Family Therapy History, Theory, And Practice 6th Edition Gladding – Test Bank Chapter 3
Types and Functionality of Families
Chapter Overview
The Family System and Health
•Time changes perspectives on the family; what was considered healthy at one time may no longer be seen the same way later
•Traditional families were very patriarchal with men being the breadwinners and rule makers and women staying at home to be the bread makers and caregivers
•In modern times, roles have changed and so have family forms with nontraditional families outnumbering traditional nuclear families
•The most prevalent family forms are the nuclear family, the single-parent family, and the blended family
•Among some of the variations on the nuclear, single-parent, and blended families are the dual-career family, child-free family, special-needs-child/children family, gay/lesbian family, aging family, multigenerational family, grandparent-
headed family, and military family •Family health fluctuates over the lifespan as families respond to changes or destabilizing events
•Healthy families make adjustments to accommodate to new situations and challenges
•Based on systems theory, change in any part of a family affect all the other parts of the family
•Depending on the situation, families may respond to change by using negative feedback loops (loops that promote a return to the status quo) or positive feedback loops (loops that promote change)
•Healthy families strive for a balance between change and stability; too much stability inhibits growth and produces stagnation, too much change results in chaos
Qualities of Healthy Families
•Healthy families encourage positive relationships among family members and insure a good give-and-take balance between individual and family needs
•Healthy families do not always produce healthy individuals and healthy individuals may not always come from healthy families
•Successful families are balanced in many ways and do not operate from extreme positions of cognition or emotion
•Healthy families have a strong and healthy marital unit characterized by promotion of individual growth and mutual support and sacrifice
•Characteristics of Healthy Families
•commitment to the family and its members (e.g., devotion to individual and family growth, family loyalty)
•appreciation for each other (e.g., verbal and physical expression, mutual love, respect, and compliments)
•willingness to spend time together (e.g., qualitative and quantitative time, positive time, sharing, builds cohesion)
•effective communication patterns (e.g., clear and congruent messages sent and received, wide range of communication, conflict resolution through discussion, positive tone)
•high degree of religious/spiritual orientation (e.g., helpful in coping, resiliency, finding meaning, and providing a moral foundation, increases marital satisfaction)
•ability to deal with crises in a positive manner (e.g., dealing with events and nonevents with appropriate coping strategies, negotiation, humor, respect, and support)
•encouragement of individuals (e.g., strengthens weak members, most crucial in life cycle transitions)
•clear roles (e.g., clear, appropriate, suitable allocated, mutually agreed upon,
integrated, enacted, interchangeable and flexible)
•growth-producing structure and development patterns (e.g., absence of intergenerational coalitions and conflictual triangles, clear boundaries, balance of stability and change)
Family Life Stressors
•Stress is a normal part of family life
•Vertical stressors are historical and come from previous family history and experience, for example, family attitudes, expectations, secrets, and legacies
•Horizontal stressors are related to current events, are developmental and continually unfolding, and may be predictable or unpredictable
•Expected life stressors may be developmental (life cycle related), situational (interpersonal), or historical (related to family life history)
•Common stressors that are developmental and situational include:
•economics and finances
•children’s behaviors
Types and Functionality of Families
Chapter Overview
The Family System and Health
•Time changes perspectives on the family; what was considered healthy at one time may no longer be seen the same way later
•Traditional families were very patriarchal with men being the breadwinners and rule makers and women staying at home to be the bread makers and caregivers
•In modern times, roles have changed and so have family forms with nontraditional families outnumbering traditional nuclear families
•The most prevalent family forms are the nuclear family, the single-parent family, and the blended family
•Among some of the variations on the nuclear, single-parent, and blended families are the dual-career family, child-free family, special-needs-child/children family, gay/lesbian family, aging family, multigenerational family, grandparent-
headed family, and military family •Family health fluctuates over the lifespan as families respond to changes or destabilizing events
•Healthy families make adjustments to accommodate to new situations and challenges
•Based on systems theory, change in any part of a family affect all the other parts of the family
•Depending on the situation, families may respond to change by using negative feedback loops (loops that promote a return to the status quo) or positive feedback loops (loops that promote change)
•Healthy families strive for a balance between change and stability; too much stability inhibits growth and produces stagnation, too much change results in chaos
Qualities of Healthy Families
•Healthy families encourage positive relationships among family members and insure a good give-and-take balance between individual and family needs
•Healthy families do not always produce healthy individuals and healthy individuals may not always come from healthy families
•Successful families are balanced in many ways and do not operate from extreme positions of cognition or emotion
•Healthy families have a strong and healthy marital unit characterized by promotion of individual growth and mutual support and sacrifice
•Characteristics of Healthy Families
•commitment to the family and its members (e.g., devotion to individual and family growth, family loyalty)
•appreciation for each other (e.g., verbal and physical expression, mutual love, respect, and compliments)
•willingness to spend time together (e.g., qualitative and quantitative time, positive time, sharing, builds cohesion)
•effective communication patterns (e.g., clear and congruent messages sent and received, wide range of communication, conflict resolution through discussion, positive tone)
•high degree of religious/spiritual orientation (e.g., helpful in coping, resiliency, finding meaning, and providing a moral foundation, increases marital satisfaction)
•ability to deal with crises in a positive manner (e.g., dealing with events and nonevents with appropriate coping strategies, negotiation, humor, respect, and support)
•encouragement of individuals (e.g., strengthens weak members, most crucial in life cycle transitions)
•clear roles (e.g., clear, appropriate, suitable allocated, mutually agreed upon,
integrated, enacted, interchangeable and flexible)
•growth-producing structure and development patterns (e.g., absence of intergenerational coalitions and conflictual triangles, clear boundaries, balance of stability and change)
Family Life Stressors
•Stress is a normal part of family life
•Vertical stressors are historical and come from previous family history and experience, for example, family attitudes, expectations, secrets, and legacies
•Horizontal stressors are related to current events, are developmental and continually unfolding, and may be predictable or unpredictable
•Expected life stressors may be developmental (life cycle related), situational (interpersonal), or historical (related to family life history)
•Common stressors that are developmental and situational include:
•economics and finances
•children’s behaviors
