Topic in Solomon:
I am focusing on the family and its structure as described by Solomon in chapter 10. Delving deep into the concepts of extended and nuclear families, family life cycles, different roles and responsibilities in families. The families I will study (see background section for more information) are actually quite distinct in terms of structure and age. Therefore, I will have a glimpse into interactions within the families and between them. I will observe how decisions are made differently in my family--whether they’re autonomic or syncretic. Solomon describes autonomoic decisions as those made by one family member, whereas syncretic ones involve others’ input as well. I can see if there actually is gender convergence within the families, as most of them are forward thinking and liberal. According to Solomon, gender convergence is when roles stereotyped to a certain gender are flipped and taken on by the other.
Background:
My dad’s side of our extended family is composed of three nuclear families: my family; my dad’s brother’s family; and my dad’s sister’s family. None of us are very close due to issues dating back to when my dad and his siblings were kids. However, we celebrate the major holidays together for the sake of my grandparents, and because we all live in the Chicago area.
Hypothesis:
I believe the three families in attendance will not mingle or mix much. Because they are my dad’s family, roles that my mom traditionally takes on (like making
to of have ignored that in a number of families (this tends to be a
Family systems theory is useful when working with families who are impacted by an ASD diagnosis. The family systems theory focuses on the shift of an individual perspective to a family systems perspective. Family is the most important support system for a child. Family is looked at as a unit, therefore by using the family systems theory the professionals are able to identify the family’s influences on the individual. The family system impacts a child’s development as family members affect the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors of one another (Paylo, 2011).
Well for starters I hope to one day have to explain to students why theory is important to the study of families.
Comparing Bowen’s family systems theory and Minuchin’s structural family theory we will outline several fundamental categories for analysis with Goldenberg & Goldenberg (2012) as our guide. We also contrast the history and theoretical orientation of both men to garner a deeper understanding of their theories. Finally we will consider integrating elements of both theories and how this makes us more effective practitioners.
“The Psychodynamics of the Family”, taken from The Reproduction of Mothering: Psychoanalysis and the Sociology of Gender, published in 1978, remains one of Nancy Chodorow most influential works.
The family structure is made up of individuals living together in intimate groups with the purpose of caring and supporting each other. Rules and boundaries, spoken and unspoken, are developed by the family members. Family rules and boundaries change and shift over time in order to evolve and grow as a family unit. Some changes are subtle, but some events force major change within the family system. This paper applies the concepts of systems theory to the family system in the movie Sweet Home Alabama. Reese Witherspoon (Melanie Smooter) and Josh Lucas (Jake Perry) star in this heart-warming film telling a story of a young woman who flees from Alabama to reinvent herself in New York City as a high fashion designer. She leaves behind
In The Way We Never Were, Stephanie Coontz suggests that society romanticizes past generations of family life and points out that these memories are merely myths that prevent us from “dealing more effectively with the problems facing today’s families” (Coontz x). Coontz proposes that researchers can take empirical data and create misleading causality for that data, thus feeding cultural myth and/or experience. Coontz believes that “an overemphasis on personal responsibility for strengthening family values encourages a way of thinking that leads to moralizing rather than mobilizing for concrete reforms” (Coontz 22). She calls on us to direct our attention to social reforms, which can be accomplished by avoiding victim-blaming
Murray Bowen's family system theory was one of the first comprehensive theories of family system functioning. It was developed in 1974 and it believed the family can be defined as a set of interacting individuals who are related by blood, marriage, cohabitation, or adoption and who interdependently perform relevant functions through roles. Relevant functions of the family include values and practices placed on health system theory is used to explain patterns of living among the individuals who make up the family systems (Edelmen, 2006).
The word “family” is unique, special, and controversial among different cultures and ethnicities. As defined by Random House Western Dictionary, a family is “any group of persons closely related by blood, as parents, children, uncles, aunts, and cousins” (Dictionary.com). Although the definition from Random House follows the infamous proverb of, “blood is thicker than water,” my definition of family does not. Family is not defined or restricted by blood relations. In my mind, a family is simply a group of people, who loves, supports, and helps each other unconditionally, and endlessly. Regardless of one’s sexual orientation or preference, all families embody these common principles. Thus, a family unites its members through the strong
In her book The Unfinished Revolution, Kathleen Gerson argues that today, family pathways are more important than family structure. In this context, family structure refers to the organization of a family, and the way that it has been changing as a result of the gender revolution. For example, some nontraditional family structures that are explored in the book include double parent families with both parents earning, single parent families (mostly single mothers), and families with same-sex parents. Gerson argues that while family structures are not negligible, it is family pathways that are more important for the children of the gender revolution. That is to say, the children value the dynamics of their family more than the structure. They are more concerned about how well their parents are able to provide them with the necessary emotional and financial support than they are about how well their families follow a norm. For them, it is more about feeling like they’re part of a family rather than just physically being in one. Gerson emphasizes this when she explains that the people she interviewed “focused on the long-term consequences of parental choices, not on the specific form or type of home these choices produced at any one moment in time.” One important implication of this argument is the way in which the children of the gender revolution imagine their own romantic relationships unfolding. Even there, they prioritize a feeling rather than a format. For example, one
Family structure in the United States has undergone a dramatic change since the 1960's. The percentage of female-headed households increased while the percentage of married couple households declined. This paper uses data from the Urban Underclass Database to explain the roles the transforming economy (from manufacturing to service) and the subsequent employment dislocation play in the family structure change. Results for the largest 100 cities in the United States find support for a relationship between changes in the economy, subsequent male unemployment, and family
Thirdly, the sexual revolution has cracked the nuclear family ideology. Because the “erotic” is now the foundation of "personal well-being" and "fulfillment" in marital relationship with some people rather than the “romantic love” foundation of the traditional nuclear family. That saw too many teenagers becoming unmarried females in the United States at the early age. Because the ways society has valued sexual ideology, people and things are
The family structure determines where you derive from and provides a sense of who you are. The typical family structure is perceived as a father and a mother, two children, one boy and one girl, and a pet. The typical family description described above is still promoted and expected to be the “dream family.” Author Meyerhoff, “While the nuclear family with Dad, Mom, and offspring happily coexisting beneath one roof-remains the ideal, variations in family structure are plentiful and often successful” (Meyerhoff). Meaning that a lot of families are remarried spouses with prior children and more common in the last decade same sex marriages. So, do these nontraditional families have the same qualities? Personally, I would think so. After
Institutionalized ideas of a successful lifestyle have been perpetuated in society throughout time. Each generation faces newly refined perimeters of righteous behaviors that have been affected by progressive ideas, technological advancements, and traditional beliefs. These components and more, play a role in creating a public image of a family structure. Essentially, families are key representatives of society. The posterchild family structure of society depicts values held by a generation, and promoted throughout the means of mass marketing during that time. Every citizen is considered to be held accountable to the societal standards of correct human behavior and ideology. These standards have an impact on freedom, marriage, work, education and children. My family structure is grass rooted in Punjab, India. The dominant religion, political structure, public institution, and societal ideology have differences and similarities with those of America’s.
To add, there are a lot of similarities and differences between both families. My family is very close to each other, and theirs is too. Also, we both enjoy going on