Relationship Portrayals in Television and Film
William Douglas (1996) stated, “television families are seen to offer lessons about appropriate family life and, in a more general sense, to affect the way in which people think about the family” (p. 676). Douglas noted that various surveys and studies indicated a belief in the weakening of the American family, and, sought to find out if television sitcoms reflected these beliefs. Douglas posited that while prior analyses of television families did indicate some level of distressed relationships, only a narrow view of ‘family’ was considered. In order to present a more in-depth study, Douglas used extant family theory to measure various family dynamics, including spousal relations, family power, satisfaction and stability. Eight sitcoms were encompassed in this study, including The Cosby Show, Family Ties, Who’s the Boss?, Growing Pains, Roseanne, Family Matters, Full House, and Home Improvement