1. Generations and Generational Processes
Marriage and Family Relations
HPER F258
Part 1

2. Generations--private history
"It might be correct to say that there are three times, a present of past things, a present of present things and a present of future things. . . The present of past things is the memory; the present of present things is direct perception; and the present of future things is expectation." -- St. Augustine

3. The Power of Generations
Some aspects of generations are permanent.
Although some parts of generational connections are changeable, we generally don’t change them.
Generational influences begin at the beginning of life.

4. Generational Processes Are:
Biological
Emotional
Intellectual
Developmental
Interpersonal
Experiential

5. Generational Processes Principle
When generational processes are healthy, families are more likely to meet their goals.

6. Generational Alliances
Connections and boundaries between subsystems
Coalitions -- alliances in the face of threat, real or imagined
Coalitions are formed in the face of threat. Alliances, generally, form because of shared interests.

7. Generational Alliance Principle (from text)
It is helpful in family systems to have clear-cut generational boundaries about such things as leadership, responsibility, support, and emotional feelings.
Clear boundaries helps the adults and children develop in healthy ways
Cross-generational alliances and coalitions tend to lead to emotional and interpersonal difficulties for the adults and children.

8. Generational Transmission
Style of life tends to be transmitted to each new generation
This transmission begins at birth and may be consciously or unconsciously transmitted to children
Tends to be powerfully influential because it starts so early in life.

9. Generational Transmission Principle
Families with more functional, healthy generational processes tend to transmit those family styles to their children and those children are more likely to develop functional, healthy family life.
The same is true for less functional and healthy generational processes.

10. Transitional Character (Broderick)
A transitional character changes the direction of his or her family in a single generation –
Removing or reducing undesirable generational effects
These changes are not necessarily major (e.g., having more structure in your adult family than you had as a child because you feel you were left on your own too much)

11. Deciding where to be a transitional character
Start by looking for strengths in your family.
Then, talk about:
What you want to maintain
What you want to change
What you want to remove completely
What you would like to add

12. Emotional cutoffs don't work (Bowen)
Avoiding your family to avoid “ugly” situations
Distancing yourself from your family emotionally
This can lead to an emotional vacuum, where you feel emotionally cut off from others, in general.
You may end up unable to trust yourself to open up to others, or desperate for any relationship to substitute

13. Methods for Positive Change
Be deliberate
Maintain distinctive family rituals
Emotional distance (but not emotional cutoff)
Marry/start your family later than average
Read good books about family life
Join helpful organizations
Get an education
Develop a philosophy of life

14. Creating Healthy Generational Alliances
Family meetings
Parents maintain a social life outside the family
Address unfinished business (Boszormenyi-Nagy)
Invisible loyalties – ethical obligations and loyalties to preceding generations

15. Intergeneration Relationships – Facilitated Article Discussion
In small group, you will be discussing reading #33, “Roles of American Indian Grandparents in Times of Cultural Crisis” Discuss your thoughts on the role of these grandparents, particularly in relation to the sharing of beliefs.
Also, discuss your thoughts about the generational alliance principle in relation to these grandparents and their grandchildren.

16. END OF PART 1