Gladding Ch. 2 Flashcards
McGoldrick’s 6 Stages of the Family Life Cycle
Simply put, these are the developmental stages of a white, middle class family system (which is
the group that these stages were “normed” on).
1. Single Young Adults: Leaving Home
2. The New Couple: Joining of Families through Marriage
3. Families with Young Children
4. Families with Adolescents
5. Launching Children and Moving On
6. Families in Later Life
Goal of Therapy: Unifying Individual and Family Cycles
In most cases we are attempting to unify the individual and family cycles. This is achievable by:
1. Helping the family to maintain a growth mindset
2. Recognize that these two developmental cycles (individual and family) can be
understood as fully-functioning and cybernetic systems
3. These two developmental cycles can be both complementary and competitive because:
a. Members of the family go through different individual stages at the same time
b. Each individual developmental stage has its unique and appropriate challenges
c. The needs of the family can work in tandem with the wants and needs of the
individual if the work of compromising and prioritizing is undertaken willingly by
all parties
Family as defined by U.S. Census Bureau (2011)
two or more people (one of whom is the householder) related by birth, marriage, or adoption residing in the same housing unit.
Family: defined for our purposes
“those persons who are biologically and/or psychologically related, are connected by historical, emotional, or economic bonds, and perceive themselves as a part of a household.
According to von Bertalanffy, all systems operate on a similar set of principles
- whole greater than sum of parts
- system is compilation of subsystems arranged in hierarchy
- systems adapt self-stabilizing mechanisms to maintain homeostasis
- systems can adapt and change in response to environment
Systems Theory (aka general systems theory)
Focuses on interconnectedness of elements w/in all living organisms. systems theory is a lens through which the majority of amily therapists have traditionally viewed families. it is around seeing families as systems that most clinicians organize interventions.
organism
a form of life ocmposed of mutually dependent parts and process standing in mutual interaction.
Cybernatics
Norbert Weiner. describes systems that regulate themselves through means of feedback loops. homeostasis maintained through cybernetics
basic elements in a cybernetics system:
- receptor (receives information)
- center (amplifies info)
- effector (reacts to info and discharges output
negative feed back loop (aka attenuating feedback loop)
promotes a return to equilibrium
amplifying feedback loop (aka positive feedback loop)
leads to change in the system and possibly to more trust and less difficulty in the relationship over time.
major task for families
maintain balance between steadiness and change
major difference btwn cybernetics and general systems theory
cybernetics is more mechanical.
3 Different Time Dimensions of Human Life Development
- individual time
- social time
- historical time
life cycles
represents an active way to conceptually picture time in human development because it denotes the continuous development of people over time in multiple contexts of their lives
Erik Erickson’s stages of development
First five stages focus on formation of persion into competent individual. last 3 stages are more interpersonally based.
- trust vs mistrust (year 1)
- autonomy vs shame/doubt (year 2-3)
- initiative vs guilt (years 4-5)
- identity vs role confusion (years 12-18)
- intimacy vs isolation (18-35)
- generativity vs stagnation (35-65)
- integrity vs despair (65+)
McGoldrick’s 6 Stages of Family Life Cycle
- single young adults leaving home
- new couple
- families w/ young children
- families w/ adolescents
- families launching children and moving on
- families in later life
Solid Self
Murray Bowen. a sense of one’s own beliefs and convictions that are not simply adaptive to others.
Senescence
gradual physical decline as a result of age
Life cycles of a therapist and family can combine in 3 major ways
- therapist yet to experience family’s stage
- therapist currently experiencing same stage
- therapist already passed through family’s stage
4 phases of Chronic Illness
- crisis- deal w/ immediate symptoms
- stabilization - stabilize and restructure life
- resolution- develop new sense of self
- integration - find appropriate employment if able to work. integrate illness w/in spiritual or philosophical framework. integrate socially
4 basic premises of systemes
4 basic premises of systems:
- The whole is greater than the sum of its parts
- They are hierarchical in structure with subsystem(s)
- Adopt self-stabilizing mechanisms to maintain homeostasis and equilibrium
- Systems can adapt and change ( NOTE: change happens slow and messy!)
