Showing papers in "Family Process in 1985"

A Factor Analysis of Self‐Report Measures of Family Functioning

Abstract: Four well-known, self-report measures of family functioning were serially examined in order to identify a limited set of reliable concepts for describing families. Following the completion of four separate data collection procedures, a 75-item scale comprising 15 dimensions of family functioning was constructed. The dimensions appear reasonably independent of each other and have satisfactory psychometric properties. An initial effort to validate the scales was undertaken by contrasting scale scores obtained from descriptions of intact families with those obtained from descriptions of families that subsequently were disrupted by separation and divorce. Significant differences in scale scores were obtained on 12 of the 15 dimensions of family functioning. The 15 dimensions of family functioning could be subsumed under the three general headings suggested by Moos, Insel, and Humphrey (14)--relationship dimensions, personal growth or value dimensions, and system maintenance dimensions.

Feminism and Family Therapy

Abstract: Feminism has had a profound effect on contemporary culture and on thinking in most academic fields, including psychoanalysis. Interestingly, until very recently it had made virtually no impact on the theory and practice of family therapy. This paper proposes an explanation for this peculiar phenomenon and argues that family therapy has been considerably handicapped by its insularity from the feminist critique. Utilizing feminist scholarship in psychoanalysis, history, and sociology, the paper analyzes the structural contradictions in family life that family therapists have essentially ignored and then outlines their clinical implications. Key points in the discussion include the argument that systems theory is an inadequate explanatory matrix from which to build a theory of the family, that the archetypal "family case" of the overinvolved mother and peripheral father is best understood, not as a clinical problem, but as the product of a historical process two hundred years in the making, and that power relations between men and women in families function in terms of paradoxical, incongruous hierarchies that reflect the complex interpenetration between the structure of family relations and the world of work. This conceptual model then provides the basis for an analysis and critique of sexual politics as they emerge in the prototypical clinical situation.

Feed‐Forward: Future Questions, Future Maps

Abstract: "Feed-forward" is a technique that encourages families to imagine the pattern of their relationships at some future point in time. Questions about the future, in conjunction with positive connotation, put families in a metaposition to their own dilemmas and thus facilitate change by opening up new solutions for old problems.

A developmental model for family systems.

Abstract: This paper reviews the historical context of concepts of development and some of the problems of applying them to family systems. A model of family systems development is presented that emphasizes changes in family shape through the individual life cycle. Some clinical uses of the model are described.

Thinking About Thinking in Family Therapy

Abstract: Epistemological comparison reveals congruence between the reality-defusing though rules of new science, Batesonian evolution, and ecosystemic thinking with families and family therapy. These rules provide a base for a technology of therapy in which the therapist functions as a benign detective, seeking out with the family and others the event-shape in time-space (the Storey) that contains the reported distress. Intervention consists of action that adds to the Storey in a manner designed to alleviate the distress. A Storey is presented that illustrates the difference between medical, paradoxical, and ecosystemic interventions.

Alternative Strategies for Creating “Relational” Family Data

Abstract: A major problem facing family clinicians and researchers is creating data that will reflect the family as a unit. To address this problem, we present a framework for family assessment based on three measurement strategies: individual family member assessment, relational family assessment, and transactional family assessment. Within this context, we present several categories of methods for combining individual family member data into "relational" scores that reflect the couple or family as a unit. The problems and benefits of each method are presented, and it is suggested that the choice of method is dependent upon the content of the assessment, the theory underlying the content, and the statistical properties of the individual family member scores.

The Beavers‐Timberlawn Model of Family Competence and the Circumplex Model of Family Adaptability and Cohesion: Separate, but Equal?

Abstract: An empirical examination of the association between instruments measuring the Beavers-Timberlawn Model of family competence and the Circumplex Model of adaptability and cohesion is presented. Even when triangulated measures were utilized to control for the divergent methods of data collection traditionally employed to operationalize these models of family health, family competence as measured by the Beavers-Timberlawn Family Evaluation Scales was either minimally (mothers) or not associated at all (fathers and children) with balanced and thereby optimal dimensions of adaptability and cohesion as measured by the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales. Methodological and substantive explanations for the surprising lack of association between measures of these two prominent family assessment models are explored and short- and long-range implications for the growth and practice of family therapy are discussed.

The social construction of unreality: A case study of a family's attribution of competence to a severely retarded child.

