PYC4808
Assignment 3
DUE 17 September 2025
, ASSIGNMENT 3
Question 1 (20 marks)
Draw an ecomap to illustrate the current family dynamics in the Jackson family.
,Answer:
An ecomap is a tool used to represent a family’s connections with each other and with
external systems (Hartman, 1995). In the Jackson family, the ecomap highlights both
supportive and stressful relationships.
At the centre is the nuclear family: David, Laura, Jake, and Lily. Laura maintains a
strong bond with Jake, though this is enmeshed and adds pressure to him. In contrast,
David’s connection with Jake is conflicted, characterised by distance and high
expectations. David’s relationship with Laura is also strained due to contrasting
emotional expression styles.
Jake shows weak or broken ties with friends and extracurricular activities, such as
cricket, where he previously thrived. His only current supportive external relationship is
with the school counsellor and the newly introduced psychologist. Lily, on the other
hand, demonstrates strong external support through her drama club, while remaining
emotionally disengaged from Jake’s struggles.
Extended family ties add complexity: David’s relationship with George is marked by
unresolved conflict, while Evelyn’s anxious style offered limited stability in the past.
Peter, Laura’s father, plays a minor role in current dynamics.
Overall, the ecomap illustrates how Jake is caught in the middle of intergenerational
patterns of perfectionism, emotional suppression, and over-functioning care. At the
same time, his supportive external systems (school counsellor, psychologist) provide
potential pathways for intervention.
, DESCRIBE AND STRUCTURE THE ECOMAP IN WORDS
Ecomap Description for the Jackson Family
Central Family Unit (Household):
• David (45) – emotionally distant, perfectionistic.
• Laura (41) – warm, nurturing, over-functioning, peacekeeper.
• Jake (17) – sensitive, perfectionistic, currently depressed.
• Lily (13) – socially active, emotionally disengaged from family.
Extended Family & External Systems:
• George (71, grandfather) – authoritarian, emotionally reserved, now in assisted living
(weakened relationship with David, tension with Jake indirectly).
• Evelyn (65, grandmother) – anxious, emotionally expressive but deferential to
George. Provides emotional history but less present in current functioning.
• Peter (70, maternal grandfather) – lives in retirement village, limited involvement.
• School & Counsellor – strong link to Jake (referral to psychologist).
• Friends/Peers – weak or broken connection with Jake (withdrawn), strong connection
with Lily.
• Extracurriculars – Jake dropped cricket (broken link); Lily active in drama club
(strong supportive link).
• Psychologist/Therapist – new connection, potentially supportive for whole family
system.
Ecomap Relationship Indicators (using standard notation):
• Strong supportive connections (solid thick line):
o Laura ↔ Jake (but over-involved, may be enmeshment).
o Lily ↔ Drama club.
o Jake ↔ School counsellor (supportive referral).
• Tense or conflicted connections (zigzag line):
o David ↔ Jake (emotional distance, high expectations).
o David ↔ Laura (conflict due to contrasting emotional styles).
o David ↔ George (lifelong unresolved conflict).
o Jake ↔ Performance/Schoolwork (source of stress and failure).
• Weak or distant connections (thin line):
o Jake ↔ Lily (disconnected siblings).
o Family ↔ Peter (maternal grandfather, minimal involvement).
o Evelyn ↔ Jake/Lily (grandparent bond but less impactful currently).
• Broken/disrupted connections (dotted line):
o Jake ↔ Cricket team (quit sports, loss of social network).
o Jake ↔ Friends (withdrawal, isolation).
Assignment 3
DUE 17 September 2025
, ASSIGNMENT 3
Question 1 (20 marks)
Draw an ecomap to illustrate the current family dynamics in the Jackson family.
,Answer:
An ecomap is a tool used to represent a family’s connections with each other and with
external systems (Hartman, 1995). In the Jackson family, the ecomap highlights both
supportive and stressful relationships.
At the centre is the nuclear family: David, Laura, Jake, and Lily. Laura maintains a
strong bond with Jake, though this is enmeshed and adds pressure to him. In contrast,
David’s connection with Jake is conflicted, characterised by distance and high
expectations. David’s relationship with Laura is also strained due to contrasting
emotional expression styles.
Jake shows weak or broken ties with friends and extracurricular activities, such as
cricket, where he previously thrived. His only current supportive external relationship is
with the school counsellor and the newly introduced psychologist. Lily, on the other
hand, demonstrates strong external support through her drama club, while remaining
emotionally disengaged from Jake’s struggles.
Extended family ties add complexity: David’s relationship with George is marked by
unresolved conflict, while Evelyn’s anxious style offered limited stability in the past.
Peter, Laura’s father, plays a minor role in current dynamics.
Overall, the ecomap illustrates how Jake is caught in the middle of intergenerational
patterns of perfectionism, emotional suppression, and over-functioning care. At the
same time, his supportive external systems (school counsellor, psychologist) provide
potential pathways for intervention.
, DESCRIBE AND STRUCTURE THE ECOMAP IN WORDS
Ecomap Description for the Jackson Family
Central Family Unit (Household):
• David (45) – emotionally distant, perfectionistic.
• Laura (41) – warm, nurturing, over-functioning, peacekeeper.
• Jake (17) – sensitive, perfectionistic, currently depressed.
• Lily (13) – socially active, emotionally disengaged from family.
Extended Family & External Systems:
• George (71, grandfather) – authoritarian, emotionally reserved, now in assisted living
(weakened relationship with David, tension with Jake indirectly).
• Evelyn (65, grandmother) – anxious, emotionally expressive but deferential to
George. Provides emotional history but less present in current functioning.
• Peter (70, maternal grandfather) – lives in retirement village, limited involvement.
• School & Counsellor – strong link to Jake (referral to psychologist).
• Friends/Peers – weak or broken connection with Jake (withdrawn), strong connection
with Lily.
• Extracurriculars – Jake dropped cricket (broken link); Lily active in drama club
(strong supportive link).
• Psychologist/Therapist – new connection, potentially supportive for whole family
system.
Ecomap Relationship Indicators (using standard notation):
• Strong supportive connections (solid thick line):
o Laura ↔ Jake (but over-involved, may be enmeshment).
o Lily ↔ Drama club.
o Jake ↔ School counsellor (supportive referral).
• Tense or conflicted connections (zigzag line):
o David ↔ Jake (emotional distance, high expectations).
o David ↔ Laura (conflict due to contrasting emotional styles).
o David ↔ George (lifelong unresolved conflict).
o Jake ↔ Performance/Schoolwork (source of stress and failure).
• Weak or distant connections (thin line):
o Jake ↔ Lily (disconnected siblings).
o Family ↔ Peter (maternal grandfather, minimal involvement).
o Evelyn ↔ Jake/Lily (grandparent bond but less impactful currently).
• Broken/disrupted connections (dotted line):
o Jake ↔ Cricket team (quit sports, loss of social network).
o Jake ↔ Friends (withdrawal, isolation).
