1. Understanding Marriage and Family Dynamics
Chapter 3

2. Key Concepts Conceptual framework: Theory: Hypotheses:
set of interconnected concepts, ideas, and assumptions
Theory:
general principles that are interrelated concepts
Hypotheses:
presumed relationships among variables

3. Approaches to Understanding Families
Idiographic approach:
Focus on unique aspects of individuals and families
Nomothetic approach:
Focus on ideas that apply to the majority of individuals and families

4. Profession of Family Science
New multidisciplinary profession
Emerged from interest in marriages and families
Key Professional Organizations
National Council on Family Relations
American Association for Marital and Family Therapy

5. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORKS

6. Conceptual Frameworks
Provide “lens” through which aspects of family life is studied
Informs
Research
Clinical work
Education
Policy initiatives

7. Conceptual Frameworks
Family Systems
Family Development
Family Strengths
Symbolic Interaction
Social Construction
Feminist Framework

8. Family Systems Theory

9. Family Systems Theory Influential theory in family science
Views families as ongoing system of interconnected members

10. Concepts from Family Systems Framework
Multiple system levels
Wholeness
Interdependence of parts
Boundaries
Within the family
Between the family and external world

11. Flexibility in Family Systems
Ability of a system (family) to balance both stability and change
Open systems (morphogenic) are open to growth and change
Closed systems (morphostatic) maintain the status quo

12. Cohesion in Family Systems
Feeling of emotional closeness to others
Centrifugal interactions
Push family members apart—increasing separatedness
Centripetal interactions
Pull family members together—increasing togetherness

13. Communication in Family Systems
Facilitate movement across cohesion and flexibility dimensions
Six Dimensions
Listening skills
Speaking skills
Self disclosure
Clarity
Staying on topic
Respect and regard

14. Ecological Approach
Individuals and families exist within multiple systems that may influence development and interactions
Systems include
Family system
Neighborhood systems
Community systems
Broader societal systems

15. Ecological Model: Systems Within Systems

16. Family Strengths Framework

17. Family Strengths Framework
Strong families serve as models for others and research and exhibit:
Commitment
Appreciation and affection
Positive communication
Enjoyable time together
Spiritual well being
Ability to cope with stress and crises
Stinnent, DeFrain & colleague’s

18. Family Development Framework

19. Family Development Framework
Views families as they move through various stages of the family life cycle
Looks at how families deal with the various developmental tasks associated with each stage
Assumes the more efficient a family is at completing tasks the better off it is

20. Family Developmental Stages
Married couple
Childbearing
Preschool
School age children
Families with adolescents
Launching children
Parents in middle age
Aging parents

21. Symbolic Interaction Framework

22. Symbolic Interaction Framework
Focuses on symbols which emerge from shared meanings and interactions
Focuses on how individuals learn cultural values and roles in the family
Focuses on roles and our perceptions and shared meanings
Focuses on how we define situations and interactions

23. Symbolic Interaction Framework
Role: expected behavior of a person or group in a social category
e.g. “What is a father supposed to do?”
Role Taking: how we learn to play roles correctly by practicing and feedback
egg “How do men learn to be fathers?”
Role Making: creating new roles or revising existing roles

24. Social Construction Framework

25. Social Construction Framework
Humans immersed in the social world
Humans are products of social world
Understandings of the world and families are social products
Postmodernism
Multiple perspectives versus “one” truth
Social world can change—families can change

26. Feminist Framework

27. Feminist Framework
Assumes women are exploited, de-valued, and oppressed
Gender central focus
Challenge traditional roles
Men=instrumental role
Women=expressive role
Commitment to empowering women

28. Major Dimensions of Couples and Family Systems

29. Cohesion in Family Systems
Feeling of emotional closeness to others
Four Levels of Cohesion
Disengaged
Connected
Cohesive
Enmeshed

30. Four Levels of Family Cohesion

31. Flexibility in Family Systems
Ability of a system (family) to balance both stability and change
Four Levels of Family Flexibility
Rigid
Structured
Flexible
Chaotic

32. Four Levels of Family Flexibility

33. Communication in Family Systems
Facilitate movement across cohesion and flexibility dimensions
Six Dimensions
Listening skills
Speaking skills
Self disclosure
Clarity
Staying on topic
Respect and regard

34. Couple and Family Map Four levels of cohesion
Four levels of flexibility
16 types of couple and family relationships
4x4
Three general types of family systems emerge
Balanced
Mid-range
Extreme

35. Advantages of Couple and Family Map
Provides descriptive language
Draws from family systems theory, family strengths, and family development frameworks
Explains change within couples and families with time or with stresses and challenges
Can observe and measure dynamics

36. Dimensions across time
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37. Clinical Utility of Couple and Family Map
Utilized in clinical studies and research to develop and test hypotheses
Research findings:
Balanced family and couple systems function more adequately
Problem couples/families at extremes

38. Research Findings