Abstract
“Successful family series” across four decades of American prime-time television were examined. Family portrayals were defined as either conventional or nonconventional. Conventional families were categorized as “couples without children” and “couples with children.” Nonconventional families were categorized as “single parent” or “contrived.” Additional family characteristics were also recorded including sex of single parent, reason for singleness, social class status, females employed outside the home, “live-ins,” race, and whether the presentation was dramatic or comedic. The data show a trend toward more equal presentation of conventional and nonconventional families, few divorced or female single parents, and few minority families. Implications of findings are discussed and future research questions suggested.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bandura, A. (1969). Social learning theory of identificatory process. In D. A. Goslin (Ed.), Handbook of socialization theory and research. Chicago: Rand McNally.
Brooks, T., & Marsh, E. (1988). The complete directory to prime time network TV shows, 1946-Present (3rd ed.). New York: Balantine Books.
Bryant, J. (Ed.). (1990). Television and the American Family. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers.
Buerkel-Rothfuss, N., Greenberg, B., Atkin, C., & Neuendorf, K. (1982, Summer). Learning about the family from television. Journal of Communications, 32, 191–201.
Busby, L. (1975). Sex-role research on the mass media. Journal of Communication, 25, 107–31.
Cassata, M., & Skill, T. (1985). Television: A guide to the literature. Phoenix, AZ: The Oryx Press.
Castleman, H., & Podrazik, W. J. (1982). Watching TV: Four decades of American television. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Comstock, G. (1975). Television and human behavior: The key studies. Santa Monica, CA: The Rand Corporation.
Comstock, G. (1983). Television and American social institutions. In J. C. Wright & A. C. Huston (Eds.), Children and television (3red ed.). Lexington MA: Ginn Custom Publishers.
Cummings, M. S. (1986, July). The changing image of the black family on television. Paper presented at the International Television Studies Conference, London, England.
De Fleur, M. (1964). Occupational roles as portrayed on television. Public Opinion Quarterly, 28, 54–74.
Dominick, J. R. (1979). The portrayal of women in prime time, 1953–1977. Sex Roles, 5, 405–411.
Downs, A. C., & Gowan, D. C. (1980). Sex differences in reinforcement and punishment on prime time television. Sex Roles, 6, 683–693.
Durkin, K. (1985). Television and sex-role acquisition 1: Content. British Journal of Social Psychology, 24, 101–113.
Evra, J. (1990). Television and child development. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers.
Fabes, R., Wilson, P., & Christopher, F. (1989). A time to reexamine the role of television in family life. Family Relations, 38, 337–341.
Gerbner, G., & Gross, L. (1976). Living with television: The violence profile. Journal of Communication, 26, 172–199.
Gerbner, G. (1977, June). Television: The new state religion? Et Cetera, 145–150.
Gerbner, G., Gross, L. Signorielli, N., & Morgan, M. (1980). Aging with television: Images on television drama and conceptions of social reality. Journal of Communications, 30, 37–47.
Glennon, L. M., & Butsch, R. (1983). The family as portrayed on television 1946–1978. In J. C. Wright & A. C. Huston (Eds.), Children and television (3rd ed.). Lexington, MA: Ginn Custom Publisher.
Goff, D. H., Goff, L. D., & Lehrer, S. K. (1980, Fall). Sex role portrayals of selected female television characters. Journal of Broadcasting, 24, 467–477.
Gray, A. (1986, July). Video recorders in the home: Woman's work boy's toys. Paper presented at the International Television Studies Conference, London, England.
Greenberg, B. (Ed.). (1980). Life on television: Content analysis of U.S. TV drama. Norwood, NJ: Ablex Press.
Greenberg, B., Hines, M., Buerkel-Rothfuss, N., & Atkin, C. (1980). An analysis of family role structures and interactions in commercial television. In B. Greenberg (Ed.). Life on television. Norwood, NJ: Ablex Press.
Greenberg, B., Buerkel-Rothfuss, N., Neuendorf, K., & Atkin, C. (1980). Three seasons of television family role interactions. In B. Greenberg (Ed.), Life on television. Norwood, NJ: Ablex Press.
