The Theory And Post Modernism Theory

This paper will use the book The Family Crucible to demonstrate the authors’ family systems approach to therapy. Narrative theory is compared and contrasted with family systems theory, and is ultimately integrated into my own theoretical foundation for practice as a social worker.

Social System theory has some strength for working with this case such as promoting collaborative relationship when the social worker respects views, experiences and diversity of the family taking a holistic approach instead of accepting things as an individual problem.

According to the vignette, I feel most comfortable choosing Bowenian family therapy as the pioneer approach and narrative family therapy as the postmodern approach for this family. Of course, that decision would be according to the family needs and if they were unreceptive, I would modify my approach. For the purposes of this paper, the approaches mentioned above are the two that might be most appropriate to proceed through assessment and treatment.

Having a theoretical orientation as a counselor is important in working with clients in social work career. Theoretical orientation helps us as a social worker to attend to different challenges facing the clients and deal with family problems, behaviors and emotions. As a novice student, having a theoretical framework serve as a “road map.” The purpose of this paper is to explain the important of having a theoretical framework and its important when dealing with families, individuals and treatment groups.

Historically, the field of social work and its practitioners have been concerned with the welfare of families and their functioning. When dysfunction is present, families often seek guidance through family therapy, which has become a strengths-based approach to intervention that emphasizes families’ resiliency and capacity to solve their problems. Within family practice, practitioners implement diverse theoretical approaches and practice models, which function as a foundation for family assessment and intervention methods. This paper seeks to explicate two family intervention models, Bowen family systems therapy and structural family therapy, and utilize the most effective approach to develop a treatment plan for a family seeking therapy.

The evolution of Structural Family Therapy started from an epiphany back in the early 1960’s. The focus was on the Wiltwyck School for Boys, where Salvador Minuchin was employed. Minuchin suggested to his staff that they start involving families within the therapy sessions in hopes for reconnection. Minuchin then assembled a team of therapists and researchers and set out to transform the institutional setting of a correctional facility for young delinquents into a family-oriented treatment program. Families of the Slums (Minuchin, 1967) recounts the experience, which started at the opposite end of the traditional psychodynamic approach –with a sociological analysis of the impact of social context on poor families. The typical Wiltwyck client was the “urban, minority group member who is experiencing discrimination, fear, crowdedness, poverty and street-living,” and his family tended to be under organized. Because the style of interaction in these families was more concrete and action-oriented than abstract and verbal, the team adopted and developed an alternative communication approach which encompassed “more doing than talking” techniques such as, “enactments”, role playing, home-based modalities of treatment, and other nontraditional forms.

They were traditional and only focused on problems and their causes. The therapy models of the 1980s and 1990s took a pragmatic approach where they viewed the therapist as a collaborator in their treatment and not the decision maker of patients (Murdock, 2009). All these changes in strategy were the result of the feminism marches in the political field of the U.S.A during the late 1970s. One of their claims was that the 1970s models held assumptions regarding what constituted normal families and how they affected the emotional health of patients. However, in reality families differed in structure from race and gender factors. Families deviated from the ‘ideal’ structure. The new therapy models, therefore, applied the ecological perspective of the systems theory. Families could now be analyzed from the environment they stayed in including the political, economic, and cultural perspectives (Murdock,

Therapists use theories in assisting their clients with different approaches and techniques. These theories are designed to help the client to receive the best treatment possible. Theories enable us to see things from new angles and perspectives, as well as allow us to fully understand relationships in life. Hagan (2011) research has proven that “One cannot begin teaching the specifics of theoretical influences and practice methods without providing the underpinning foundation of the values and socio-political framework of practices” (p. 1222). Our theories may be incomplete, poorly developed, based on limited information, and biased to fit our needs, but we still use them to guide our behaviors. Coakley (2011) mentions “When our theories are accurate, our predictions help us relate more effectively with others and control more directly what happens in our lives. The best theories are those in which we understand clearly and that helps us to make sense of our experiences within the world (Coakley, 2011). With that being said, because of the components involved in regards to Cognitive Behavior Theory and Family Systems Theory, these two theories will be explored and insightful information will be discussed. Applying these theories to real life situations (similar to those presented in the case studies), the theory will exemplify reasons as to why the theory is chosen to work.

