...Family can be defined as anyone with biological ties to one another, as well as, individuals that can become family by emotional ties. A family system is comprised of the immediate individuals that are responsible for the nurturing, caring, and general well being of a child. The way in which a child is nurtured and cared for can significantly affect the how the child develops into the adult they will become. Depending on how positive or negative the family system experience is on the individual, the result will yield how healthy the child’s development will be. The family system today may be a home with mom and dad; or a single parent home with just mom or dad; an aunt, uncle, or both; or even a grandparent or grandparents. A healthy family system consists of caretakers that nurture and care for a child that possesses a positive self-concept. Self-concept is a person’s identity or set of beliefs about what one is like as an individual (Feldman, 2014, p.241). One’s self-concept can be determined by how the family system has influenced the individual’s development positively or negatively. In my family system, I was the only male child. My parents could be described at authoritative parents, parents who tend to be strict, but also loving and emotionally supportive (Feldman, 2014, p. 252-3). I was considered the “golden child” due to being the first born and having athletic and intellectual prowess. I can remember blaming my sister for things that I did, and...
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...Introduction Roughly defined, a family is a system of one or more adults, parents, together with the children they care for. Today the definition of a family has expanded beyond the structure of the traditional family, but yet, they system or care for one another stays the same. The role of many psychologists is to determine and interpret the effects of the family system on childhood development. The strength in the system’s structure is often a determining factor in the health of a child’s development. Social, cultural, physical, emotional and spiritual factors all take place of help mold children into who they become. Healthy Family Systems The health of a family system is most often discerned by the role parents play in their children’s lives; a parent’s presence plays a huge factor in development, as well as the strength of the system as a whole. Although each culture has its own interpretation of effective parenting, the influences a parents exposes to children play a significant role in their development, and likewise, the reactions of a child, can shape the parents as well ( Feldman, 2010, 254). When one views a cohesive and healthy family system, each member understands his or her own appropriate roles, they work together to support each other, provide protection, and well as build each other up with a set of morals and ethics. When parents do not play their appropriate roles, the negative effects that play out in a child can often be seen through lack of focus...
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...There is great controversy over the meaning of “normal” and “healthy” when it comes to development and family systems. Heathly and normal can be a matter of perspective and culture. Research has provided the understanding that what happens to a child during the developmental phases of life affect them conscious and unconsciously; with the most effect coming from within the family system. Roehlkepartain reports that spiritual development is an essential aspect that can either be a catalyst towards their spirituality or pull the child away from it. In relation to the materials this week the information I feel is not clearly defined as to what is normal and healthy. Parenting styles were covered in the text this week and the research supports the different models of the types of parenting. On the other hand research has provided a great deal of information as to what is not healthy and condusive to development and learning within the family system. There are several factors that can contribute to the development and family including parenting style, poverty, abuse, child care and education. There are four types of parenting that Feldman (2014) has identified as ciritual to the development of a child these four types of parenting styles have effects on their children. 1.) Authoritiarian parents tend to be controlling and very strict. These children are not allowed to express themselves or their opinions. The effects that this type of parenting has on the child is that they...
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...Study Questions for Exam 1, Fall 2012 Theme 1: The Japanese Family System, structure and functions Please remember to use your class readings when applicable to answer the following study questions. Where relevant, think which reading and /or video would illustrate your answer. Why is the family important to study? How have its functions changed and why? The family is important to study because it is the primary agent for socialization. It is the first unit that teaches the rules of society to children. One of the two social entities recognized universally, the other is religion. The function of family has changed over time because it has shifted from an extended family to more of a nuclear family. The functions of a family: Protection, affection, procreation, production, education transfer of status. What are the three important differences between family systems in East Asia and the United States? Explain each. 1. Confucian values- places emphasis on loyalty and obedience to the group and its leader, where the United states has individualism 2. Gender Inequality- In east asia there is a patrinlean and multi-generational system, with the inheritence rights traveling down the male line, where in united states its bi-lateral and emphasis is placed on nuclear family. 3. Demographic Transition- Change from high fertility high mortality to a low fertility and mortality rates causing an aging population. Same in US but there is more immigration to...
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...Family Systems Therapy Family System Therapy is known as a system that is made of a family the system can affect the individual, family, or groups. A change or any kind of disruption in any part of a system will really have an impact upon an individual (Psychotherapy.net, 1997). There are three critical issues in the systems theory: relationships, interactions and context (Dykeman, 2016). Specific Interventions Dr. Ken Hardy sits down with Phil’s to discuss his relationship with Beth’s. At 25:43, Dr. hardy questions Phi, “Now is this a part of your, you know, normal dynamic”. Dr. Hardy is discussing the relationship between Phil and Beth to get an understanding of their interactions that occurs within their relationship. Such as where they're situated, what is their context and how does their context define their behavior (Psychotherapy.net, 1997)?...
