HPER F258MARRIAGE AND FAMILY

INTERACTION

KATHLEEN R. GILBERT, PH.D.INDIANA UNIVERSITY

Welcome to the Class

Some thoughts on “family”

Family relationships are unique.

All study of family is biased.The way it was, wasn’t.The family is not “dying,” but it is changing

Central Functions of the Family

Sexual intimacyReproductionEconomic cooperationSocialization of children

The following come from the the scholarly and clinical literature as

well as from common usage:

The Family as an institution

This is the most restrictive view of the family

The family as a source of responsibility for its members

Legal family relationships (birth, marriage, adoption)

Has the greatest potential for stability of family forms

Family as a set of relationships

Family of choiceMay include cohabiting couples,

committed couples, informally adopted family members, “play cousins,” church families

This form of family can be highly unstable (lasts only while the relationship is “good,” however that is defined)

Family as "a haven in a heartless world”

“Home is where, when you get there, they have to take you in” (Frost)

Family as a place of comfort and protection

A place of safety where you can be yourself

Family as the center of conflict

The aspect of family that is most uncomfortable for us to recognize and accept.

This may lead to abuse and/or painful conflict

it is also a characteristic of most families Conflict is normal – the problem can arise in

how the conflicts are handled

Family as a state of mind

The internal family system The family that we carry within ourselves,

the “inner voices” that influence our decision making (when you hear your mom’s voice when you’re

thinking of doing something she wouldn’t approve of)

What Do We Mean When We Think of "Family”

Draw a Personal Crest A personal crest is symbolic of who

you are. This exercise is designed to help you identify some of your thoughts on who you are and how your family influences you.

Drawing the Crest

1.Take a piece of paper and draw a shield on it. Mark it off into four quadrants and using words and pictures:

2. Upper right quadrant: depict something you value.

3. Upper left quadrant, depict something you believe you are good at.

4. Lower right quadrant, depict what your family values.

5. In the lower left quadrant, depict a strength in your family.

6. Below the crest, write what what the whole crest says about you.

Final Thoughts and Conclusions

Write down at least one thing you learned this class session that either surprised you or intrigued you.

If you have any questions about the lecture, write them too, or stop and talk to Dr. G.