PYC 4808 – ASSIGNMENT 03
ESSAY NOTES (CHAPTERS; 5,10,12,14, 15)
CHAPTER 5: The Family: Process, Development and Context
PROCESS DIMENSIONS:
- consistent with the systemic/cybernetic perspective
- health and dysfunction focus on process rather than on content
- concerned with the patterns that characterize families defined as well-functioning, and thus, implicitly
those defined as dysfunctional
- any definition that implies goodness or badness is inconsistent with systems theory at the level of
cybernetics of cybernetics
- it is only at the pragmatic level of first-order, or simple cybernetics that we as observers may look at a
system and decide about its health or pathology
- consistent with the systemic/cybernetic perspective
- all systems do what they do, and what they do is not pathological unless we so define it
- any definition of health or dysfunction must include the members of the family that are being
observed
- health would be defined as the family’s success in functioning to achieve its own goals
- not defining how a family should be structured or what its goals should be
- all societal norms must be taken into consideration when working with families
- a family’s success in functioning must be dealt with situationally – more appropriately evaluated
relative to context
- several process dimensions to be characteristic of healthy families
1. legitimate source of authority established and supported over time
2. stable rule system established and consistently acted upon
3. effective and stable child-rearing and marriage-maintenance practices
4. set of goals to which the family and the individual work towards
5. sufficient flexibility and adaptability
- optimal family functioning is characterized by a variety of processes interacting with one another
- “health at the level of the family was not a single thread, and that competence must be considered as
a tapestry, reflecting differences in degree along many dimensions”
- Communication in well-functioning families is effective, and power issues are handled hierarchically
yet with strong, egalitarian parental leadership gradually giving way to greater freedom for children
relative to their development
- Healthy families also tend to have a natural network of relationships outside of the family
- Even under the most stressful circumstances, some families, regardless of their structure, are able to
adapt, to regain their balance and continue to encourage and support their members through the
process of change
- In contrast – some families are in danger of crumbling under challenges
DEVELOPMENTAL FRAMEWORKS:
- Various theories of individual development and models of the family life cycle, may be extremely
useful tools for family therapists
- These tools can be utilized to assist in the process of understanding and assessing functioning, as well
as of creating therapeutic strategies and interventions with their sets of guidelines for considering
individual and family growth and development
- A few informative frameworks = psychosocial model of Erik Erikson, the cognitive development model
of Jean Piaget and the moral development models of Lawrence Kohlberg.
,CONTEXTUAL ISSUES:
STRUCTURAL VARIATIONS –
- A developmental perspective that enables us to understand and anticipate the structural and
emotional adaptations necessitated by divorce or remarriage is essential
CULTURAL VARIATIONS/CULTURAL COMPETENCE –
- Structural variations are only one aspect of the context of family development
- Another equally important aspect is that of cultural variations
- We need to be aware of the impact of culture on the life of the family
- On the other hand, we can use generalizations about ethnic groups only to increase our level of
awareness.
- We can never assume that ethnic-group stereotypes accurately describe the family actually sitting
with us in the therapy room
- We must always be wary of broad generalizations about any group
- We should always be aware of the broadest range of cultural variations and of the inevitability of
differences within ethnic groups
- We must therefore thoroughly familiarize ourselves with the characteristics of our client populations
- We must acknowledge the additional development challenges that may be faced by individuals and
families of colour
- We must also adapt the interventions that we use (modifying the genogram when working with
members of diverse populations)
- McGoldrick & Giordano – cultural identity influences the definition of family, family life-cycle phases,
the emphasis placed on various traditions and celebrations, occupational choice, characteristic
problems, and logical solutions, as well as attitudes toward the process of therapy
- Cultural identity: may be the appropriate focus for problem resolution
OTHER DIVERSITY ISSUES –
- Nontraditional variations as communal families, families with cohabiting parents, and families with
homosexual parents have their own requirements and special challenges with which the therapist
needs to be familiar in order to be effective
ECOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS –
- Eco-map = a tool that allows us to diagram the various systems, and the relationships among them,
which characterize the larger context of the client
- The eco-map pictures the family in its life situation; it identifies and characterizes the significant
nurturant or conflict-laden connections between the family and the world
à at the level of cybernetics of cybernetics all behaviors and characteristics fit, and thus the punctuation of
health or dysfunction is logically inconsistent.
