Joey's Problem

Question 1

According to Nancy & Evan (Joey’s parents), what are the problems?

Answer 1

• That Joey’s inability to sleep is the source of their marital problems
• That Joey’s strong attachment to his mom is normal (based on Freudian theory)

Question 2

What would they problems otherwise be known as

Answer 2

• Family myths
• when families are struggling and asked to interpret their problems, they’ll often come up with a myth rather than the actual problem, which is what Nancy and Evan did

Question 3

What are the actual problems?

Answer 3

• role strain
• role conflict
• boundaries
• role conflict for gender role ideology
• role conflict for intensive parenting
• rules
• communication

Question 4

problems: role strain

Answer 4

Evan has a role as a father than he’s unequipped to do (potentially because his own father was uninvolved)

Question 5

problems: role conflict

Answer 5

If you have too many roles, you can’t perform all of them well (ie. Nancy trying to balance role as social worker and full-time caregiver and wife)

Question 6

problems: boundaries

Answer 6

• too much rigidity and lack of cohesion - boundaries need to be re-worked
• • Nancy + Joey = enmeshed boundary (so tight that it excludes other people in the system - ie. Evan)
• • Nancy + Evan and Evan + Joey = lack of cohesion

Question 7

problems: role conflict for gender role ideology

Answer 7

Nancy wants egalitarian balance, whereas Evan has a more traditional viewpoint → household responsibilities (ie. putting Joey to bed) are not being divided in an egalitarian way - Nancy is doing the majority of the work

Question 8

problems: role conflict for intensive parenting

Answer 8

Nancy believes their identities should be centered around being parents, Evan does not

Question 9

problems: rules

Answer 9

no agreed-upon rules for childrearing or division of household responsibilities (also established a partial reinforcement schedule for bedtime - not keeping him accountable → will eventually hurt his autonomy and social-emotional development

Question 10

problems: communication

Answer 10

open communication needed to discuss rules, but communication between Evan and Nancy is passive-aggressive (Evan is passive/hides away whereas Nancy becomes more aggressive) → will maintain the current dynamics rather than creating change