17.7: The Child and the Family
- Page ID
- 228458
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Family Atmosphere
One of the ways to assess the quality of family life is to consider the tasks of families. Berger (2005) lists five family functions:
- Providing food, clothing and shelter
- Encouraging learning
- Developing self-esteem
- Nurturing friendships with peers
- Providing harmony and stability
Family systems theory
The Family Systems Theory assumes that a family is understood best by examining the family as one whole system. This one system is a complex, deeply-connected changing collection of parts, subsystems and family members, where each member has a known purpose or function.[5]
Other key concepts within the Family Systems Theory include:
- boundaries (e.g., who is a member of the system),
- equilibrium (e.g., during stressors or crises, the system attempts to return to its original state wherein members are functional and comfortable), and
- bidirectional (e.g., a change with one member will impact at least one other member, and hence impact the whole system).
Based on this theory, individuals experiencing a crisis or problem are best-served by assessments that include other members of the system as opposed to examining only one family member.[6]
This theory also assumes that families can examine their own processes and set deliberate goals. Change can occur when a family system acknowledges that a particular family pattern is dysfunctional and identifies new processes that support the family’s goals. Resettlement is one example of a large change that a family system may choose or be forced to make.
In order to assess patterns of adjustment in families that have resettled into a new country, we must examine the structure of the family unit and the processes that occur within that family system.
The Systemic Family Development Theory asserts that families are (a) complex, (b) extremely diverse related to the types, numbers, and timing of transitions and stressors, and (c) multigenerational systems. It also assumes that families share common processes through their development, but the processes must take into account intergenerational influences and variations within and between all families. No two families are alike.[9]
Many studies have shown that patterns of family interactions are similar within families across generations.[10][11] Intergenerational transmissions of conflict, trauma, communication styles, parenting practices, etc., continue to be examined.
The following genogram (a pictorial display of family relationships and medical history) shows relationship patterns across generations within a family.
References:
[5] Hammond, R., Cheney, P., & Pearsey, R. (2015). Sociology of the Family Textbook. Rocky Ridge Press. http://freesociologybooks.com/.
[6] Bowen, M. (1978). Family therapy in clinical practice. Jason Aronson.
[7] Choi, Y., He, M., & Harachi, T. W. (2008). Intergenerational cultural dissonance, family conflict, parent-child bonding, and youth antisocial behaviors among Vietnamese and Cambodian immigrant families. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 37(1), 85-96.
[8] This text is taken from Family Theories: A New Direction for Research with Resettled Populations by Jaime Ballard, Elizabeth Wieling, Lekie Dwanyen, and Catherine Solheim, used under a CC BY NC 4.0 license.
[9] Laszloffy, T. A. (2002). Rethinking family development theory: Teaching with the Systemic Family Development (SFD) Model. Family Relations, 51(3), 206-214.
[10] Kovan, N. M., Chung, A. L., & Sroufe, L. (2009). The intergenerational continuity of observed early parenting: A prospective, longitudinal study. Developmental Psychology, 45(5), 1205–1213.
[11] Conger, R. D., Belsky, J., & Capaldi, D. M. (2009). The intergenerational transmission of parenting: Closing comments for the special section. Developmental Psychology, 45(5), 1276-1283.
Attributions:
Child Growth and Development by Jennifer Paris, Antoinette Ricardo, and Dawn Rymond, 2019, is licensed under CC BY 4.0 (adapted by Bhadha, 2023)
Parenting and Family Diversity Issues by Diana Lang, 2020, published by Iowa State University is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
[1] Sociology: Brief Edition is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0
[2] Image by San José Public Library is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
[3] Lifespan Development: A Psychological Perspective by Martha Lally and Suzanne Valentine-French is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0
[4] Image by Intel Free Press is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0