Seyed Mohammad Hossein Sadat Chavoshiyan - PhD Candidate in Women s Studies, University of Religions and Denominations and Course Manager of Islamic Knowledge and Women s Studies at Al-Mustafa Open University

Compared to traditional media, an important characteristic of modern media is that it taps on electric and electronic means and it has extensive coverage.The most important characteristic of traditional media is that it creates a face-to-face communication between addresser and addressees. Modern media has its roots in modernism and is a direct consequence of modern societies.Modern media especially visual media represent the dominant values in the society and has altered the function of family toward more individualism, and individual behavioral patterns. Under the influence of modern media, families are losing their traditional function and are experiencing new functions.A function geared toward more individualism and catering for the individual needs of family members, a function that challenged the traditional dominant values of the family. Among all the contributing factors, modern media in their various forms and comprehensive advertisements, have played a pivotal role in internalizing characteristics of modern world and specially individualism among family members.The current study aims to investigate the new functions of family in accordance with the role played by visual media in the modern society.

Family, Modernism, Media, Individualism