SECOND ORDER TASKS AND STRATEGIES BALANCE STRESS AND COPING What is Balance A stable state of affairs within the family refers to equilibrium and status quo Theoretical Ideas about Balance Three components of intimate relationships include 1 Family Cohesion emotional bonding that family members have toward one another 2 Adaptability the ability of a system to change in its power structure role relationships and 3 Communication exchange of thoughts messages or information by speech signals relationship rules writing or behavior Olson s Cohesion Circumplex Model Main Concepts o Indicators for measuring this dimension are emotional bonding boundaries coalitions time space friends decision making interest and recreation Levels o Disengaged o Separated o Connected o Enmeshed Adaptability change in the family Levels o Indicators for this dimension include leadership discipline role structure and presence of o Rigid very little change leadership is often authoritarian o Structured leadership can be shared discipline is democratic o Flexible role sharing between family members democratic relationships o Chaotic lack of leadership erratic discipline too much change order and predictability provide expectations Back to Balance adaptability For families to function in a healthy manner they need a dynamic balance of cohesion and Balanced Versus Extreme Families Stability vs Change Adaptability Separateness vs Togetherness Cohesion Families who have difficulties balancing often encounter functioning problems Being balanced allows couples and families to handle periods of extremes on either dimension Change on both dimensions does occur and is considered healthy but any functioning for extended periods of time at either extreme is considered problematic Two influential components Health and well being of both the individual and the family TABLE RULES EXTREME FAMILY 2 extremes any corner MIDRANGE FAMILY 1 extreme BALANCED FAMILY 0 extremes Dynamic Changes in Family Types Across Time Not locked in one mold forever Agree to change most important aspect No one ideal type out of four Accounting for Cultural and Ethnic Diversity Cultural considerations normative expectations extreme behavior Families function well as long as all members are satisfied Always account for cultural expectations of family when assessing functioning Family Life Cycle A measure of a family s success and happiness is based on their ability to maintain a healthy amount of cohesion and adaptability across the life cycle Successful change includes o Changing when appropriate o Being able to balance the new changes without staying at one extreme for too long Too much or too little change in families are both negative STRESS Normative Stressors o Expected and ordinary developmental transitions affecting the family o They occur regularly over the course of family life o Not necessarily negative o Examples marriages births natural deaths Non normative Stressors o Unexpected events and transitions that create unanticipated hardships for the family o Require adaptations or alterations in strategies used to execute all or some of the basic family tasks o Examples house fire early or sudden deaths robbery Horizontal Stressors o Demands placed upon a system as it moves through time o Include both normative and non normative events Vertical Stressors the family system o Patterns of relating or functioning that are transmitted from generation to generation within o These include attitudes expectations taboos secrets and unresolved emotional issues each generation is exposed to while growing up o The family s overall level of stress is determined by both vertical and horizontal stressors Developmental Patterns Two Phases 1 Acute Phase ACUTE REORGANIZATION a period of disorganization where o Families begin to define the problem o Get their feet back on the ground o Try to divide issue into manageable parts o Try to get emotions under control o Try to obtain information about the problem o Families rearrange their rules and transformation processes to ensure recovery 2 Reorganization Phase o Create new rules and change the way they relate o Come to terms with their emotions o Obtain help from others if needed o Learn how to accept new realities o Move into a period of recovery 5 Ways Families Respond to Stress 1 Roller coaster 2 Increased 3 No change 4 Mixed 5 Decreased Coping Strategies Level I effective management Processes behaviors or patterns of behavior that families undergo to respond to stress o Cognitive educational resources self help groups o Communication o Emotional o Relationship o Spiritual Coping and Moving On o Some families or family members may not be able to overcome certain stressors o Recovery may not be an accurate goal o The goal after a stressor is to learn how to deal in the new framework of the family and to be able to come to terms with the new reality