Halsizer, C. (1982). Career choices. In M. Schwarz (Ed.), T.V. and teens: Experts look at the issues. London: Addison-Wesley.
Hough, A. (1981). Trial and tribulations: Thirty years of sitcom. In R. Adler (Ed.), Understanding television. New York: Preager.
Krendl, K., & Lasky, K. (1987, November). The effects of television: Views from the next generation. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Speech Communication Association, Boston, MA.
Larson, M. (1989). Interaction between siblings in primetime television. Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media, 33, 305–315.
Liebert, R. M., Neale, J. M., & Davidson, E. S. (1973). The early window: Effects of T.V. on children and youth. Elmsford, NY: Pergamon Press.
Merritt, B., & Stroman, C. (1986, July). Black family imagery and interactions on television: A preliminary analysis. Paper presented at the international television studies conference, London, England.
Novak, M. (1981). Television shapes the soul. In R. Adler (Ed.), Understanding television. New York: Praeger.
Peevers, B. H. (1979). Androgyny on the T. V. screen? An analysis of sex-role portrayal. Sex Roles, 5, 797–809.
Pearl, D., Bouthilet, L., & Lazar, J. (Eds.). (1982). Television and behaviors: Ten years of scientific progress and implications for the eighties. Rockville, MD: National Institute of Mental Health.
Seggar, J. F. (1977). Television's portrayal of minorities and women, 1971–75. Journal of Broadcasting, 21, 201–214.
Singer, D., & Singer, J. (1984). Parents as mediators of the child's television environment. Educational Media International, 4, 7–11.
Singer, J., & Singer, D. (1985). Television viewing and family communication style as predictors of children's emotional behavior. Journal of Children in Contemporary Society, 17, 75–91.
Skill, T., Robinson, J. D., & Wallace, S. P. (1987). Portrayal of families on prime-time TV: Structure, type and frequency. Journal of Broadcasting, 64, 360–367.
Skill, T., Wallace, S., & Cassata, M. (1990). Families on prime-time television: Patterns of conflict escalation and resolution across intact, nonintact, and mixed-family settings. In J. Bryant (Ed.), Television and the American Family. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers.
Steenland, S., & Schmidt, L. (1985). Trouble on the set: An analysis of female characters on 1985 television programs. Washington DC: National Commission on Working Women.
Steenland, S., & Whittemore, L. (1987). Women out of view. An analysis of female characters on 1987–88 TV programs. Washington DC: National Commission on Working Women.
Stroman, C., Merritt, B., & Matabane, P. (1988, July). Twenty years later: The portrayal of blacks on prime-time television. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the association for education in journalism and mass communication, Portland, OR.
Sweeper, G. (1984). The image of the black family and the white family in American prime-time television programming 1970 to 1980. (Doctoral dissertation, New York University, 1983). Dissertation Abstracts International, 44, 1964A.
Tangney, J. (1988). Aspects of family and children's television viewing content preferences. Child Development, 59, 1070–1079.
Tarrace, V. (1976). The complete encyclopedia of television programs, 1947–1976. Cranbury, NJ: A. S. Barnes.
Tedesco, N. S. (1974). Patterns in prime time. Journal of Communication, 24, 118–124.
TV Guide. (1981–1989). Fall preview issues.
Thomas, S., & Callahan, B. (1982, Summer). Learning about the family from television. Journal of Communications, 32, 184–190.
U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. (1977). Window dressing on the set. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.
U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. (1979). Window dressing on the set: An update. Washington DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.
Wahlstrum, B. J. (1979). Images of the family in the mass media: An American iconography? In V. Tufte & B. Myerhoff (Eds.), Changing images of the family. London: Yale University Press.
Withey, S. (1980). An aerial view of television and social behavior. In S. B. Withey & R. P. Abeles (Eds.), Television and social behavior: Beyond violence and children. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Ellbaum.
Wright, J. C., & Huston, A. C. (Eds.). (1983). Children and television (3rd ed.). Lexington, MA: Ginn Custom Publisher.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Moore, M.L. The family as portrayed on prime-time television, 1947–1990: Structure and characteristics. Sex Roles 26, 41–61 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00290124
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00290124