Essay On Family Systems Perspective

As denoted by the genogram, my immediate family was the primary familial influence within my life at this time. In order to fully understand my decision to change from one school to another, we can analyze my family from a Family Systems Perspective. Dale & Smith (2012) posit that the social system within which the family exists is imperative to understanding human behavior. Family Systems Perspective seeks to understand a person-in-environment through analysis of the social group, the family. There are several concepts central to Family Systems theory which we can investigate to help us understand and analyze my decision to change schools. These concepts come from the inclusive Family System Theory, which is credited to Murray Bowen (Dale & Smith, 2012). These concepts include: differentiation of self, emotional cutoff, multigenerational transmission, and sibling position. Differentiation of self is used within Family Systems Theory to describe the boundaries which exist between people. Dale & Smith (2012) state: “Differentiation as a social phenomenon can be understood as the process of gaining at least partial self-control and autonomy in order to lift oneself out of the emotional chaos of the family” (pg. 225). A person who is differentiated will be flexible, …show more content…
Dale & Smith (2012) point out that it is believed that our interactions within groups outside the family are reflective of what we have learned within our family systems. Choosing to change schools was a reactive decision on my part because I was relying upon my teachers and fellow students for my own emotional well-being. My emotional wellbeing was based upon others’ perceptions of me. By choosing to change schools, I was seeking to improve my own emotional well-being, by finding a new group of peers which, at the time, I believed would view me favorably; thus positively impacting my own emotional