The 1970s Project

The 1970s is often viewed as the beginning of the breakdown of the traditional family and family life. Whilst some films directly portray disintegrated families (for example Tommy), Ken Loach's Family Life shows an apparently 'normal' family coping with their 'rebellious' daughter. This paper explores the influence of R. D. Laing on Loach's Family Life and focuses on the use of psychiatry as an instrument of control of 70s youth. The paper concludes with a suggestion that Laing's idea of the 'double bind' in family communication has wider application in the cultural, societal and institutional aspects of the conflict laden 1970s.