Family Theories

Advanced Family Relations

October 31, 2000

Introduction

• Family Systems Theory is rather new!

• FST has three levels of analysis– Micro-environment (physical & social)– Macro-Environmental or Societal Systems

(economic, socio-cultural, technological, & political

– Macro-Environmental #2 or Natural/Structured (physical, human made, or biological)

Series of Interrelations between the personal system, family system, and the societal

system• All systems have two way interactions• Political to family system• Economic to family system• Technological to family system• Socio-cultural to family system• All have goals or expectations to be fulfilled• All have resources or support to be given

Each Individual Has Their Own Personal System

Input into the Personal Systems includes both Demands and Resources

Demands are both External and Internal Resources are both External and Internal

External Family support, social support, Income & net worth are indirect Family values, goals, claims, social norms, life events

Internal Personal capabilities,

qualities, life experiences, relationships

Personal Goal Orientations

Throughput in Personal Systems

Developmental System

Developing all of the personal capacities

Cognitive

Emotional

Social

Physical

Spiritual

Values System

Evolving Values

Intrinsic

(Internally directed)

vs.

Extrinsic

(Externally directed)

Outputs from Personal System

Demand Responses

•Values/GoalOrientations

•Personality Dispositions

Resource Changes

•Personal capacities/ qualities

•(Income and Net Worth)

Negative Feedback Loop

Comparator

Unit

Thermostat

Fuel

PumpFurnace

Building Indoor Temperature

FEEDBACK

Another View of Throughput (Transformation) in the Family System

•Planning

•Implementing

•Controlling

•Communicating

•Sequencing

•Facilitating

•Using of Resources

Personal Systems Are Dynamic

• They are always relating to the environment

• They are generally influenced by feedback

• A crazy person is an individual who keeps doing the same thing every time and expects different results!

Self-Actualization

Esteem

Social Acceptance & Love

Safety

Basic or Physiological Needs

4 Types of Needs

• Physical -- to sustain life

• Social needs -- to enrich life

• Wealth needs -- goods & property

• Information needs -- to gain knowledge and explore the world

Content of the Family System is Similar to the Personal System

• The fundamental difference is the interaction between the different personal and managerial systems of those that compose a unique family.

• It is through the interpersonal communication that the difference in the individual systems are determined, affirmed or not allowed based on differences in power, authority, and responsibility.

All Family Systems Have:

• Boundaries• Rules• Communication Patterns• Expectations of behavior • Produce Self-Esteem Issues• Have Feedback Systems• Carry a History• See a Future

The Intra-system Dynamics of each Family Is Related to

Changes in:

•Functionality•Cohesion•Adaptability

V. Satir--Many Family Systems Inform People By Scripting Them:

4 Basic Types

• Placater: so others do not become mad or upset

• Blamer: so that other people will regard you as strong

• Computer: so you deal with threats as though they are harmless or unemotional

• Distracter: you ignore the threat by behaving as if it were not there.

People Become These Scripted Roles

• The Placater– Words -- agree

(Whatever?)– Body language--

placates (I am helpless.)

– Insides--”I feel like nothing, without him/her I am nothing. I am worthless!

•The Blamer

•Words -- disagree. (You never do anything right!)

•Body language-- constantly blaming (I am the boss around here.)

•Insides--(I am lonely and unsuccessful.

People Become These Scripted Roles

The Computer Words: Ultra-reasonable.

Body language: placates (I am helpless.)

Insides: ”I feel like nothing, without him/her I am nothing. I am worthless!”

•The Distracter: Words: Irrelevant (they make no sense)

•Body language: angular and off somewhere else

•Insides (“Nobody cares. There is no place for me.”)

6 Steps in the Systems Management Process

• Identify the problem, need, want or goal

• Clarify Values

• Identify Resources

• Decide, plan, and Implement

• Accomplish Goals & Evaluate

• Feedback to the system (what worked--what did not work)

Characteristics of Open, Ongoing Systems

1. Conceptualized as a set of patterned, interactive processes

2. The processes have qualities that are emergent rather than summative

3. The processes have regularities that permit rules to be inferred

Characteristics of Open, Ongoing Systems

4. Rules are hierarchically structured

5. Rules include well-developed sets of guidelines for maintaining & regulating relationships among their component elements

6. Rules also include well-developed sets of guidelines for maintaining & regulating relationships between the system & its environment

