Family of Origin
Introduction
Families are a social system that is governed by rules and power structures, in which members become emotionally connected and interdependent (Collins, Jordan, & Coleman, 2012). Families tend to be the responsible agent in shaping the environment where individuals grow and develop. Each member in the family is different, and each contributes to the functionality of the family in a distinctive way. To be able to understand an individual’s behavior within a family, the family context and environment must be understood (Collins, Jordan, & Coleman, 2012). The family systems theory is useful when working with families to better understand the structure and interaction within the family system and to determine what …show more content…
A family relies on each other to adjust and cope with issues that threaten the equilibrium of the family system, however, the adjustment is not always successful. I live in a nuclear family, in other words, with my parents, sister, and two brothers. My father, Jorge; my mother, Lourdes; my younger sister, Mirian, and younger brothers, Jorge and Diego; all form part of my immediate family. My family system has undergone multiple drastic changes that have made it difficult to have a functioning family. Therefore, to be able to understand my family, a significant loss, implicit rules, and the power structure must be analyzed to understand the disengagement within my family system.
Section 2
Significant Loss My immediate family has always been around my father’s side of the family more than my mother’s. My father’s parents have been a significant part of my family and I. My father’s dad was an essential component in keeping unity within the family. My grandfather was a very positive, enthusiastic, and charismatic person that was highly engaged with his family. My grandfather was …show more content…
Power is defined as the hierarchy that encompasses the ability to influence and control other person’s behaviors (Safilios-Rothschild, 1970). In my family, my father is the only one with power. He makes all the decisions within our family, without taking my mother’s say into consideration. In my culture, men are the ones in charge of the household, therefore they are considered to be the ones in power (Cite). At one point in my life, the power structure in my family was not as rigid as it is now because my siblings and I lived with my mother and not with my father. However, after immigrating from Mexico to the United States to live with my father, the family dynamic changed drastically. It went from an open communication environment where my siblings and I could express freely, to living in a strict household where our feelings were not validated. My father expressed his power by establishing rules that were not imposed upon us prior to living with him. Even though my mother did not agree with the strict rules he established, he went ahead and did it anyway. For example, my sister and I were not allowed to hang out with friends of the opposite sex, when before my mother allowed that. If we wanted to go out, we would have to ask my dad and it did not matter if my mother said yes, my dad held the “final word.” My father did not know
Introduction
Families are a social system that is governed by rules and power structures, in which members become emotionally connected and interdependent (Collins, Jordan, & Coleman, 2012). Families tend to be the responsible agent in shaping the environment where individuals grow and develop. Each member in the family is different, and each contributes to the functionality of the family in a distinctive way. To be able to understand an individual’s behavior within a family, the family context and environment must be understood (Collins, Jordan, & Coleman, 2012). The family systems theory is useful when working with families to better understand the structure and interaction within the family system and to determine what …show more content…
A family relies on each other to adjust and cope with issues that threaten the equilibrium of the family system, however, the adjustment is not always successful. I live in a nuclear family, in other words, with my parents, sister, and two brothers. My father, Jorge; my mother, Lourdes; my younger sister, Mirian, and younger brothers, Jorge and Diego; all form part of my immediate family. My family system has undergone multiple drastic changes that have made it difficult to have a functioning family. Therefore, to be able to understand my family, a significant loss, implicit rules, and the power structure must be analyzed to understand the disengagement within my family system.
Section 2
Significant Loss My immediate family has always been around my father’s side of the family more than my mother’s. My father’s parents have been a significant part of my family and I. My father’s dad was an essential component in keeping unity within the family. My grandfather was a very positive, enthusiastic, and charismatic person that was highly engaged with his family. My grandfather was …show more content…
Power is defined as the hierarchy that encompasses the ability to influence and control other person’s behaviors (Safilios-Rothschild, 1970). In my family, my father is the only one with power. He makes all the decisions within our family, without taking my mother’s say into consideration. In my culture, men are the ones in charge of the household, therefore they are considered to be the ones in power (Cite). At one point in my life, the power structure in my family was not as rigid as it is now because my siblings and I lived with my mother and not with my father. However, after immigrating from Mexico to the United States to live with my father, the family dynamic changed drastically. It went from an open communication environment where my siblings and I could express freely, to living in a strict household where our feelings were not validated. My father expressed his power by establishing rules that were not imposed upon us prior to living with him. Even though my mother did not agree with the strict rules he established, he went ahead and did it anyway. For example, my sister and I were not allowed to hang out with friends of the opposite sex, when before my mother allowed that. If we wanted to go out, we would have to ask my dad and it did not matter if my mother said yes, my dad held the “final word.” My father did not know