Abstract: Some families develop unusual or extreme versions of reality and sustain them in the face of a torrent of ostensibly discrediting and disconfirming information Although the psychological dynamics and functions of such shared constructions have been amply considered, little is known about the routine transactions through which these unusual versions of reality are created and maintained This paper examines the "reality work" of a family that attributed high levels of performance and competence to the severely retarded youngest child Observation of videotaped interaction between family members and the child revealed practices that presupposed, "documented," and sustained the family's version of the child's competence The practices are similar to those characteristic of interaction between adults and preverbal children The implications of this similarity for the analysis of cases of folie a famille are discussed

A Systems Theory Conceptualization of Incest

Abstract: In this paper, father-daughter incest is examined from the perspective of general systems theory. Three characteristics of an open system--information exchange with the environment, negentropy, and dynamic homeostasis--are described and examined with respect to the functioning of incestuous families. Two case studies of families with father-daughter incest illustrate the tendency of these families to be more characteristic of the "closed" end of the continuum. The role of the environment in the origin and maintenance of the incestuous symptom is also examined. Implications for treatment are presented within the context of this theoretical perspective.

Proximity and Hierarchy: Orthogonal Dimensions of Family Interconnectedness†

Abstract: The purpose of this research was to develop logical and empirically valid conceptual tools for investigating relationships between family patterns of interconnectedness and psychosocial functioning of children in the family. The family systems concept of boundary was analyzed into two component concepts: Proximity (interpersonal boundaries) and generational Hierarchy (subsystem boundaries). These concepts were operationalized as dimensions, and eight families were assessed by means of interaction coding, interview, and Kinetic Family Drawing to yield empirical verification of these dimensions. Findings indicated that Proximity and Hierarchy are reliable, valid, and independent dimensions of family interconnectedness. Weak generational Hierarchy was associated with increased levels of psychological dysfunction for both identified patients and their siblings. High Proximity was similarly associated with psychological dysfunction, but only for identified patients. The hypothesis that enmeshment is a composite pattern of high Proximity and weak Hierarchy was disconfirmed. Suggestions for future research include systemic analysis of deviation-counteracting and -amplifying relationships between patterns of Proximity and Hierarchy, on the one hand, and psychosocial dysfunction, on the other.

The negotiation of values in therapy.

Abstract: Values are integral to all social systemic operations and therefore to the heart of the therapeutic process. For the therapist, values are an essential component in defining and assessing a problem, determining goals, and selecting therapeutic strategy. Therapists do not have a choice about whether they need to deal with values in therapy, only about how well. The training of therapists about their values needs to be integrated with the training about their own emotional and family issues. This training should be carried out in the context of treating families and have as its primary focus the relationship of the therapists' personal issues to the conduct of their therapy with families. Personal insight and mastery over handling their own values and family issues will maximize therapeutic effectiveness.

Pragmatics in the Measurement of Family Functioning: An Interpretive Framework for Methodology

Abstract: The issue of the cross-method comparison of concepts that describe family functioning is addressed by means of an empirical investigation of two methods of family assessment. The examination focuses on a consideration of the functional, or pragmatic, aspects of subjects' responses through a comparison of a self-report and an observational method whose associated concepts appear to be similar. Little predicted association based on conceptual similarity is noted. An interpretive framework is developed suggesting that the outcomes of empirical method comparisons may be usefully considered in terms of the pragmatic aspects of subjects' responses or the way in which subjects may be using their responses, based on their inferences regarding the interpersonal context associated with each method.

Multiple family therapy: current status and critical appraisal.

Abstract: This article provides an updated review and synthesis of the research and clinical literature dealing with multiple family therapy as an identifiable treatment approach. Major emphasis is placed on the literature published since an earlier comprehensive review (63). It is concluded that multiple family therapy is a viable and promising treatment modality, yet one that in clinical practice remains underused, conceptually underdeveloped, and poorly differentiated from other treatment approaches. Recommendations are made and pathways are identified that may promote the further growth and development of the approach.

