Final answer:
The 'traditional' family of the 1950s refers to the idealized nuclear family depicted on TV, contrasting with the dynamic and sometimes non-nuclear family structures that existed in reality. Television's portrayal often did not reflect the dissatisfaction and evolving roles within American families, developments that were increasingly acknowledged in later decades.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term 'traditional' family of the 1950s typically refers to the suburban U.S. nuclear family structure prominently portrayed on television during that era. Shows like The Donna Reed Show and Father Knows Best depicted an idealized version of family life with a working father, a homemaking mother, and well-behaved children.
However, the depiction often didn't reflect the complexities and changes happening in real American households, nor the dissatisfaction expressed by some women about the limited roles available to them, as noted by figures like Betty Friedan. The era saw the beginning of questions surrounding these traditional structures, as portrayed in the growing popularity of less traditional family structures in sitcoms during the 1980s and onwards.
Despite the mythical past that some Americans believed to have existed, the topic primarily focuses on how television influenced the perception of family structures, which often contrasted the lived realities of many Americans, including those who faced divorce, were unwed parents, or formed non-nuclear families.
This discrepancy between media portrayal and reality became more pronounced over time as television began to reflect a wider array of family dynamics.