Speech 197: Communication Patterns and Family Functions In PPT: Primary Function, Secondary Function, Image, Themes, Boundaries

1. Communication Patterns and Family Functions

3. Like all other systems, there are functions for family communication.

4. If these functions fail, the system fails. (Cushman and Craig, 1976)

6. In the corners are the extremes, and are considered as “dysfunctional.”Supporting Function

8. Supporting Function 1. Family Image. (how one sees the family) 2. Family Themes. (what family believes in) 3. Family Boundaries. (what separates family from nonfamily) 4. Biosocial Issues. (issues of rank in family) (Hess and Handel)

9. Primary Function COHESION Emotional bonding that family members experience with each other. (Olson 2000) Levels of COHESION DISENGAGED extreme separateness and little family belongingness SEPARATED emotional independence with some joint involvement and belonging CONNECTED strive for emotional closeness, loyalty and joint involvement and some individuality ENMESHED extreme closeness, loyalty and almost no individuality

10. Primary Function ADAPTABILITY -a primary function of families identified by Galvin and Brommel -it is defined as “the ability of a marital/family system to change its power structure, role relationships, and relationship rules in response to situational and developmental stress” (Olsen et al, 1983 in Galvin, 2006) -while families need stability and change in order to function, it is believed that families that experience extensive change may be considered chaotic. -the unpredictability and stress that resulted from constant change creates little opportunity for families to develop relationships and establish common meanings.

12. Negotiation styles

13. Role relationships

14. Relationship rules

15. Feedback (positive and negative)Combining the cohesion and adaptability functions would create an axis that would look like this: Rigid Families Chaotic Families Low High Chaotic Some scholars believed that while families with low adaptability functions tend to be rigid, too much ability may result to a chaotic family because of the constant change that the family is experiencing. Disengaged Enmeshed COHESION ADAPTABILITY Rigid

16. According to Galvin, most well-functioning families are found in the middle, and not near any of the extremes. Sometimes, however, families may tend to be in the extremes if undergoing a particularly stressful stage such as death of a member in order to cope with the circumstances. Different stages in a family life also predicts the position of the family in the axis. For example, an acting-out teenager may cause the shift of the nature of the family from a highly cohesive, low adaptability family to one with a lower cohesiveness and higher adaptability function. In the end, it is important to note that no single place in the axis is the better than the rest. To function effectively, every family is tasked to find the most suitable position in the axis depending on the situation they are into.

17. Primary Function DIALECTICAL INTERPLAY DIALECTIC Implies opposition, polarity and interconnection RELATIONAL DIALECTICS Refers to the both/and quality of relationships or the need for partners to simultaneously experience independence and connection or openness and privacy.

18. Supporting Function Family Images Family Themes Family Boundaries Biosocial Issues

20. Each member imagines how the family is like as well as how each member is.

21. This influences how each member interacts with others.Family Images

22. Verbal and non-verbal behaviors of the family members are, in part, determined by this imagistic view of this relationship with each other and with the external environment (Jones, 1982). A person's image of his or her family embodies what is expected from it, what is given to it, and how important it is (Hess and Handel).

23. If the persons involved hold different images of their relationships to each other, the differences will be reflected in communication patterns. If their images about each other is congruent and consistent over a period of time, a predictable pattern of communication may emerge where in both are comfortable with each other.

25. Supporting Function Family Themes A pattern of feelings, motives, fantasies and conventionalized understandings grouped around a particular locus of concern, which has a particular form in the personalities of individual members (Hess and Handel, 11).

27. “Who are we?” “What do we do about it?” “How do we invest our energies?”

28. We view them as STATEMENTS that ACTUALIZE VALUES and COLLECTIVE IDENTITY

31. You can sleep when you die.

32. The Simons never quit.

33. You can always do better.

34. We are survivors.

35. Seize the moment.

36. Respect La Via Vecchia

37. Do unto others as best as you can.

38. Money is basic to life.

39. Be happy with what you have.

41. Supporting Function Defines the system as an entity Permeable separation between its interior elements and its environment. Physical or psychological limits Family Boundaries

42. Why do set boundaries? Restrict members from certain physical and psychological forces Regulate access to people, places, ideas, and values

44. Rigid and inflexible

45. Almost invisible and diffuse

46. Personalities, types of experiences exposed to, freedom to create one’s own value system

48. Rigid: disengaged and out-of-touch feelings

49. Subsystem of generational hierarchy

50. Marital subsystem and the children

51. Inappropriately crossing boundaries and confused roles

53. Supporting Function Of or having to do with the interaction of biological and social forces. Of or pertaining to social phenomena that are affected by social factors. Biosocial Issues

55. Gender identity (gender roles) Authority and power Shaping and influencing children Children’s rights Biosocial Issues

57. Four ways of socialization into gender roles by the family:Manipulation Canalisation Verbal Appellations Different Activities

59. Decision-making

61. Flexible families versus Rigid families Communication behaviors of family members

63. Family life is shaped by secondary functions