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...Family Systems Theory LaTova Quattlebaum Simmons College Family Theory September 24, 2015 Family Systems Theory The family systems theory has many strengths, one being that it “encourages nurses to see individual clients as participating members of a larger family system” (Kaakinen, Coehlo, Steele, Tabacco, & Hanson, 2015, p. 76). That being said working labor and delivery this concept holds true as the birth of an infant affects everyone in the family not just the woman, all roles within the family system are switched and everyone has to adapt. That adaptation could be adaptive or maladaptive in order to maintain stability (Kaakinen et al, 2015, p. 76). A weakness is that the theory maybe too “abstract for beginners” (Kaakinen et al, 2015, p. 79). Healthcare facilities appear to focus on the individual rather than the family, with that happening it makes it harder for new nurses to recognize the importance of “a family as a whole, is greater than the members of the family” ( Kaakinen et al, 2015, p.79). Looking at the family as a whole, during the laboring and birthing process, it is essential to take care of the mom laboring, but as equally as important to care for those attending the labor (i.e. dad, grandparents, and siblings) as their negative experiences could ruin the entire labor experience for the family as a whole. References Kaakinen, J. R., Coehlo, D. P., Steele, R., Tabacco, A., & Hanson, S. H. (2015). Family health care nursing: Theory...
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...The foundation of Family Systems theory are these eight components. The differentiation of self, the triangle, the nuclear family emotional process, the family projection process, the multi-generational transmission process, sibling position, the emotional cutoff, and the emotional processes in society. The differentiation of self is a concept on a continuum from 0 to 100 with 100 being complete self differentiation. The concept is simply being able to differentiate between one’s emotions and one’s thoughts. Someone with high levels of self differentiation are able to make more rationale decisions under considerable amounts of stress while someone on the opposite end of the spectrum may react more impulsive. Multi-generational transmission...
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...The word "family" comes from the Latin word "familia", which means household. This was truly applicable to a joint family in India. Living together under the same roof with grandparents, their sons and grandsons, with their wives and children, is indeed a unique experience, especially in Indian villages. The earnings of every adult member go into a common fund or pool out of which all expenditure is incurred. The final authority in family matters is the grandfather, but the grandmother has authority over all the younger women in the family. There was extended kinship in the real sense of the word. Family ties were close and highly commendable. There is a common kitchen and there is no question of even newly married couples having separate arrangements for cooking and eating food. The parental hold on the children was remarkable; defiance of elders was unthinkable. There was total and genuine respect for all elders, and firm discipline was maintained. Joint families, like the autonomous village community and the caste system, were distinctive features of the Indian social structure for centuries. Since all the members were joint sharers in the common property of the family, inheritance was by survivorship and the principle of primogeniture, the eldest son succeeding to the property of his father on the latter's demise. Women seldom enjoyed equality of status. In fact, they were all too preoccupied with domestic duties and chores to think of rights and privileges. ...
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...Bowen Family Systems Theory I have quite a large family. My nuclear family consists of my mom, dad, brother and myself. My mom’s side of the family equates for that majority of our family. My mother is the youngest of nine! As one could guess, I have many aunts and many cousins. Because there are so many people of all different ages there are many patterns of interaction and diversity issues that affect the family dynamics. The nature of my parent’s relationship is extremely loving, affectionate and kind. My parents were strict in many aspects but lenient in other aspects. Luckily my nuclear family and extended family have not had to face issues with substance abuse, violence or disabilities. However we did have to face two major losses in the family, both of my grandmothers. When thinking about interaction patterns, family rituals and celebrations come to mind. Our celebrations particularly Christmas and birthdays were rituals, which bring us together. Christmas is important because my family is Catholic, so this connects us all in a special way. When it comes to diversity issues, issues arise between the young individuals and the older individuals pertaining to beliefs. Even though most of the family is Catholic, everyone is unique and has their own personal beliefs that sometimes can be cause for arguments. This can affect family dynamics. Overall, though there is a mutual respect for everyone. Bowen’s approach has eight major concepts. One of them, Triangles/...
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...Let me begin this paper by saying that I believe families that get along and have wonderful family gatherings are the dysfunctional ones; we all have some crazy in the mix, I believe that they hide theirs better. That being said I shall begin the journey into my crazy: My father was in the military causing us to travel a lot thereby making my siblings and me to be born all over the country from New York, Maine, Texas and Kansas. Both of my parents were secretive about their families, maybe secretive is a strong word, they simply never talked about them so we never knew them. We became our own best friends, our own playmates and our only way out. My father’s bigotry and alcoholism kept me confused for most of my youth, I didn’t internally feel the hatred he did and I couldn’t understand the anger and physical abuse, which cause me to become invisible and find hiding places in the house that became my safe places. We all found ways to cope and deal with our own situation in our own way. In reading the article by Monica McGoldrick, I became to know a kindred spirit, someone searching for “home” or as she so perfectly put it, “The Ache for Home”. Bowens Family Systems Theory (Bowerian Theory) Bowen stressed in his concept that the individual must first deal with their own issues, personal and family, before they would be able to become a mature, healthy person. (Charles 2001) He also believed that a majority of people’s emotional issues were in...
