Marriage and the Family
Series Entitled: "Portrait of A Family"

In the last two decades, those who live in the industrialized West have witnessed dramatic changes in life conditions and life styles. Technological developments have quickened the tempo of everyday living, bringing people in closer contact than ever before. Yet increased population, urbanization, and economic uncertainty have left deep imprints of dissatisfaction on personal and family interactions.

Portrait of a Family takes a close look at marriage, family, and alternative life styles in the closing decade of the twentieth century. Although the in-depth study of male and female interaction is a relatively new development in sociological scholarship, Portrait of a Family provides a balance between the solid research and theoretical base students need, and the practical examination of personal choice and decision-making students want. It is a course people not only take, but an experience they value and share.

Throughout the course, several interrelated themes are developed. The first is the tension between the individual and the societal environment, and the existence of contradictory cultural values. Portrait of a Family maintains a life spiral perspective that reflects the diversity of patterns of living and decision-making people face in their lives.

Another major theme is the shift in focus that is taking place from viewing marriage as an institution to viewing it as a relationship in which one expects to find companionship and intimacy. Increasing flexibility forces individuals to make a greater number of choices, and these, in turn, help focus peoples' attention not only on family values, but also on individual values.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS

1) Family Portraits
A look at marriages and families in the closing decade of the 20th century through the lives of four families.

2) The Seasons of Life
While no two people's lives are exactly the same, they tend to share similar patterns. As adults continue to grow and change, their marriages and families also change.

3) When I Grow Up
In the past, gender-related differences-the way males and females look, think, behave--have been rather carefully prescribed. But today, sex roles are less defined-expectations are changing-with varying results, from relief to resistance and confusion.

4) Adam's Equal or Adam's Rib?
Almost from the moment of birth, people have different expectations of males and females. This program explores the process of gender identification and assumption of gender roles; the evolution of self-concept, and the issue of androgyny.

5) Learning to Love
Love is essential to our mental and physical well-being. But what is love, and how does it differ from other emotions? This program looks at various forms of love and the needs it fulfills.

6) The Pleasure Bond
From infancy to old age, people are sexual beings. Sexuality affects the way people think of themselves and how they relate to others, especially in highly personal relationships.

7) Epidemic Proportions
Responsible sex has been redefined since the onslaught of AIDS. As this program illustrates, sexually transmitted diseases are more than medical problems. They are conditions saturated with social implications and consequences.

8) Going It Alone
In the past few decades being single has become a recognized way of life. This episode looks at some reasons for this trend, and the variety of single lifestyles that exist in our society.

9) The Marriage Market
Marriage is not something that happens to you because you are struck by fireworks or butterflies; it is a decision and a choice to be made. The series examines the social variables that influence a person's choice of partners.

10) Variations on a Theme
No longer does a long-term marriage, two children, and a house in the suburbs typify the usual family configuration. This program examines the kaleidoscope of forms that exists today.

11) Great Expectations
...and they lived happily ever after. End of story? Not in real life or in Portrait of a Family. The beliefs and expectations individuals bring into a marriage have a direct influence on their life together.

12) Intimate Connections
You've heard it before-the three most important things in a relationship are communication, communication, and communication. Whether you're dealing with a rebellious teenager, a disgruntled spouse, or a stubborn two-year old, the way you interact affects not only the relationship, but also the individuals involved.

13) For Better or Worse
Newlyweds who are convinced marriage is over after their first argument haven't yet learned that conflict is a natural, even necessary, part of married life. Learning to handle conflict constructively deepens understanding and tightens the bond between two people.

14) Power Plays
People associate power with military force, multinational corporations, and highly political positions. According to romantic myths, couples are exempt from power struggles, but in reality couples often encounter power issues, as seen in this program.

15) Behind Closed Doors
The statistics are alarming. Each year, in one out of every six couples, one partner or the other commits an act of violence toward their spouse. The scope of the problem, the definition of abuse, the cycle of violence, and the means of escape are explored in this program.

16) Working Husbands/Working Wives
Supporting a family has become a two-person job. The pattern of home-maker turned breadwinner has evolved rapidly, and for good reasons. But what is the social and personal impact of two-career marriages?

17) To Parent or Not to Parent
Parenthood changes one's life in major and irreversible ways; it's not a decision to be taken lightly. This program focuses on the declining U.S. fertility rate, societal views of parenthood, the personal impact of parenthood, and regulating conception.

18) One Plus One Equals Three
Parenting is part joy, part trial, and above all, a responsibility. A parent may approach the task as a pal, a policeman, a teacher, or a coach; they may be over-permissive, autocratic, or even abusive. Building successful parent-child relationships is a lifetime commitment.

19) For Richer or Poorer
Whether you're living from paycheck to paycheck or have managed to set aside a little nest egg, managing family finances is a difficult task in today's economy. Budgeting and use of credit, housing and health care costs, social policies that affect families are explored in this program.

20) Turning Points
Social scientists tell us that the happiest families are not necessarily those with the easiest, most trouble-free lives, but those with the capacity to weather stress and cope with crisis. The definition of a crisis, the phases of crisis as it affects families, the predictable crisis, and the ways that families handle various kinds of critical transactions are investigated in this program.

21) The Strained Knot
Some crises are not predictable. How families cope with unexpected problems and tragedy is the focus of this program. The family that deals constructively with crisis is likely to emerge with a stronger sense of the family unit, communication lines that are more open, and roles and relationships that are more flexible.

22) Irreconcilable Differences
Divorce is an experience that undermines self-esteem, provokes betrayals, and creates feelings of rejection and despair for almost everyone it touches. Who gets divorced and why? What are the economic, emotional, and social implications of divorce?

23) Single, Head of Household
Between 1970 and 1984, the number of children living with one parent increased by 71 percent. The main reason: divorce. This program examines the family and personal consequences of divorce, the effects of divorce on children, custody arrangements, and life in a single-parent family.

24) The Second Time Around
Eighty-three percent of divorced men and 75 percent of divorced women eventually remarry. And the second time around, courtship and decision-making are a little different, as illustrated by this program.

25) Yours, Mine and Ours
Being a stepparent is a difficult and demanding role with few sources to guide new family members. This program explores the complications of step-parenting and adjusting to the new family, balanced stepparent/stepchild relationships.

26) The Later Years
The old are getting younger all the time. Researchers suggest that persons in their seventies today are leading lives comparable to persons in their fifties a generation or so ago. The changing elderly; myths and realities of old age; families and the elderly; personal needs of the elderly; and challenges of a graying population are investigated in this program.