As previously noted Generalist practice is used within a wide range of systems of different intervention levels. The levels of intervention within general practice are Microlevel, Mezzo level, Macrolevel system intervention, and the professional level intervention (Hall, 2008). The primary focus of Microlevel systems intervention is the duty to work with families, individuals and groups. In addition, the Mezzo level systems intervention places its focal point upon organizations and more formal groups. Similarly, the Macrolevel intervention concentrates on the issues involving communities or society in general. In final, the Professional level intervention prioritizes the issues within the social work profession itself (Miley et al., 2017, p. 7-9). Due to the diverse populations and vulnerable groups that Social Workers work with on a day to day basis it is important for them to understand the different levels of intervention to properly assist clients with the necessary framework for addressing issues of concern (Gelman & Mirabito, 2005). There are also various models that can be used to promote an empowering approach toward practice. One of the models used mostly within the General Practice is the problem-solving model.

Counsellors in structural family therapy use unique intervention strategies when working with families in structural family therapy. One of the most important intervention strategies used in structural family therapy is enactment of the family’s issues (Purple book). This involves the counsellor stepping in the right moment of when the family are enacting some aspect of their struggles during a conflict scenario of the session (Purple book). The counsellor would then bring up an issue within the family which are drawn from the intellect and memory (Purple book). When families are get the opportunity to play out a situation, the issues they were experiencing becomes more easy to understand accessible through the counsellor’s lens (Purple book).

To begin with, to determine the meaning of postmodernism is possible only through the relationship with modernism. Modernism in modern science is understood as a kind of cultural consciousness, which is implemented in the artistic practice of symbolism, expressionism and acmeism. In the socio-historical context, it means the period of modernism in the development of culture from the late nineteenth to mid-twentieth century, that is, from Impressionism to a new novel and the theatre of the absurd. Modernism as a world based on the principles of urbanism (the cult of the city), technologism (the cult of the industry), primitivism (the cult of the underdeveloped role model), and others. Postmodernism simultaneously grows and is repelled by the picture of the world, established in modernism. Overcoming modernist tendencies, postmodern cult of the city replaces cosmism, values of industrial society - environmentalism, denying mindless nature and asserting the need for harmonious relations between society and nature. Thus, the ideological concept of postmodernism includes the principles of cosmism, environmentalism and post humanism in a culture of active includes sexual minorities, and the ideas of feminism. Art of modernism and postmodernism is the realization of a universal picture of the world, reflecting the human consciousness of the twentieth century, the main feature of which is the new principle of the relation of being and consciousness.

Social work has grown from the foundations of individualised practice in a positivist model to the contemporary practices which form the multidimensional aspect of twenty –first century mainstream practice (Bell 2012). Many writers have argued that the current paradigms of social work are

Modernism and Postmodernism are both two important eras in design. Postmodernism takes a lot of concepts from the modernism era. Both modernism and post modernism focus on Style, Social analysis, Cultural Context, Philosophy, Politics, Human experience, Machine aesthetics, and the constant transformation of the “New”. An interesting fact of the Modernism and Postmodernism is the use of the psychology and philosophy themes 1. Subjectivity 2.History 3. Culture and 4. Theoretically divers aesthetics and ideologies. What differentiates the two from each other is the postmodernism is more politically resistant, deconstructive, absent, uses the Signifier, Anarchy, and Dadaist. In comparison to Modernism, which is more romantic, Symbolic, about Form for its purpose, Hierarchy, Creation, Metaphor and Signified. This essay will talk about the influence of modernism on postmodern design using Wolfgang Weingart, Atelier Populaire posters and comparing it to Moholy Nagy’s’ posters of modernism. The two designs selected from the Eskilson Textbook Graphic Design a New History on postmodernism are The Swiss Poster, 1984 offset Lithograph by Wolfgang Weingart and The Struggle Continues, 1968 by Atelier Populaire. The modernist designs selected from Moholy Nagy is Painting Photography Film, 1927 Book jacket.

Modern issues were always under specific topics such as truth and reality, reason and experience, liberty and equality, justice and peace, beauty and progress. But in the mainstream of postmodernism all those ideas dependably show up in quotes. The postmodernism has specific topics and values that bielived and bult on. Moreover those themes has an impact on the American soceity, it cames as a rejection of what was befor in order to build another movement different from the previous one :

Social work practice is informed and influenced by the socially constructed theories on which it is based. It is with these theories that practitioners are able to explore differing perspectives, focuses, and outcomes in order to achieve the best method of practice for the client within their environment (Teater, 2010). This essay aims to better assess and engage with the Cruise family through the use of empowerment and strength based theories.