Friday, May 1, 2009

The All-American Family

My purpose for this project was to show the different kinds of families that are under-represented in the media. Most people visualize the All-American Family as a formula consisting of a Mom, a Dad, a son, and a daughter and usually a pet dog. Everyone is happy and adheres to their gender specific roles. These photos show families that veer from that formula but as you can see they are just as happy, if not happier than what we may expect from the stereotypical family.






In this photo you see Annette and Jeremy. Annette had Jeremy by way of artificial insemination. Therefor she is a single mother by choice. Annette is a professor of Psychology at Bowling Green State University and her 6 year old son Jeremy is one of the most charming and intelligentl kids I've ever met. Their situation, I feel, debunks the myth of children growing up in female headed households as under-privileged.



This is Clayton and his dog Klowee. Their situation is a perfect example of man and his best friend. Everyone has a different opinion of what a family is. Who says a family should consist of only people. Most would agree that their pet is just as much a part of their family as anybody else.


This is Josh and his daughter Makayla. Josh is a full-time single father. Usually when we think of single parents we think of full-time single mothers, dads take the weekends. Not here. And usually you don't think of a single father raising a daughter. Again this situation debunks the myth of single parent households as Makayla is one of the smartest and sweetest little girls and is incredibly happy. Being raised by a single dad Makayla is very girly but is also rough and tumble not adhering to the gender specific roles that most little girls do.