Tokadgian 1

Movses Tokadgian
Professor Makarosyan
ENGL 114B
13 May 2016

The Norm of our Society

In the united states today, the idea of a family has extensively broadened from its traditional origins. The most common source of information that can be spread comes from the media. Usually, the media can make or break the idea of something and manipulate individuals
however it pleases. The traditional American family has evolved into much more than the stereotypical caucasian man and wife with their two children living in a white fenced home. Our media
today positively depicts non-traditional families in order to expose and include them into our
norm.
Cohabitation is a family dynamic that is established by two individuals that desire one
another, but do not want a wedded commitment. Reality television has become one of the most
iconic and desired form of entertainment in the media today. In the very well-known television
show Keeping up With the Kardashians, 36 year old Kourtney Kardashian shares her life with 32
year old Scott Disick. The union that can best describe this couple would be cohabitation. Cohabitation is the act of living with a significant other without legalizing a valid marriage. Kourtney
and Scotts relationship together portrays the ups and downs of living with the one you love.
Many may not agree in accordance to their own cultural and religious perspectives, but

Tokadgian 2
cohabitation has become more and more common in the United States. Media is one of the biggest elements that has helped catch the attention of young adults and lovers who are just not
ready to take that big step in marriage.
Polygamy is a family dynamic that may not be as common, but has certainly shaken the
media with its portrayal. The idea of one man with several wives can appear unheard of to many
individuals. But to others, it is simply a way of life. In the book Evolution of Polygamy in the
Long-billed Marsh Wren author Jared Verner argues about polygamy being something more than
a religious or cultural belief. Verner compares the topic to a study of birds and how they particularly mate. This does not preclude the possibility that sex ratios may be altered by other means,
in which case polygamy would be a preferable alternative to not breeding at all (Verner 252).
The author argued about how polygamy may be a psychological aspect to individuals, and how
they feel it is better to be in something rather than nothing. Although some in the Mormon
community believe in polygamy as the gateway to heaven, many non believers are often stereotyping by todays judgmental society. Stanley S. Ivins from the Utah Historical Quarterly stated
Of more than 6,000 Mormon families, sketches of which are found in a huge volume published
in 1913, between fifteen and twenty per cent appear to have been polygamous. In todays media, polygamy appears as something very odd, almost in relation to an exhibit for individuals to
view and stay in awe. Television shows such as My five wives and Sister wives portray polygamist families and how they function throughout their lives. Although polygamy is illegal in
the United States, I believe that the media will better expose and normalize this topic with time.

Tokadgian 3
Divorce can be one of the most controversial topics in the average American household.
A family, or couple that experiences difficulties often turns to divorce as the scapegoat to their
issues. Although many may be against divorce based off of their religious and cultural beliefs,
more and more marriages, whether it would be a persons first or second, end in divorce in the
US. The duration analysis given here, however, shows that, at equal durations, levels of divorce
are indeed higher for remarriages than for first marriages (Goldstein 410). Individuals who end
their first marriage can be more likely to not have a successful one the second time around as
well. Whether it would be from trust issues, poor judgement, or any typical difficulties families
can face. More than half of all divorces occur in the first 10 years of marriage(Cherlin 427).
Filing for a divorce is often the final stage of a toxic marriage that can be a large impact on the
entire family itself. Society often likes to stereotype children with divorced parents with labels
such as delinquents, druggies, and spoiled brats. Although in some scenarios that may be the
case, but todays powerful media can prove otherwise. Emma Watson, often known as Hermoine
Granger from the Harry Potter movies, is one example of a child with divorced parents.
Emmas parents split up when she was only five years old. That is the perfect age for bad habits
and lifestyles to form. Emma had a successful early-life with her acting career that still grows
and attended Brown University. This is one example out of thousands of children with divorced
parents. Divorce is more frequently seen as opposed to other family dynamics. It may not technically be the norm of our society yet, but our media and networking opens the idea to more individuals than before. Whether one could agree or disagree with the idea, it is nobodys place to

Tokadgian 4
say what is right for a family besides the family itself. There is no proper opinion to divorce being good or bad, it is the facts that prove divorce becoming more common with years to come.
Interracial marriage has always been a debatable idea for the united states. In todays society, it is more and more accepted and practiced as opposed to the earlier years. The media
strongly supports blended families because of the most iconic blended family in entertainment
today, the Kardashians. Kimberly Kardashian West is an actress and business woman who portrays an American/Armenian background. Kimberly is married to Kanye West, a hip-hop artist
who portrays an African-American background. Although blended families have been around
long before the media was even in existence, this union was an icebreaker for many American
mindsets. Coming from a more fictional side of entertainment, in 2005 producer Shonda Rhimes
portrayed the love story of Cristina Yang, who possesses an Asian nationality, and Preston Burke,
who possesses an African-American nationality in the television show Greys Anatomy. Cristina and Preston were not necessarily married, but their relationship did open many eyes into interracial unions. Blended marriages is indeed legal in the United States and will only continue to
grow its roots because of the diverse country we have created. Acts of racism and discrimination
may always be present throughout times, but our media today very much supports these types of
families and only wants the best for them. Although social media can possess those who prejudice against people of color or different backgrounds, the broad media will never look down
upon a family for being blended with more than one nationality. This is one family dynamic that
has gained more acceptance in society than others.

Tokadgian 5
Family dynamics have changed throughout the years in several ways. There is no technical traditional set family anymore as every culture, religion, and household has their own
norm. The media has done an exceptional part in promoting change. The United States is one of
the most diverse countries in the world. With that diversity, comes change. I believe that every
individual is entitled to their own beliefs and opinions as long as it does not affect another. The
media does depict untraditional families in a positive way because society craves change. Also,
society also craves drama. Reality television shows such as Sister Wives and Keeping up with
the Kardashians portray the lives of polygamist and blended families. Aside from the family
dynamic itself, viewers seek drama. Society does not want these individuals to be seen as average. That is why our society does not accept every dynamic into our lives as a norm. I do believe that the media has good intentions because they are creating awareness for these different
forms of families. Eventually, they could be considered a norm for society. We evolve however
our surroundings do so. Both reality and fictional television still continue to do their part in promoting the different dynamics of families into entertainment. As a society, we should not be affected by the polygamist family or the divorced single mother on a television show. But we
do so because that is not what we are used to seeing. We are so used to viewing these individuals
as different that when they are portrayed as a norm on the media, we are initially bothered by
that. Family dynamics will only thrive and expand in our society and the media has done a
tremendous part in depicting untraditional families in a positive way.

Works Cited

Biography.com Editors. Emma Watson Biography. http://www.biography.com/people/emma-watson-20660247.

Goldstein R, Joshua. The leveling of divorce in the United States. Demography. 1999.
Goshgarian, Gary. The Contemporary Reader. Longmont. 2012. Paperback.
Stanley S. Ivins, "Notes on Mormon Polygamy," Utah Historical Quarterly, 34. 1967.

Verner, Jared. Evolution of Polygamy in the Long-billed Marsh Wren. Evolution 18.2.
1964.