The Confusion About Epistemology and “Epistemology”—and What to Do About It

Abstract: The epistemology debates within the field of family therapy have become relatively infrequent in the last year or so, perhaps as a consequence of the confusion they have generated for many family therapists. This article maintains that the primary reason for the confusion is a failure to distinguish clearly between the conventional meaning of the term epistemology, which concerns the nature of knowledge, and the unconventional meaning given the term in family therapy, which concerns the nature of what we know. It is proposed that the confusion can be diminished by understanding the relationship between the two meanings, which are here distinguished as epistemology (meaning 1) and epistemology (meaning 2) respectively. Particular attention is given to the logical consequences of adopting a position on epistemology (meaning 1)--e.g., is the knower capable of knowing an independent reality, or does the act of knowing make its own reality?--or on epistemology (meaning 2)--e.g., is causality linear or nonlinear?. The relevance and implications of these problems for the theory and practice of family therapy are discussed.

A systemic view of family therapy ethics.

Abstract: A critical review of the literature on family therapy ethics is used to develop the proposition that a more systemic analysis is needed, one that includes the levels of therapist and society as well as patient (family). These ideas are discussed through reexamining the issues of family secrets, therapist deceptiveness, and therapist advocacy of personal (feminist) values.

Men and the Family

Abstract: Based on interviews with a sample of occupationally successful men, a description is offered of the competing engagements of work and the family and of the contributions these men see their families making to their functioning Attention is given to reasons for limited discussion of work events with wives and for the control of emotion and its expression

Adaptation in Family Systems: A Developmental Perspective

Abstract: Adaptation involves a dialectic between permanence and change. At lower levels of organization, mechanisms of permanence and change are split and in opposition; at a higher level of organization, they are integrated so that change can occur while identity is preserved. Current family theory does not account for the ability of families to change while simultaneously maintaining continuity; rather, mechanisms of permanence (morphostasis) and change (morphogenesis) are treated as operating singly or sequentially. Current theory, therefore, accounts only for a lower level of adaptive functioning. Piaget's notion of "regulations" is used to supplement the description of this lower level of adapting. In addition, Piaget's notion of "operations" is used to describe a higher level of adaptive process in which permanence and change are integrated. Because adaptive functioning is tied to degree of organization, one must increase the degree of organization of a family to raise its adaptive level.

Rites of Passage in Families with Adolescents

Abstract: In previous generations society defined expectations and constructed events to promote individual development, a functional family organization, and cultural continuity. Culturally defined and accepted rites of passage that were previously observed in families with adolescents have given way to a more vague and meaningless set of adolescent expectations and affirmations. It is proposed that this change has interfered with the mission of the family to promote functional adolescent development and with the ability of the family during this life cycle stage to operate with a sense of community attachment. This paper addresses the importance of rites of passage as they pertain to family development and change and presents ideas about making them explicit in family therapy to change family interaction and structure. Prescribed family rituals that are straightforward, developmentally relevant, and interactional can be effective without consideration to whether they are paradoxical. Three clinical illustrations are presented to highlight this therapeutic approach.

From general laws to singularities

Abstract: This article comprises several sections. The first is devoted to an explanation of a number of notions stemming from work by Ilya Prigogine and others on open systems far from equilibrium. As a result of this work, I have been able to stand back from the traditional approach employed in family therapy, that of open systems at equilibrium (the theory of Ludwig von Bertalanffy). The second section describes a clinical example based on elements close to Prigogine's theories. In the third part I develop an approach that--although continuing to draw on Prigogine's work--is much more closely linked to the research I have carried out with Felix Guattari over recent years. In this part I attempt to study a level that, in my view, has too often been left outside the field of inquiry: that of couplings between "singularities" of members of the family system and the therapist. A clinical case is presented in which this "semiotic" level, as Guattari terms it, is used together with that of the "intrinsic rules" of the system. Finally, I propose a few avenues of inquiry and research on the basis of the concepts presented.

Methods for analyzing marital conflict discourse: implications of a systems approach.

Abstract: A large number of studies of family and marital conflictual interaction purport to describe relational processes, yet close examination reveals a scarcity of process analyses. Many studies are interactional or systemic in name only. Three basic criteria are proposed as necessary for the development of a systems methodology: observable, sequential, system-level behavioral descriptions. A methodological review of the literature reveals that the first criterion yielded the most abundant set of methodologies. Application of the second criterion resulted in a much smaller number, which after the third criterion dwindled to a mere handful. This review does not focus on the substantive results of these investigations but rather on the research criteria, strategies, and issues that need to be addressed if process-oriented measures are to be developed for the study of interpersonal systems.

