Paper#1 Family Process xxxxxxxx University of Wyoming

Paper#1 Family Process
The J. Family is a neighbor of the interviewer. The initial interview was conducted in Mr. and Mrs. J’s home with their 3 school age children present and included in the interview. Two subsequent interviews were conducted for clarification and additional information over the phone with Mrs. J. The interviews were conducted using the Friedman family assessment model (Friedman, Bowden, & Jones, 2003). Identifying Data
Family Name
J. Family
1111 Xxxx Street xxxx, Idaho 8xxxx
208-xxx-xxxx
Family Composition
• DWJ Chaplain Master of Arts in Clinical Ministry 48 y.o., 12/5/1964, Spokane, WA; Male-Dad Crohn’s disease “Okay” Health
• JAJ Homemaker 2 Years Post-Secondary Education 50 y.o., 2/1/1962, Tacoma, WA; Female-Mom “Excellent Health”
• JJJ 8th grader 13 y.o., 6/24/1999, xxxx, ID; Male-Son “Excellent Health”
• CAJ 6th grader 11 y.o., 5/13/2001, xxxxx, ID; Male-Son “Excellent Health”
• KAJ 3rd grader 8 y.o., 6/3/2004, xxxxx, ID; Female-Daughter “Excellent Health”
Family Form
Nuclear Family-One parent working (Friedman et al., 2003, p. 19).
Cultural Background Family describes self as Caucasian and English speaking. Father is the 4th generation to live in the United States and he reports origins from Scandinavia. He is unsure what part of Scandinavia but states, “I think I am a mix of Swedish and Norwegian”. The mother reports she is 3rd generation Irish-American. They describe their social network to comprise of mostly church and family. They attend church services weekly. They reside rurally with acreage used for raising some chickens and horses. They report enjoying the rural atmosphere and wanted to raise their children “without all of the outside influences”. The family enjoys riding horses on the local trails ‘whenever possible”. They describe themselves as “conservative” in regards to dress and home décor. Eating habits are mostly vegetarian, but the father states, “we love a fresh roasted chicken once in a while”. The father is employed full time as a pastor with the local church and works “odd hours”. The mother stays at home and home schools the children. Healthcare insurance is provided through the father’s employer and the family has a long term relationship with a family practitioner that practices modern medicine. The father has Crohn’s Disease and reports having a difficult time last year. He states, “I had several flare ups last winter and lost a lot of weight. I thought for a while I might not make it”. He reports he is feeling healthy now and has gained back most of the weight lost last year.
Religious Identification The family states they belong to the Seventh Day Adventist Church and all attend regularly. The father is a pastor at the same church the rest of the family attends. Both parents are committed to their fellowship in the church. They report reading and discussing the Bible daily with each other and the children.
Social Class Status This family can be best described as a member of the lower-middle class (Friedman et al., 2003, p. 224). The father is employed full-time as a pastor and is the only wage earner. The parents have both received post-secondary education and the father received a post graduate degree. He has his MA in Clinical Ministry. The family’s only loan is their mortgage. They drive older but reliable vehicles and report paying cash for both. They describe their income as “okay, but there isn’t much left over”. They have recently discussed having her retired parents move a mobile home onto the property to combine resources and help with the children.
Social Class Mobility This family’s Social Class Mobility would be described as stationary (Stewart, 1998, p. 133). The mother has never been employed outside the home. The father has been employed with the same employer for 18 years and reports he doesn’t foresee a significant wage increase “unless I move to a different area”. The family reports they have “excellent medical insurance” which they receive through the Mr. J’s. employer. They enjoy the community and are very involved in the church and its members. None of the family members express any desire to leave the community.
Developmental Stage and History of Family
According to Duvall this family is in the families with school age children stage (as cited by Friedman et al., 2003, p. 121). They are somewhat older than most parents in this developmental stage since they started their family well into their thirty’s. Both parents are very busy. The mother spends a great deal of time with the kids as their teacher and parent. The children attend home school Monday thru Friday, but on Fridays they meet with a group of home schooled children. Mrs. J states, “We get together as a group so the children can visit with others and the parents can discuss the curriculum”. Mr. J spends less time with the children due to his fragmented work schedule. He reports he often goes to work several hours in the morning, comes home, and then leaves again to meet with church members in the evening. The children report they do not socialize with any of the kids in the neighborhood, but have “a bunch of friends from church”. Mrs. J. reports the children have friends over frequently. Both Mr. and Mrs. J. report having a fulfilling marital relationship although they admit not having much time with each other alone. Both sets of grandparents are alive and in “good health”. They live within a couple of hours and come to visit frequently. Occasionally, these visits allow for the Mr. and Mrs. J. to have a night out alone.
Environmental Data
Characteristics of Home The family resides in a ranch style house on rural acreage. It has 3 bedrooms and 2 baths with a detached shop. It was built approximately 15 years ago. They have propane heat and central air cooling. The home has a traditional décor with neutral paint and newer albeit modest furnishings. The home has smoke detectors in each room as well as several fire extinguishers. The driveway and walkways are unobstructed and cleaned of snow regularly. There are 2 small steps to enter the home with a sturdy handrail. No safety concerns are noted. The family locks the doors at night and when leaving the home, although Mr. J. states, “we never have any trouble and the shop is always unlocked”. They moved into this rural environment 7 years ago and Mrs. J. states, “I would never want to move back into town”.
Characteristics of Neighborhood and Larger Community This community is very rural with all residents having at least 10 acres or more. The closest town providing medical, groceries, and church services is about 20 minutes away. The community has privately maintained gravel roads and during the winter the family reports 4 wheel drive is necessary at times.
Family’s Geographic Mobility Mr. and Mrs. J. grew up in the Pacific Northwest (Washington). Both attended school and met at Loma Linda University in California. In 1989 they relocated to Coeur d’ alene, Idaho for a job opportunity and to be closer to family. 7 years ago they moved to the rural community in which they currently reside.
Family’s Associations and Transactions with Community The family views the neighborhood as safe and denies witnessing any crime since they have lived there. The family enjoys riding their horses around the property and keeps busy with outdoor pursuits. They report their relationship with neighbors as pleasant and sociable. Mr. J. has a longstanding relationship with his family doctor who has helped him manage his Crohn’s disease for many years. Mr. and Mrs. J. have been members of the same church for over 20 years. The family has many strong bonds with others in the community. The pastoral work is a source of great pride for Mr. J. He states, “I have seen children grow up in the church and now they are bringing their own children to church”. References
Friedman, M. M., Bowden, V. R., & Jones, E. G. (2003). Family nursing: Research, theory, & practice. In M. Conner (Ed.), (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall.
Stewart, C. T. (1998). Inequality and equity: Economics of greed, politics of envy, ethics of equality. Westport, CT.: Greenwood Press.