Education 378 Final Case Study

Their family (system) pursued treatment with the impression that Claudia was tearing their family apart. The therapists, in this case, quickly noticed this behavior and in response, began to assistance the family to understand how each of the members were participating in this behavior. Applying the components to the Brice family’s situation from the article, Bowen Family Systems Theory and Practice: Illustration and Critique, to the major goals the family systems theory is, first, the individuals in the family must each become aware of emotional systems function and second, increase differentiation, where individuals begin to make individual changes instead of trying to change each other (Brown,

To get a full understanding of family theory one must first have the understanding of what is theory. Theory is a systematic collection of concepts and relations. Family however can mean a broad range of things to a person. One person may consider family to be father, mother, sister and brother; however, to someone else family could be just one parent with one child; and to another it could their friends. Family systems theory however defines the family as a system. Family consist of interrelated parts, each impacting the other and adding to each other’s growth (or detriment) of the other. And because family is always changing, growing, self-organizing, and becoming accustomed to each other and the exterior environment (White & Klein, 2008). Now let’s take a look at the

Family is something that plays a tremendous role in our life. Even though the structure of families has changed over the years, it is important to acknowledge that there many families out there whether they are traditional families, nuclear family, stepfamilies or others which tend to have different types of problems in their families. Therefore, many families attempt to go to family therapy in order for them to obtain help in solving the different types of issues they might have at home. As stated in the book Family Therapy by Michael P. Nichols (2013), “The power of family therapy derives from bringing parents and children together to transform their interaction… What keeps people stuck in their inability to see their own participation in the problems that plague them. With eyes fixed firmly on what recalcitrant others are doing, it’s hard for most people to see the patterns that bind them together. The family therapist’s job is to give them a wake-up call” (2013).

System perspective is the procedure that I use in family system theory because it is believed that the functionality of an individual reflects the functionality of a family and shows the way a family functions. Even though individuals can exhibit symptoms that are different from that in the family, they usually have impact on the rest of family members (Broderick, 1993). Family system theory is therefore concerned with changing the family system as a strategy of changing the individual. This is achieved through alteration of the dysfunctional systems of incorporating and integrating functional systems of interacting. In our Christian counseling process Family systems theory has been applied to solve various dilemmas in a family set up and has been very successful. There are limited categories that this therapy has

In today’s world, families are dynamic and interdependent systems. The developmental processes of the children in the family are deeply affected by how the family system operates. However, a family’s structure does not determine whether it is a healthy family system or not. Today, families consist of single parents, stepparents, divorced parents, remarried parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles. They are all able to contribute to a healthy functioning family system by meeting each family member’s needs and encouraging positive communication (Jamiolkowski, 2008). Unhealthy family systems have negative and possibly

The systems Perspective sees human behavior as the outcome of interactions within and among systems with interrelated and interdependent parts; as defined by its boundaries. Changing one part of the system affects other parts and the whole system, with predictable patterns of behavior (Hutchinson, 2015). The family system has been a widely used theory of family interventions and assessment. The family systems theory is focused on the family dynamic, involving structures, roles, communication patterns, boundaries, and power relation (Rothbaum, 2004). Many theorist such as Bowen, developed the systems theory that focuses on how a

After graduating from Ashford University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Child Development; , I am hoping to obtain a job working in the Public school system alongside the Pre-k teachers in implementing programs for Pre-k or become an owner of a childcare center. The nature of families and children in relation to society is important for my profession because in order to help improve the childcare center. I also hope to develop programs for Pre-k that children and their families will benefit from. I first need to know how the child’s family has a big impact on the child’s life and their ability to function in society. Not knowing anything

Based on the theories and models I reviewed the first non-developmental theories that have helped assist me in understanding my family is the Structural- Functional Theory. According to Friedman, Bowden, and Jones (2003), the Structural- Functional framework is built on the basis that family represents a social system and therefore you must examine a families interactions within their societal construct (p.70). Identifying how a family interacts with one another and how their relationships with healthcare providers, schools, family, members of society, and other organizations, which can help a nurse determine what areas may need strengthening. According to Friedman et al., (2003) “this approach characterizes the family as open to outside influences, yet at the same time, is concerned with maintaining its boundaries”(p.70). Thus, allowing adaptability among the family units as an individual institution in their society. The theories primary assumptions include a family as a social system that has functional requirements and that function similarly to most small groups, as families are social

When I made the decision to get an Elementary Education degree, I realized I wanted to start looking at colleges that specialize in education degrees. I fell in love with 2 colleges; The University of Montevallo and the University of Georgia. To make my decision, I have cut down into the three most important factors for me; cost, location, and size.

What most influenced my decision and interpretations in this case was the fact that the students could not be trusted with concealing the identities of the interviewees within the article, since it was proven that their identities were not fully hidden. The topics in the article were about teen pregnancy and criticism of parents, which can be controversial and thus distracting in a school environment. The principal of the school, upon observation, noticed the identities were not hidden well. With a deadline to meet, there was no way the students would have been able to revise the newspaper and reorganize the articles, so the principal took out the pages. In this case the principal made a responsible decision given the interests of the school

Family is of great importance to having a functional or dysfunctional development; it will help or impede the child to have a support system in place.

The Bowen family systems theory can utilize to understand the Gillison’s family dynamics. According to the Bowen Center for the Study of the Family (2016) the Bowen family system theory views family as an emotional unit that utilizes systems thinking to comprehend the complexity of the interactions within the unit. The theory describes families as having a major influence on their member’s thoughts, feelings and actions, which leads them to feel as if they are composed of the same “emotional skin”. The members of families, according to this theory, are driven by each other’s attention, approval, and support. The members therefore, react to each other’s expectations and wants and needs. The family is therefore interdependent. One change in one member’s function leads to a change in the functioning of the others. This is evidence in the case of the Gillison family.

In many ways family systems theory can be seen as a broad field where there many different implications that make up the system, it is a system. A system is a set of objects that are bound together by a relationship, which are based around the attributes of the objects as drawn upon by (Janet.BB, 1982). Family systems theory addresses the many different ideals and values that make up a typical family, these include the roles each member of the family, the power relations either from the male of the family or both parents of the family, the boundaries that are set within the family to ensure that the structure of the family is secure, in both individualistic and collectivist families this can be seen (Fred Rothbaum, 2002).

The first part is trying to define the term Family System itself. It gives a very brief overview on the characeristics of a family system and how such a system relates and co-relates to the enviorment. It also gives a short description of the dynamics and dimensions of family systems - cohesion and hierarchy.

Murray Bowens family systems theory focuses on ordering and defining relationships and conceptualizes the potential for growth within humans (Metcalf, 2011, p. 39). With this is mind this report aims to explore the history, concepts and principles of Murray Bowen’s family systems theory as well as apply these concepts to a case study regarding the Aleppo family. Firstly this report will explore the historical origins of Bowen’s theory followed by a description of the 8 main concepts and the key principles of the approach of this method. Secondly the report will link the applications of Bowen’s theory to the Aleppo case study and explore how a therapist would interact with this family when utilizing Bowen’s approach. Lastly an evaluation of the strengths and limitations of this approach will be explored.