For example, the model of males as sole family breadwinner was introduced in the latter part of the 1800's as work moved out of the home, but we tend to think it was true throughout the American past. Finally, popular images of the past as shown in favorite television shows such as the Waltons or Leave it to Beaver come to stand for the times they are meant to represent. However, a look at today's popular TV shows reveal their many biases when compared to current family life. We sometimes forget that television entertainment is no substitute for historical scholarship in understanding America's past. Of course, in some cases the television can help us correct our misconceptions about the past, when history programs help bring that past to life for the American public.
History shows the strong hand of economics in family life.
Throughout time, job displacement and rumors of opportunity elsewhere have fueled family moves, weakening extended family ties for Americans. When the Industrial Revolution of the late 1800's moved work out of the home and into the factory, fathers began to spend long hours away from the family and mothers assumed stronger roles at home as family nurturer. However, low income families couldn't afford this lifestyle as mom, dad, and even the children headed off to the factory for work. New practices of home mortgage lending after WWII made home ownership a possibility for more American families, and underwrote the development of suburban America. These are just a few of the ways in which economic pressures shaped the life experiences of American families.