Profile of a Dysfunctional Family System

1. A system in delusion & denial

2. Idealization of parents-fantasy bond

3. Control madness

4. Intergenerational Alliances

5. Approval must be earned

6. Rigid roles

7. Closed system

Profile of a Dysfunctional Family System

8. Rigid family boundary

9. Secrets - no talk rule

10. Compulsive/addictive

11. Perfectionist

12. Frozen feelings

13. Shaming/blaming

14. Punishing/permissive

Profile of a Dysfunctional Family System

15. Unhealthy competition

16. Roles assigned by system (each individual exists for family needs - no choice)

17. Rigid or enmeshed ego boundaries, cultural/boundaries, intra-family boundaries

18. Disabled will-loss of freedom

Characteristics of Successful Families

• Accord – Relationships promote conflict resolution– Most important early in the family life

cycle when couples first get together and the child bearing years

• Celebrations– Acknowledging special events– Important across the life span

Characteristics of Successful Families

• Communication– Exchange information, share beliefs &

feelings, demonstrate love & affections to create and maintain intimate relationships

– Always important• Financial Management

– Develop decision-making skills in use of money

– Most important through children’s teen years

Characteristics of Successful Families

• Hardiness– Emphasizes family members’ sense of control

over their lives, commitment, & confidence of survival

– Important across life span• Health

– The physical & psychological well-being of family members reduces stress & increases family health

– Especially important at beginning & end of family life cycle

Family Systems Theory

• Wholeness

• Family Rules

• Boundaries

• Hierarchy

• Homeostasis

• Feedback Loops

• Circular Causality

• Equifinality

• Triangles

• Individuality

Family Systems TheoryDefinitions I

• Wholeness - the entity is greater than the sum of independent parts

• Family Rules - may be either overt, covert, or meta in nature

• Boundaries - rigid, clear, or diffuse; interpersonal relates to family boundaries

Family Systems TheoryDefinitions II

• Hierarchy - power and control determined by generations-cross generation coalitions are not healthy

• Homeostasis - stability in midst of change

• Feedback loops - positive & negative• Morphogenesis - change within system

Negative Feedback Loop

Comparator

Unit

Thermostat

Fuel

PumpFurnace

Building Indoor Temperature

FEEDBACK

Family Systems TheoryTerms & Definitions

Requisite Variety – In a crisis, fallback on a standard default response is common; As a system, we must have a wide variety of responses or requisite variety. When a response is not presented, morphogenesis kicks in.

Morphogenesis - when the system tries a new response to see if it works; if it does work, a new “form” is created

Boundaries - the “fence” around each subsystem which mediates the interaction between subsystems (permeability, closed, open)

Family Systems TheoryTerms & Definitions

Self-Regulation - process of maintaining balance used to re-establish equilibrium

A.G.I.L. - this integrated model is used to keep everyone happy--(too simplistic)

Cybernetic system - process of feedback, control, & self-regulation

Negentrophy - living systems become more & more different

Family Systems TheoryTerms & Definitions

Distance regulation - buffering links between bonding

Channeling - creates/maintains distance between one another

Paradoxical - conflict between the real message & the metamessage

Family Systems TheoryTerms & Definitions

Transactional patterns - repeated sequences of interaction

Spillover - when two environments overlap

Holism - for every action there is a reaction, the whole is greater than the sum of it’s parts

Models & Characteristicsof Adult Development_________________________________

Mechanistic Metamodel

Environment Individual passively

reacts to events

Organismic Metamodel

Individual is active with goals Environment

and strategies to attain ends

Contextual Metamodel

Individual continuously acts Environment

on and responds to the

environmental, as well as, social,

historical, biological, and cultural contexts

Overview of the Three Life-Span Models of Adult Development

person/ environment transactions

qualitative changes in internal structures

quantitative changes in observable behavior

What should be the focus of developmental psychology?

active environment: active person

passive environment: active person

active environment: passive person

What is the relationship between person and environment?

historical eventcell, embryomachineWhat is the underlying metaphor?

ContextualOrganismicMechanisticIssues and Questions Surrounding Models

Degree of Emphasis on Different Characteristics of Human Development

MediumLowMediumReversibility of Change

HighLowMediumMultidirectionality of Change

MediumHighLowContinuity of Change

MediumHighLowStages of Change

MediumHighLowQualitative Change

ContextualOrganismicMechanisticDegree of Emphasis on Different Characteristics of Human Development