The role of mass media in the family system: An ethnographic approach

This study examined the role of the media in the daily life of the family. Twenty-one white, dual career families with two or three children were observed for three days to explore the structural (time, space) and social (rules, education, interactions) uses of the media in the home environment. At the end of the observational period, in-depth interviews were conducted separately with both parents. Data were analyzed for social class, gender and life cycle variations between and within families. As family systems vary, so too did the uses of media by family members. In sum, media emerged as components of the system which reflect, shape and interact with the larger system of norms, values and beliefs in the family