Idea of progress

Idea of progress : family structures

Introduction:

In order to study the notion of idea of progress, I would like to answer the following question: how has the evolution of society influenced family structures?

First of all, I would like to give a definition of this notion: the progress can be defined as an improvement or a social advance which contributes to making the world a better place.

Indeed, the idea of progress as far as family is concerned is inevitably connected to the evolution of modern society. Family is a social unit where all members share values and are considered equal.

First, I will present traditional families, then the American family model in the 1950s and finally new family structures through the women’s evolution in the society.

I- Traditional families

 Traditional families are called “Victorian families” because it comes from the name of Queen Victoria in England. She characterized all levels of society in the 19th century.

Victorian family was viewed as a self-sufficient unit and inward looking. But there were two aspects: each member had its own function between the public and the domestic spheres. So, this type of family had conservative values and there was inequality of rights between men and women.

 In fact, the painting of Norman Rockwell called Freedom from Want shows a family celebrating Thanksgiving. The grandmother brings the turkey and the grandfather looks at the turkey from the head of the table which means he’s the patriarch of the family. This picture gives an impression of good relationship between each members of the family. So this family is idealistic and it illustrates conservative values of this era/time.

II- The American Family model in the 1950s

 We studied a picture which represents the suburbs of an American city where middle-class live. We can see houses which are built next to each other, there are very similar and people seem to do the same things at the same time: indeed women are walking with their children together. As a consequence, it represents the nuclear family.

Indeed, after the World War II, the government policies and the economic boom of 1950s permite to middle-class to have more money. So they can buy houses thanks to the birth of suburbia and live a “proper family life”.

 At that time, women were discouraged to study or to have a career. They were taught to be good wives and mothers. Those who wanted something else were criticized. Indeed, some are not satisfied by their situation. For example, Marilyn French shows in her novel The Women’s Room a housewife, Mira, realized she depend financially of her husband and she feels humiliated. She can’t accept that.

Transition: Over the last century, male-dominated societies have been challenged and women have become emancipated financially and sexually. As a consequence, values have been redefined and new family structures have emerged: single parenthood, same-sex parents, remarriage or also blended families.

III- New family structures

 Indeed, family portrayed in TV series in the past represented the ideal family (such as in the Brady Bunch Show in the 1970s) whereas today they

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