Tag Archives: single parenting

Internal Dynamics of Families

Gilmore Girls

Title: Gilmore Girls

Date: 2000-2007

Media type: Television

Format: Episode

TV Season-Episode: Season 1, Episode 9; Season 3, Episode 7; Season 4, Episode 2

Audience(s): High School Age, College Age, Adults, Parents

Language: English

Comments or Recommendations for Teaching: Each episode is jam packed with multiple types of relationships, such as authoritarian and authoritative parenting, secure attachment, and many other topics as well. This series would provide multiple points of view and ways that parents can learn more about parenting.

Places to view: Youtube, Amazon Video, Vudu, Google Play, Itunes Hulu, Netflix

Contributor: Sadie Simonett

Human Growth and Development, Internal Dynamics of Families, Parenting

Boyz N the Hood

Title: Boyz N the Hood

Date: 1991

Media type: Film

Format: Clip

Category: Parenting, Human Growth and Development, Internal Dynamics of Families

Keywords: parent-child relationships, types of parent (single, father); adolescence, social and cultural influences, response to crises

Rating: R

Audience(s): College Age, Adults, Parents

Language: English

Film/Episode Summary: The movie follows Tre and his friends as they grow up in a crime ridden neighborhood outside of Los Angeles. The film depicts how risk factors such as drugs, crime, and gang activity can put stress on a child development and the relationships of family members. The friendships the boys make are portrayed as protective factors as well as risk factors for exposing them to crime and gang activity. The parenting done by Tre’s father is also an important component to the story because he does his best to be a positive influence for Tre and guide him to make good decisions when there are so many negative influences trying to steer him in the wrong direction.

Clip Start Time: 1.0395833333

Clip Description: Tre and his dad are spending some time together along the water in the harbor. Tre’s father asks Tre what he knows about sex and Tre describes the simplistics of intercourse and how a baby is made. Tre’s father goes on to explain how any guy can get a girl pregnant, but it takes a real man to be a good father. He goes on to describe to Tre how he turned his life around when he found out he was going to be a father because he wanted to be a good role model for his son. This is an example of teaching about sex and responsibility through openness and positive parenting.

Comments or Recommendations for Teaching: How does poverty and crime influence the decisions Tre and his friends make? How does the opinion of others (example: Tre’s teacher, the cops) influence the actions of Tre and his friends? In what ways are friends both positive and negative influences in a community such as the one in the film? What are some examples of how Furious’s parenting style acts as a protective factor for Tre and comparing his parenting to some of the other parents in the neighborhood.

Places to view: Youtube, Amazon Video, Vudu, Google Play, Itunes

Contributor: Carly Baumann

Family Resource Management, Parenting

The Pursuit of Happyness

Title: The Pursuit of Happyness

Date: 2006

Media type: Film

Format: Complete

Category: Parenting, Family Resource Management

Keywords: types of parent (single), parent-child relationships, goal-setting, financial management

Rating: PG-13

Audience(s): High School Age, College Age, Parents, Adults

Language: English

Film/Episode Summary: Chris Gardner (Will Smith) invests his family’s life savings into buying portable bone density scanner that he hopes to sell to doctors and clinics in the San Fransico area. When no one buys them and the family is out of money, Chris’s wife leaves him and their 5 year old son. In an attempt to make a better life for him and his son, Chris looks to take on a job as a stockbroker, but before he can be considered for a position, he has to complete a 6 month unpaid internship. The film follows Chris and his son as they battle issues of poverty common to many families such as losing their house, moving in and out of homeless shelters, and living one the streets.

Comments or Recommendations for Teaching: What are some of the most prevalent struggles Chris and his son face? What are some of the issues Chris and his son face that are similar to other families, but are made more challenging from their impoverished situation? As portrayed in the movie, in what ways does poverty test the parent-child relationship?

Contributor: Carly Baumann