Family Dynamics

Families can be referred to as complex units linked by strong emotional bonding. The way the family members interact and the way the whole family group relate is known as family dynamics. The dynamics among the family members are influenced by the family’s traditions, emotional interdependence, communication style and behavioral patterns. There are different types of families, and different family structures. Examples of families include, nuclear families which have, a father, mother and children and extended family which have the nuclear family, and other family members living together, for

The film, Precious, is a powerfully charged story that delves into the family dynamics of a 16-year-old girl and her struggles to survive an onslaught of treacherous experiences. Throughout the film, the viewer is enveloped in a dramatic web of extreme situations, experienced by the main character, and those to whom she is close. The themes of domestic violence, rape, incest, drug addiction, gambling, poverty, social justice, social services, housing and education are laced together throughout the story. Particularly poignant attention is paid to various systems that help shape the experiences of the characters. The social services industry, and its associated workers, educators and administrators, set the foundation for the social themes that are highlighted by this film.

Family is a very vital social group for any individual as well as society. It is the focal point around which life of every individual revolves. The day usually starts with family and also ends with family but in between we used to discharge our professional, social commitment. The desire to be with the family reflects the strong emotional bond individual share with family. Family is the basic unit of society and in its most simplest form it may consist of a husband, wife and children .In a broader sense it may refers to all relatives of several generations may be connected to each other by blood, marriage or adoption .The married couple not only lives under one roof but also stay connected physically, mentally, emotionally, socially moreover financially. They are supposed to complement each other by meeting need and aspirations of each other. A family basically based on the institution of marriage. So it is very much significant on the part of both husband and wife primarily about the need to have a healthy functional behavior for a life time to meet the commitment they are extending to each other.

The Moore family is a family that is made up of three generations, starting with the grandparents, parents, along with the children. The Moore family also consist of multiple racial groups, such as African American and Caucasian that causes divided within the family because of the cultural differences within each group. The Moore family is made up of Jessica, Caucasian mother, Ed, African American father, Derrick, adopted African American son, Terrence, Jessica’s biological biracial son, and Debbie, Ed’s biological biracial daughter. With the listing of the both husband and wife along with the children, it is clear that this family has encounter a few life transitions, trajectories, cohorts, turning points, and life events. Understanding life course perspective will assist with understanding the family dynamics that are displayed within the Moore family. Life transitions, trajectories, cohorts, turning points, life events, along with other terms will be defined and discussed to fully examine the Moore’s family behavior and life events that guided their family’s development. With all of the issues that the Moore family has encountered both Jessica’s and Ed’s marital problems may be seen as the core of their family’s dysfunction, therefore, this will be explained under the life course perspective.

According to Richard Charles (2001) “the effectiveness of family systems theory rests not much on empirical research but on clinical reports of positive treatment outcomes, the personal benefits experienced by the families that underwent this kind of treatment, and the elegance of Bowen’s theory” (p. 279). Bowen’s family systems theory views the family as an emotional unit and is a theory of human behavior. Systems thinking are used to describe the complex interactions in the unit. However, the client’s ability to differentiate himself/herself from the family of origin is the basis for Bowen’s family systems theory. In addition, the primary focus for growth within the emotional system is differentiation of self. Differentiation of self

Relationships can either be monogamous or non-monogamous in nature and its definitions and functions can vary. A monogamous relationship is traditionally characterised by two individuals who have dependent children or also as a ‘nuclear family.’ Monogamy is a hetero-normative practice that involves two individuals in a relationship; the couple is not engaged in extramarital intimacy. Nuclear families also fall under this practice. Polyamory is a non-monogamous practice that refers to multiple intimate partners and experiences. However, some scholars argue that if, or when one individual engages in infidelity, Polyamory is a viable option to sustain the relationship. Academic research positions Polyamory as an option that may successfully

3 Understand the nature and extent of changes within the family, with reference to gender roles, domestic labour and power relationships.

Erma must have been an uncaring, bad mother to Rex which caused him to leave Welch. Also, Erma helps uncover the theme of siblings and family dynamics. Throughout the memoir, the Walls children stand up and protect one another, but when Erma makes a move on Brian while “mending” his pants, it is then when we see Lori truly stand up for Brian, and the goodwill of her sister, too. Jeannette catches Erma and screams for her to stop, which causes Erma to almost slap her. Luckily, Lori catches Erma’s hand before impact, but Erma removes her hand and Lori basically takes the slap for Jeannette. Lori, infuriated by Erma, throws a blow to her jaw that isn’t just pure rage, but a bubbling anger she feels for the mistreatment of not only Brian, but all

Family dynamic and Education. There are multiple generations who are living in the Twin River housing. We need to stress the importance of education and empire the younger generation to be more self-reliant to be able to break the cycle. Although children are going to school, it is at home and the surrounding neighborhood that also teaches life lessons. Being isolated and surrounded by homeless, drugs, and gang members will promote bad behaviors and violence that the children may learn from watching. Parents are sometimes helpless not being able to shield their children from the harsh reality. Children acting out in school from learned behavior at home or around the neighborhood may cause them to be in trouble with the law or drop out of school. This isolated community will soon have a new life. The socialization of different class will have a great benefit to the younger generations overall wellbeing and health. According to Healthy People 2020, “For a community to improve its health, its members must often change

After a thorough review of the textbook and the course material, the specific family system approach that I choose to explore is the Bowenian Approach for this literature review. This specific family system approach is also known as the Bowen Family System Theory as well (D.V. Papero, 2006). The Bowen Family System Theory was established by Murray Bowen, a theorist and psychiatrist who specialized in treating children who were deranged and had schizophrenia (Rockwell, 2010). In the 1950s, Bowen wanted to explore a new venture so he decided that he wanted all of the family members of each child to be involved in an therapeutic process at the same time (Rockwell, 2010).

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

3. Become aware of the “alive versus the inanimate” and “familiar versus unfamiliar” and develop rudimentary social interaction.

Throughout this course I have learned about sociology and certain sub-categories. Some of these include social institutions, social hierarchy, and socialization, these are relevant to an educational socialization. But, the sociology that I am going to focus on is related to family. Status, role and reference groups are classified in the sociological studies of family. For reasons that I am focusing on family, is that family is extremely important to me and the bonds that we had is unlike most families. It is a bond that has been broken and I am slowly trying to mend it back together.

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

Every family has a unique system with a set of rules, mostly unspoken, that govern their behavior and interactions. In dysfunctional families, the symptom of their dysfunction is typically sourced within their family system. The symptom also has a function – it protects family members from uncomfortable conflict. Dysfunctional families and couples often maintain negative patterns of interacting, and are unable to transition into new behavioral patterns without therapeutic intervention. In order to help families develop out of their systematic ways of behaving, it is important to understand the specific family system that is presented. With a keen understanding of the family’s culture, beliefs, etc., the therapist can develop therapeutic rituals, which are prescribed actions aimed at altering behavioral patterns that are responsible for maintaining the symptom. The ritual is not a verbal explanation or criticism of the family system, rather it is a specific set of actions designed to help families create new patterns of interaction and meaning in their relationships. (p, 5).