What does "family" truly mean in the 21st century? In this thought-provoking episode of Signal Shift, we dive into the constantly evolving landscape of family structures and relationships. From the historical shifts observed in sitcoms like Step by Step and Modern Family to today's diverse realities of chosen families, long-distance relatives, and even pets as formal family members, we explore how our understanding of kin is expanding. We also tackle the complex realities of familial estrangement, the increasing trend of parents having children later in life, and groundbreaking legal and technological innovations (like multi-parent recognition and the "family LLC"). Tune in to discover how societal shifts are reshaping our first social safety net, and how we're finding new ways to define belonging, care, and connection in an ever-changing world, potentially even with social robots.
For the full transcript and references: Episode Webpage
References available on the Episode Webpage
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