à at the pragmatic, cultural level, however, the following dimensions have been found to exist in some
combination in well-functioning and resilient families
- Legitimate source of authority established and supported
- Stable rule system
- Sense of family “nationality” and of belonging
- Respect for and encouragement of individual differences
- Sufficient flexibility and adaptability
- Support for and encouragement of initiative and creativity
, CHAPTER 10: The Structural Approach
BASIC CONCEPTS/THEORETICAL CONSTRUCTS:
- Minuchin’s perspective: suggests that the life history of a family is a succession of experiments in
living
- Structural family therapists describe a delicate balance between stability and change, and between
openness and closedness
- According to structural family therapy, the family is viewed as an integrated whole
STRUCTURE:
- Structural family therapy focuses on patterns of interaction within the family, which give clues as to
the basic structure and organization of the system
- Observations of patterns of interaction in the family provide information about how the family is
organized and structured to maintain itself
- The structure of a family is governed by two general systems of constraints à the first = generic : the
fact that all families everywhere have some sort of hierarchical structure according to which parents
have greater authority than children. à the second = idiosyncratic: unique rules and patterns may
evolve in each family. The structure of a family governs that family in that it defines the roles, rules,
and patterns allowable within the family.
SUBSYSTEMS:
- Three subsystems = (1) the spouse subsystem, (2) the parental subsystem, and (3) the sibling
subsystem
BOUNDARIES:
- Boundaries are invisible, but they nevertheless delineate individuals and subsystems and define the
amount and kind of contact allowable between members of the family
- Each subsystem has its own identity, its own functions, and its own patterns of relationships
- The identity, functions, and patterns of relationships within a subsystem are influenced by
relationships between subsystems
CLEAR BOUNDARIES –
- the ideal relationship between subsystems is that defined by clear boundaries
- clear boundaries are firm and yet flexible
- they also imply access across subsystems to negotiate and accommodate various situational and
developmental challenges that confront the family
- clear boundaries in a family allow for an increase in the frequency of communication between
subsystems
RIGID BOUNDARIES –
- implies disengagement
- disengaged individuals and families are relatively autonomous and segregated ( when carried to the
extreme, this situation may be dysfunctional)
ESSAY NOTES (CHAPTERS; 5,10,12,14, 15)
CHAPTER 5: The Family: Process, Development and Context
PROCESS DIMENSIONS:
- consistent with the systemic/cybernetic perspective
- health and dysfunction focus on process rather than on content
- concerned with the patterns that characterize families defined as well-functioning, and thus, implicitly
those defined as dysfunctional
- any definition that implies goodness or badness is inconsistent with systems theory at the level of
cybernetics of cybernetics
- it is only at the pragmatic level of first-order, or simple cybernetics that we as observers may look at a
system and decide about its health or pathology
- consistent with the systemic/cybernetic perspective
- all systems do what they do, and what they do is not pathological unless we so define it
- any definition of health or dysfunction must include the members of the family that are being
observed
- health would be defined as the family’s success in functioning to achieve its own goals
- not defining how a family should be structured or what its goals should be
- all societal norms must be taken into consideration when working with families
- a family’s success in functioning must be dealt with situationally – more appropriately evaluated
relative to context
- several process dimensions to be characteristic of healthy families
1. legitimate source of authority established and supported over time
2. stable rule system established and consistently acted upon
3. effective and stable child-rearing and marriage-maintenance practices
4. set of goals to which the family and the individual work towards
5. sufficient flexibility and adaptability
- optimal family functioning is characterized by a variety of processes interacting with one another
- “health at the level of the family was not a single thread, and that competence must be considered as
a tapestry, reflecting differences in degree along many dimensions”
- Communication in well-functioning families is effective, and power issues are handled hierarchically
yet with strong, egalitarian parental leadership gradually giving way to greater freedom for children
relative to their development
- Healthy families also tend to have a natural network of relationships outside of the family
- Even under the most stressful circumstances, some families, regardless of their structure, are able to
adapt, to regain their balance and continue to encourage and support their members through the
process of change
- In contrast – some families are in danger of crumbling under challenges
DEVELOPMENTAL FRAMEWORKS:
- Various theories of individual development and models of the family life cycle, may be extremely
useful tools for family therapists
- These tools can be utilized to assist in the process of understanding and assessing functioning, as well
as of creating therapeutic strategies and interventions with their sets of guidelines for considering
individual and family growth and development
- A few informative frameworks = psychosocial model of Erik Erikson, the cognitive development model
of Jean Piaget and the moral development models of Lawrence Kohlberg.
