TV Family Analysis Assignment

HSP3U
S. Whelan
Socialization is a process where someone learns the attitudes, values, and behaviours that
are valuable and necessary for the society in which he or she lives. Socialization and social
development begin in the family. For this assignment, you will become more familiarized with
the family’s role in the socialization process.

Your tasks:

 Select one TV show that focuses on a family.

 Watch at least 1 episode of the show that you selected and research the premise of the
overall show.
 Take note of the basic skills, values, socially acceptable goals, roles, and behaviours that
the family is teaching its members.
 Write a 2-3 page analysis of the show.
 In your analysis, discuss how the family taught some or all of the following: basic
skills, values, socially acceptable goals, roles, and/or behaviours.
 Provide specific examples of the elements of socialization that you noticed (primary,
secondary, and anticipatory socialization).
 Your analysis should be double spaced and 12 font.
 Hargunn C

Shameless family analysis

Family members are inherently dependent on one another for support in life. When

one individual develops an addiction, however, that person is no longer dependable and

instead produces chaos and drama in the household. When one or more parents are

addicted to drugs or alcohol, the entire family is affected emotionally and, in most cases,

financially. Roles, norms, rituals, boundaries, and hierarchy all play a part in how

family’s function. This organizational system is organically put in place to maintain the

family's well-being and pleasure. When a family member is an addict, though, the

structure is thrown off. To cope with an addicted parent's erratic and unreliable

behavior, the rest of the family often adopts new responsibilities that are not always

healthy for their mental and/or physical well-being. Monica and Frank Gallagher and

their six children, Fiona, Lip, Ian, Debbie, Carl, and Liam are the Gallagher family's

eldest to youngest members. Each family member takes on one of the duties in the

following ways. Monica and Frank are a couple. Both Gallagher parents are alcoholics.

Frank spends the most of his money on alcohol, but if given the chance, he will not turn

down a hit of crack, cocaine, cannabis, or any other substance. Frank and his children

rely on government disability checks after inadvertently injuring themselves at work, and

they live in a property that isn't exactly theirs. Frank's addiction has driven him to the

point where he doesn't care about anyone unless they can assist him in obtaining

money, drugs, or booze, including stealing from his own children. His attempts to gain

money for his addiction and the people he affects in the process become worse and

worse as the episode unfolds. He is known as a master manipulator and liar around

town. Monica has been apart from the family for a long time and suffers from both
addiction and mental disorder. She reappears from time to time during the course of the

six seasons, but she refuses to take her bipolar medicine, and her manic episodes and

severe sadness are the center of her character. Her episodes of depression elicit

sympathy from the audience, but these times fall short of trying to make up for her

deeds during her manic phases, which include stealing her children's funds and blowing

it all on drugs and a secondhand car in a matter of days. As the oldest kid, Fiona takes

the position of the savior and person who holds everything together. Monica abandons

the family when Liam is still a baby, so she drops out of high school. Fiona takes up the

chores of the home, including paying the bills, taking care of the house, cooking

lunches, and making sure the kids go to school, because Frank is hardly around and

when he is, he is intoxicated. Despite her inability to hold down a permanent work, she

and her brothers Lip and Ian manage to scrounge together just enough money to keep

the family afloat. She is notorious for her numerous romances, but none of them last

since she engages in highly self-destructive behavior whenever a relationship appears

to have some lasting power. This is most likely due to her underlying sentiments of guilt,

dread, and humiliation, which are common in these situations. Lip plays the part of the

scapegoat. Lip, the family's brains, is very brilliant and is always devising new methods

to assist Fiona with the household expenses. They do, however, frequently get him in

legal problems. He also appears to have a lot of bottled-up rage, which he appears to

unleash during the numerous brawls he has with neighborhood adolescents or by

fleeing the police. Later, when he receives a scholarship to college, his position as a

savior begins to match Fiona's. Lip wants to finish his school and earn a successful

profession, despite the hardships that college presents, so that he may better support
his siblings. Ian, often cast as the misplaced child, Ian fades into the background. He

strives not to cause any problems and values the needs of others over his own. He

doesn't even tell his family he's homosexual since he doesn't want to "bother" them

further. Ian disappears for months at a time, once to work in a lgbt club while on drugs,

and again to illegally join the army using Lip's ID and while the family is concerned

about his whereabouts, they appear to have more pressing concerns than dealing

with their quiet, responsible brother Ian, who they simply assume will return when he is

ready. Ian is not diagnosed with bipolar disorder until later in the series, and viewers are

exposed to Ian's emotional struggles as a result of knowing that he has it and that he

might be "just like Monica", the woman who abandoned him and his siblings years ago.

Debbie plays the part of nanny or enabler. She is the one who places a cushion

beneath Frank's head after he passes out on the kitchen floor. She is always making

justifications for Frank's actions and urging her family to forgive him and treat him better.

She only wants to see the best in her father, and despite his repeated disappointments,

she continues to defend him and believes that things will improve one day. One of the

more intriguing Gallagher’s, Carl serves as both a caregiver and a scapegoat. Carl, who

is still quite young in the first few seasons, largely observes what is going on, but he

rapidly develops psychopathic tendencies, such as injuring animals or setting objects on

fire. As he grows older, his desire to be accepted by Frank drives him to collaborate with

Frank on a number of plots, nearly landing them both in jail. He subsequently goes to

work for one of the local gangs peddling narcotics and ends up in a juvenile center.

Liam, the ship's youngest member, may be called the family's emblem. Liam helps the

others grin and laugh when circumstances are rough. It's frequently painful to see the
Gallagher kids be harmed by Frank time after time. Frank, who has no ability to care

about anybody but himself, calls his children's social worker with an anonymous

complaint claiming their family is unstable, merely because Fiona ordered him to leave

the house when he was being violent in one scene. The children were all placed in

foster homes, and Frank said he couldn't remember making the call since he was too

intoxicated at the time. The show's key points are not far from reality of what occurs in

certain households dealing with serious alcoholism and neglect.

TV Family Analysis Assignment Rubric

Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4

Knowledge & -demonstrates a -demonstrates -demonstrates a -demonstrates a
Understanding limited some considerable thorough
understanding of understanding of understanding of understanding of
the socialization the socialization the socialization the socialization
process process process process
Communication -organizes and -organizes and -organizes and -organizes and
expresses expresses expresses expresses
observations observations observations observations
with limited with some with with a high
effectiveness effectiveness considerable degree of
effectiveness effectiveness
Application -applies - applies - applies - applies
knowledge of knowledge of knowledge of knowledge of
the socialization the socialization the socialization the socialization
process with process with process with process with a
limited some considerable high degree of
effectiveness effectiveness effectiveness effectiveness
(few examples to (some examples (good examples (great examples
support to support to support to support
observations) observations) observations) observations)

Descriptive feedback: