TOPIC 9 FAMILY RESILIENCE INSTRUCTOR: SITI NOR BINTI YAACOB, PhD. KEL Development of A Resilient Individual DPM-PJJ, F2F 2 17/10/2015

DEFINITION Family possess unique and innate qualities, strengths, and skills that enable them to adapt to life’s challenges despite the increasing diversity and complexity of family structures (i.e. divorce, re-marriage, single-parent household, common-law relationship) (Benzies & Mychasiuk, 2008). Family resilience is “the ability of a family to respond positively to an adverse event and emerge strengthened, more resourceful and more confident” (Simon et al., 2005). Family resilience can also be described as characteristics, dimensions, and properties which help families to be resistant to disruption in the face of change and adaptive in the face of crisis” (McCubbin & McCubbin, 1988).

3 MAIN PROCESSES TO STRENGTHEN FAMILY RESILIENCE (WALSH, 2003) Family Belief Systems Socially constructed beliefs and shared meanings are learned through cultural rituals, interaction with families, and various ecological system interacting within our environment to influence us (friends, peer groups, neighborhood, schools, media and community constructs). Family organizational patterns Resilience is strengthened by mutual support, collaboration, and commitment to weather troubled times together (Walsh, 2003, p.11) Transition s in different stages of family cycle such as birth of new child, unemployment, divorce, aging, and death pose significant stressors which may positively or negatively impact a family’s coping abilities (Walsh, 2003). Each family’s challenges are unique and should be approached by emphasizing family strengths in developing resilience. When continuous mutual support, encouragement, and assurance exists within a family, each family member is able to make meaning of the perceived threats and adapt to them effectively (Walsh, 2006). Communication/Problem-solving process Communication process foster resilience by bringing clarity to crisis situations, encouraging open emotional expression, and fostering collaborative problem-solving (Walsh, 2003, p.12).

IMPLICATION ON INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPMENT When families and children feel a sense of belonging within their environment, they will feel accepted, comfortable, and confident knowing that they are safe and secure. A safe and caring community nurtures and mobilizes resources, and collectively enhances dreams, aspirations, and the zest for finding one’s new own unique path within the challenges of today’s society. New skills and experiences bring out the innate qualities of children and families with or without crisis and enable them effectively adapt to life’s challenges.

Definition Family resilience is a flexible construct that encompasses different family strengths in different contexts and at different points in the family life cycle.

RESILIENCE IN THE FAMILY AS A UNIT 3 processes that help families to cope with stress (Walsh): Family cohesion Family belief system (religion) Coping strategies Family cohesion family cohesion as an interactional process important for daily family functioning as well as for ensuring the well-being of individual family members (Walsh, 1998). Olson (1993) defined family cohesion as “the emotional bonding that family members have towards one another. Extremely low or extremely high levels of cohesion exhibit low level of healthy behavior.

RESILIENCE IN THE FAMILY AS A UNIT Family belief systems (especially religion) Religious activities may cultivate a sense of values centered on loving and caring and may promote a more altruistic approach to family relationships Religion may promote marital happiness, adjustment, and commitment. Coping strategies Behavior performed in response to stressors. 2 key coping strategy: communication and problem solving Effective communication is critical at time of sudden crisis or prolonged stress. Ability to manage conflict differentiates families

Family as protective environment The family as a protective environment Parenting styles Family as an important context in which much of children socialization takes place. The family is the primary proximal setting through which community influences on children development are transmitted. Baldwin and his colleagues (1990) noted: because the family is the seat of so many of the direct proximal variables in a child’s life, the family may be able to provide a protective environment for the child, despite a high-risk distal environment.

Family resilience in disadvantaged ecological circumstances Poverty, single parenthood and early childbearing are known demographic risk factors for family functioning and children’s development. In the case of single parenthood, the protective function of involvement of non-resident biological father and the role of “father figures” (ie. Man who act like a father to a child but who are not themselves the child’s biological father) are highlighted. In the case of early child bearing, the focus is on the role of multigenerational co-resident as a potential protecting factors.