,CONTEXTUAL ISSUES:
STRUCTURAL VARIATIONS –
- A developmental perspective that enables us to understand and anticipate the structural and
emotional adaptations necessitated by divorce or remarriage is essential
CULTURAL VARIATIONS/CULTURAL COMPETENCE –
- Structural variations are only one aspect of the context of family development
- Another equally important aspect is that of cultural variations
- We need to be aware of the impact of culture on the life of the family
- On the other hand, we can use generalizations about ethnic groups only to increase our level of
awareness.
- We can never assume that ethnic-group stereotypes accurately describe the family actually sitting
with us in the therapy room
- We must always be wary of broad generalizations about any group
- We should always be aware of the broadest range of cultural variations and of the inevitability of
differences within ethnic groups
- We must therefore thoroughly familiarize ourselves with the characteristics of our client populations
- We must acknowledge the additional development challenges that may be faced by individuals and
families of colour
- We must also adapt the interventions that we use (modifying the genogram when working with
members of diverse populations)
- McGoldrick & Giordano – cultural identity influences the definition of family, family life-cycle phases,
the emphasis placed on various traditions and celebrations, occupational choice, characteristic
problems, and logical solutions, as well as attitudes toward the process of therapy
- Cultural identity: may be the appropriate focus for problem resolution
OTHER DIVERSITY ISSUES –
- Nontraditional variations as communal families, families with cohabiting parents, and families with
homosexual parents have their own requirements and special challenges with which the therapist
needs to be familiar in order to be effective
ECOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS –
- Eco-map = a tool that allows us to diagram the various systems, and the relationships among them,
which characterize the larger context of the client
- The eco-map pictures the family in its life situation; it identifies and characterizes the significant
nurturant or conflict-laden connections between the family and the world
à at the level of cybernetics of cybernetics all behaviors and characteristics fit, and thus the punctuation of
health or dysfunction is logically inconsistent.
à at the pragmatic, cultural level, however, the following dimensions have been found to exist in some
combination in well-functioning and resilient families
- Legitimate source of authority established and supported
- Stable rule system
- Sense of family “nationality” and of belonging
- Respect for and encouragement of individual differences
- Sufficient flexibility and adaptability
- Support for and encouragement of initiative and creativity
, CHAPTER 10: The Structural Approach
BASIC CONCEPTS/THEORETICAL CONSTRUCTS:
- Minuchin’s perspective: suggests that the life history of a family is a succession of experiments in
living
- Structural family therapists describe a delicate balance between stability and change, and between
openness and closedness
- According to structural family therapy, the family is viewed as an integrated whole
STRUCTURE:
- Structural family therapy focuses on patterns of interaction within the family, which give clues as to
the basic structure and organization of the system
- Observations of patterns of interaction in the family provide information about how the family is
organized and structured to maintain itself
- The structure of a family is governed by two general systems of constraints à the first = generic : the
fact that all families everywhere have some sort of hierarchical structure according to which parents
have greater authority than children. à the second = idiosyncratic: unique rules and patterns may
evolve in each family. The structure of a family governs that family in that it defines the roles, rules,
and patterns allowable within the family.
SUBSYSTEMS:
- Three subsystems = (1) the spouse subsystem, (2) the parental subsystem, and (3) the sibling
subsystem
BOUNDARIES:
- Boundaries are invisible, but they nevertheless delineate individuals and subsystems and define the
amount and kind of contact allowable between members of the family
- Each subsystem has its own identity, its own functions, and its own patterns of relationships
- The identity, functions, and patterns of relationships within a subsystem are influenced by
relationships between subsystems
CLEAR BOUNDARIES –
- the ideal relationship between subsystems is that defined by clear boundaries
- clear boundaries are firm and yet flexible
- they also imply access across subsystems to negotiate and accommodate various situational and
developmental challenges that confront the family
- clear boundaries in a family allow for an increase in the frequency of communication between
subsystems
RIGID BOUNDARIES –
- implies disengagement
- disengaged individuals and families are relatively autonomous and segregated ( when carried to the
extreme, this situation may be dysfunctional)
