will continue to shape the worldview of family.