A Beginner's Guide to the Problem-Oriented First Family Interview†

Abstract: The large volume and diversity of family therapy resources can often confuse trainees who are in need of more abbreviated guidelines for managing their clinical responsibilities. This paper presents a structured outline of a problem-oriented first family interview for the family therapy supervisor and the beginning family therapist. We view the first interview as an integrated process including the important tasks preceding and following the initial family meeting. After the goals that shape the work of the first interview are described, a step-by-step guide to the twelve phases of the interview is presented: telephoning; forming hypotheses; the greeting; the social phase; identifying the problem; observing family patterns; defining goals; contracting; checklist; revising hypotheses; contacting the referral person; and gathering records. This approach to the first interview integrates a variety of structural and strategic procedures. The guide, intended for use in conjunction with close supervision, may serve as a foundation on which beginning therapists can build their unique styles.

Sibling Deidentification in the Clinic: Devil vs. Angel

Abstract: A four-member family structure consisting of two siblings contrasting in personality (sibling deidentification) and each identified with a different parent (split-parent identification) was recently reported (15). In well-functioning families, this tetrad or quadrangle is widespread in the first pair of siblings in the family and tends to be more common in same-sex pairs, suggesting that sibling deidentification is designed to mitigate the relatively intense sibling rivalry characteristic of these pairs and hence to maintain family harmony. In this collated case report, deidentification is found to follow the same pattern in 39 clinic first pairs. However, contrasting attributes are varied and nonevaluative in nonclinic pairs but mainly “good-bad” in clinic pairs, with polarization extreme. Results suggest that nonclinic siblings negotiate their identity (being) much as they negotiate about possessions (having) and that negotiations are blocked in clinic pairs, freezing mythic devil or angel identity. Intervention is directed at dislodging this block.

Stability/instability in the alcoholic marriage: the interrelationships between course of alcoholism, family process, and marital outcome.

Abstract: Thirty-one alcoholic families who were originally studied in home, multiple-family group, and laboratory settings were reassessed two years later to determine course of alcoholism and degree of marital stability. This paper presents data comparing baseline alcohol consumption and family interactional behavior at home with subsequent alcoholism and marital stability outcomes. Findings suggest that the relative degree of stability/instability in these marriages is best understood as a function of the "goodness-of-fit" between the relative predictability of drinking on the part of the identified alcoholic and the family's characteristic pattern of interactional behavior at home. Language: en

Sharing the holocaust experience: communication behaviors and their consequences in families of ex-partisans and ex-prisoners of concentration camps.

Abstract: This study concerns the manner in which the traumatic events suffered by the parent in the Nazi holocaust are communicated to the second generation born after the Second World War. Additionally we investigated the effects of differences in wartime experiences on subsequent communication behaviors. Communication behaviors in families whose parents had been prisoners in concentration camps were compared with those of families who had displayed active resistance (i.e., were partisans) during the Second World War. The data indicate greater legitimacy and openness in discussing holocaust-related issues in the homes of ex-partisans than in the homes of ex-prisoners in concentration camps. Also, sons and daughters of the former group have better knowledge of the holocaust and hold more favorable attitudes than do sons and daughters in the second group. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Children of the rich.

Abstract: Growing up rich is not an unmixed blessing. Great wealth has undoubted benefits, but it is not good for children. It distorts their functional relationship with the world, it belittles their own accomplishments, and it grotesquely amplifies their sense of what is good enough. It is addictive. Wealth may even become a barrier to a relationship with a therapist. One job of a therapist to the rich is to teach people how to be middle class and to achieve moderately, and to teach rich parents to accept such unmagnificent normality. The rich, of course, have all the same problems other people have, perhaps complicated by the wealth, perhaps just frustratingly unrelieved by the wealth. Suggestions are made for treating these unfortunate victims of excess and for overcoming the therapist's naive counter-transference reactions to the families of the rich.

Integrative shifts for the theory and practice of family systems therapy.

Abstract: This paper describes several disagreements among approaches to family therapy and proposes two conceptual shifts providing a more integrative perspective. The first shift focuses on the implications of different ways therapists orient themselves to the developing structures of the therapy system and to the disabled structures of the client system. The second shift reconsiders theoretical approaches in terms of the types of distance they require of the therapist and the types of information these distances provide and ignore. Finally, the paper also discusses a means for classifying the different types of goals therapists establish for their clients, emphasizing that these goals must be consistent with the clients' views of themselves and the world.