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...results have come out as positive and some negative. However, to basic knowledge of general people, it’s still believed that it depends on the environment, on the social norms, and on people’s view to this matter. Dual earner system has been welcomed in many countries, willingly or not willingly. In some countries, people’s incomes are mostly below the poverty line, i.e. in third world countries; in those places people have accepted dual earner system as a necessity, leaving the dilemma off. For developed countries, it has been found in the statistics that around 62% of households are now "dual earner". Yet, despite increasing female participation in the labor market, the private lives of many couples are still showing the role pattern of the male breadwinner model. Men are perceived as providers for the family, whilst women are expected to shoulder the lion's share of unpaid work at home. So as to reconcile gainful employment and career ambitions, motherhood and marriage or partnership, homemaking and social life successfully, women are increasingly behaving as 'super women'. Work-family conflict occurs when an individual has to perform multiple roles that require time, energy and commitment. An inter-role conflict occurs as role-pressures from work-family domains become incompatible in some respects. The cumulative...
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...When reading the Caffaro and Conn-Coffaro article, it forced me to think about the dynamics in my family of origin, and particularly with my sister. Since I do have a sibling, I did try to think and relate my upbringing to the article. A specific part that I felt I could speak more on was the deidentification ideas and how that relates to the Family Systems-Based View of Sibling Development. It went on to discuss how siblings have different experiences in the homes and how different interactions throughout life. Thinking back on how my sister and I interacted, it made me wonder how our interaction would be if we were in a group where we would have to share sibling history. I wonder about that because I do not really recall my sister’s thoughts...
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...Relationship between Family Systems and Healthy Development Meriqua D. White Liberty University The Relationship between Family Systems and Healthy Development Family systems can have a positive or negative, direct or indirect effect upon the development of children. Though many environmental influences play a role in a child's life, the influence of the family system or family structure is by far the most important. Inside the context of a family, a child learns to respond and interact within a social context (Feldman, 248-249); begin to understand how others think and reason about behaviour (Feldman, 250-251); learn to deal with the parenting styles within that family (Feldman, 252-254); and sadly, some children experience neglect, abuse, crime, and violence and are forced to learn what it means to be resilient and to overcome (Feldman, 255-258). What Is a Healthy Family System? Barnhill (1979) notes eight dimensions of a healthy family system: individuation vs. enmeshment, mutuality vs. isolation, flexibility vs. rigidity, stability vs. disorganization, clear vs. unclear or distorted perception, clear vs. unclear or distorted communication, role reciprocity vs. unclear roles or role conflict, and clear vs. diffuse or breached generational boundaries. These eight dimensions denote that children have a stable, balanced environment in which to grow and learn. Children learn to interact with family members and with others outside the family unit better if parents...
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...Dysfunctional Family Systems and Disordered Self-Image Abstract: Disordered self-image, sense of self, and self-esteem are affected negatively by dysfunctional family systems. Maladaptive perfectionism affects mood, causes decreased self-esteem, and contributes to the development of avoidance tactics. Adolescent dysregulations includes disordered eating behaviors and/or eating disorders, anxiety, depression, body dissatisfaction, and extreme attempts at weight control; all of which can be caused by child sexual abuse, maladaptive perfectionism, parental attachment issues, and the development of alexithymia. Other dysregulations include faulty coping mechanisms, which are also affected by anxiety, depression, and neuroticism. Thesis: An adolescent’s sense of self, self-image, and self-esteem are affected by dysfunctional family systems, including family systems that reflect child sexual abuse, poor attachments, alcoholism, and the development of alexithymia. The adolescents in families such as these have psychological reactions to their disordered self-images and the dysfunctional family systems. Dysfunctional Family Systems and Disordered Self-Image Adolescent development of eating disorders, disordered eating behavior, and/or subclinical eating behaviors may be caused by perfectionism, child sexual abuse, or other trauma such as having alcoholic parents. Poor self-esteem, poor sense of self, and family dysfunctions may be caused by perfectionism, childhood sexual...
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...Head Office 30 Grosvenor Street, Neutral Bay, NSW 2089 Ph: 02 9904 5600 Fax: 02 9904 5611 Coming to grips with family systems theory in a collaborative, learning environment. info@thefsi.com.au http://www.thefsi.com.au Bowen Family Systems Theory and Practice: Illustration and Critique By Jenny Brown This paper will give an overview of Murray Bowen’s theory of family systems. It will describe the model’s development and outline its core clinical components. The practice of therapy will be described as well as recent developments within the model. Some key criticisms will be raised, followed by a case example which highlights the therapeutic focus of Bowen’s approach. This is the author’s version of the work. It is posted here by permission of Australian Academic Press for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy (ANZJFT) Vol.20 No.2 1999 pp 94-103). Introduction Murray Bowen's family systems theory (shortened to 'Bowen theory' from 1974) was one of the first comprehensive theories of family systems functioning (Bowen, 1966, 1978, Kerr and Bowen, 1988). While it has received sporadic attention in Australia and New Zealand, it continues to be a central influence in the practice of family therapy in North America. It is possible that some local family therapists have been influenced by many of Bowen's ideas without the connection being articulated. For example, the writing of Guerin...
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