The System of the Family

Have you ever looked at your sibling and asked, “Why do you do the things you do?” Perhaps you have the same question about your entire family. In order to explain things, we create theories. “A theory is a set of logically related propositions that explain some phenomenon” (Lauer & Lauer pg. 20). A family consists of individuals who are related by blood and create complex relationships. In order for a family to have an organization, they create family rules. Family rules can either be verbal or nonverbal. They help determine what behavior is not acceptable or unacceptable. For instance, I have a family that consists of 11 siblings. I am number 12. Some of my family’s rules are: not interrupting when adults are speaking, not breaking curfew, and no yelling in the house. The way that we learned most of our family rules was by the feedback we received when we did certain things. This also created rifts in my family because at times it seemed that my mom “okayed” certain behavior from each of my siblings. Our family systems interact with other systems outside our homes. Such as schools, church groups, hospitals, and work. We learn different behavior in different environments. 

The way we interact within our family is important. Through family studies, researchers have different theories of the family. Some scientists believe that the exchange theory is the best way to understand intimate relationships. We essentially partake of the benefits of a relationship and discount the costs to determine how much is our gain. Such as money, time, and effort. The gain we receive can result in emotional/intellectual gratification. Symbolic interaction theory primarily provides a perspective on how experiences influence individuals.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Marriage and sexual intercourse

  Growing up with a lot of sisters taught me a variety of important information. It also taught me to be ready so when our mother gave us the “Birds and the Bees” talk, I wouldn’t be surprised or shy. At the age of 13, the day finally came. My mother began to explain about my body. She described my period cycle and what happens to my body before and after. She explained sexual intimacy and pregnancy. I remember feeling super uncomfortable. Years later, I am grateful for my mother. Throughout my high school years, I knew some of my peers who were sexually active. The thought of sexual activity at a young age was surreal at the time. My perspective changed when my sister became a teen mom at 16 years old.  We know that we are made in the image of God. We are made to procreate and build families. Our bodies are carefully crafted for such a task! We have 4 stages of response: excitement, plateau, orgasm, and resolution. Individually they prepare an individual for sex. Sex can mean a lot of
Read more

Fatherhood

  At the age of 8, my parents separated. My father visited me on the weekends, but there were fewer visits. Suddenly he would stop visiting. My mother and my older sister did a great job of filling in two different roles in my life. For that, I will be eternally grateful. I learned from my mother that parenthood is a huge sacrifice and it's a full-time job. She taught me many valuable concepts. Sometimes I wonder if I would have learned the same things if my father had been in my life.  The article titled, “What is Your Purpose as a Father?” found that having a sense of purpose helps makes fathers happier, healthier, and stronger when facing challenges. Today, fathers are spending more quality time with their children. Perhaps it is because the United States is becoming increasingly diverse. Immigrant families have brought new ideas and concepts of fatherhood to America.  Because the States are highly diverse, many fathers have mentioned the sense of crisis they have felt due to CO
Read more