The show Evening Shade bears a lot of relevance decades after its production ceased. Through the lives of Ava, Wood and their children, many aspects of a family are discussed. After that, they reach reasonable conclusions. This particular show Mr. Mom addressed a lot of sensitive issues of working mothers and the supposed emasculation it causes their husbands. Mr. Mom took on an empowerment narrative that stated that the traditional family systems were inconsequential in a changing world.
Question one
Role appropriation is the taking up of elements of the identity of members in a family by another one. It mostly applies to the husband-wife roles where the husband adopts nurturing duties traditionally associated with the woman like cooking, cleaning or taking care of the children. The wife then takes over the “husbandly" role, which includes working and being the primary breadwinner. Additionally, it is described as a three-part process involving role expectation, enactment and negotiation. It consists of a change from societal expectations of family purpose with examples of children taking over the provision roles of their parents monetarily ( Galvin, Braithwaite & Bylund, 176-178) . In an episode of Evening Shade titled Mr. Mom , role appropriation can best describe the relationship between Wood and Ava Newton, a married couple. Ava Newton was promoted to a prosecuting attorney which meant she earned more than her husband, Wood. Wood had to take over her house duties and take care of their three children. Role appropriation usually causes some conflict in the beginning, but effective communication between family members alleviates tension.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Question two
The McMaster Model of Family Function focuses on the distribution and management of a family’s responsibilities. It can be categorized into three broad definitions which are: instrumental, affective and mixed. Instrumental needs are the provision of resources for the family while affective needs are familial support and fulfilment of parental sexual satisfaction. Lastly, mixed needs refer to the development of life skills and family upkeep ( Galvin, Braithwaite & Bylund, 157-158) . In this episode of Mr. Mom , all three branches of the McMaster Model of Family Function are represented. The instrumental provisions are made possible by Mr. and Mr.s. Newton, who work as a P.E teacher and a prosecutorial attorney, respectively. These jobs provide financial needs for the home and their children.
Additionally, affective requirements are provided through the emotional support Wood gives his wife as she takes on new responsibilities. He takes on her house loads and she in turn, at the episode’s ending appreciates his sincere efforts in the house. Lastly, mixed needs are represented in the correction of their daughter when she makes a rude remark about her mother. They also take turns to help the children with homework and provide a loving and stable home for them.
Question three
The Family Systems Theory is a theory on the framework behind the complexities of human-formed organizations, including the family unit. It looks at the interactions, relationship and influence that a family has on each other. In this theory, the family is looked at as a whole instead of the separate components ( Galvin, Braithwaite & Bylund, 70-71) . The Newtons Family experiences a lot of changes in this episode. One of the changes in the shift of roles of the two parents, Ava and Wood. They have to contend with Ava’s demanding position as a prosecutor while Wood has to take over the majority, if not all of the domestic duties. This overhaul leads to a bit of resentment on Wood who leaves home for two days.
On the other hand, their children seem to notice the shift as Ava is absent from her homework duties with them. Their eldest son takes out the family’s change by telling his father that mom has money and can afford twenty dollars needed for a school project. Even their daughter makes an incredibly rude joke about her mother having an affair when Ava fails to be home on time. Generally, the Newtons are described as a highly functional family which provides an almost seamless transition given the parents’ new responsibilities. The Family Systems Theory brings out their unity instead of focusing on the usual family disagreements.
Question four
Family typology is the allocation of attributes in a family system with unique characteristics and describes how these characteristics define their behavioural pattern. According to Galvin et al., there are four different types of families based on Fitzpatrick and Richie (1994), and they are as follows: consensual, pluralistic, protective and laissez-faire ( Galvin, Braithwaite & Bylund, 184-185) . Family typology is used to show that there are different communication channels used in families, and that no method is better than the other. According to the episode Mr. Mom , their family is best described as a consensual one as they show high conformity and conversation levels. A consensual family is one which the children are encouraged to express their opinions freely, and the parents respond with openness and emotional supportiveness. The conversation between father and children is easy and done in an environment free of strictness. The same situation applies when the children talk to their mother, Ava. Furthermore, the two parents frequently exhibit their affection towards each other which the children are accustomed to. Affective emotion between Ava and Wood is family-friendly, and it is not explicit as they talk warmly and affectionately to each other.
Evening Shade was a family comedy in the 1990s which showcased all the symptoms of a healthy family. It also tackled the sensitive issue of women being providers as their husbands took over domestic duties which was quite a contentious issue back then. Thirty years later, the problems of role appropriation and its resolution (or lack thereof) still elicit a lot of debate. However, today there is a lot more acceptance from family and friends if there is a role reversal in spousal duties. Perhaps, it is meant to encourage families or those planning to start one that contention cannot be avoided, but how a family chooses to communicate could save them.
Reference
Galvin, K. M., Braithwaite, D. O., & Bylund, C. L. (2015). Family communication: Cohesion and change . Routledge.
