Journal #22

The Myth of the Model Family and The Myth of Education and Empowerment are two myths that relate to misconceptions and false notions, that have endured over time while others have disappeared. Many people associate the ideal family with families in the 1950's and education is thought to only be obtained in the classroom.When people think of the perfect family, most agree that the 1950's is a great example of what a family should strive to look and be like. The model family is headed by a father who is the breadwinner, a stay at home mother, and a couple of respectful and academically smart children whom live in a lovely suburban home surrounded by a white picket fence. This idea of a family is a myth because no one family is alike and the definition of a family varies from person to person. When people strive to live up to standards or mimic lifestyles that do not necessarily fit with their situation, they end being viewed as trying to be something they are not. In the article Looking for Work by Gary Soto, Soto expresses to his family that he wants them to wear nicer clothes and shoes and have meaningful conversations at dinner like the families he sees on television. His mother laugh’s at his crazy dinner ideas and his siblings do not care to change the way they look and how others view their family. When people, especially children, are thought to think that a family is suppose to only look and act like the families that are being televised, it leaves room for these people to think that there is something wrong with their family and that they should try to fix it. Most adults do not fall victim to television portrayals of what a family should look like, but children on the other hand love to mimic what they see and question why their life does not resemble what they are watching.