Intimacy can be defined in many different ways. It involves, “a closet of interpersonal emotions including love, warmth, passion, and joy that are tied to intimate feelings” (Gauerrero et al., 2014). This concept has two components called self-revealing (self-disclosure) and partner responsiveness. One type of important intimacy relationship is a parent-child relationship. For this type of relationship, “parent child disclosure is central to expressing and maintaining intimacy in this primary relationship.” (Gavin, 2015,p.139). One of example of this relationship is the relationship between my mom and I. We really the best of friends. She is my go to person for everything. I tell my mom things that most of my peers would not tell their mom. My mom and I have a high level of intimacy because of our high level of self-disclosure and responsiveness. She is really understanding and comforting so I am able to tell her everything that is going on in my life. On the other hand, my mom is pretty open with me as well. She tells me pretty much everything that is going on in her life. People always talk the bond my mom and I have with each other. Some people even think it is strange, but after awhile they start to admire it. The course text states, “negotiationg privacy boundaries can be challenging as parents and children struggle to maintain intimacy at the same time that children are …show more content…
The power and decision-making aspect is a little different in my family. “The foundation of family power are resources used by family members that allow them to attempt to exert control in a specific situation.” There are five sources that may derive power which are “normative, economic, affective, personal, and cognitive resources” (Gavin, 2015,p.182). In my family, the different types of power transitioned throughout my family members. For example, my dad had the economic power up until my parents got a divorced. Once they got a divorced, my mom held the economic power for my brothers and I. Both of my parents had the economic power of their household. My mom has the affective power because she constantly shows that she cares and affection. My dad is not really affectionate and he does not show his emotions to us. After my brother got hospitalized, the affection in my family increased in everyone. Even my dad started to show way more affection and he started to expression his emotions. We make sure that we tell each other that we love each other at least once a day. My mom also holds the normative and cognitive power as well. She makes that we stick to our family traditions and values at all. My brother and I always go to my mom for advice about everything. The older I became the more my brothers started to come to me for advice and my opinion. Lastly, all of my family has personal power. The