FAMILY SYSTEMS THEORY and FEMINIST FAMILY THEORY

Prepared by: Mr. Jemerson N. Dominguez

Vignette (Family Systems Theory)

Fred and Cassie have been married for three (3) years. For the most part, they do not have any years. serious disagreements, or at least any that they can really put their finger on. But sometimes Fred on. says or does something that offends Cassie. He Cassie. then feels somewhat guilty for what he has done; done; he does not feel that it is totally his fault, and doesnt like the superior attitude she sometimes has when he does apologize. apologize.

Therefore, he acts defensively instead, giving the impression that he is now responding to a revengeful reaction on her part, even though she has not (at least yet) given one. Cassie cant one. understand why Fred was mean to her and is angry but doesnt want to show it, so she acts indifferently. indifferently. Fred notices the indifference and wonders if it is feigned or deliberate. He is afraid deliberate. to apologize because it would be embarrassing and even more hurtful if the apology were rejected or taken advantage of. of.

Besides, it wasnt like she hadnt done something to him earlier that precipitated his offense. offense. Meanwhile, Cassie wants to hear an apology but isnt sure that will be enough. She enough. would like restitution but isnt sure that she can demand it. So neither one apologizes or forgives, it. and the relationship spirals downhill. They downhill. eventually stops talking to each other without really understanding why and are urged by their friends to seek marriage counselling. counselling.

NOTE: NOTE: This continuous circular interaction, where each is responding to his or her perception of the other, is at the heart of the family system theory and illustrates its complexity. complexity.

HISTORY
Family systems theory was believed to merge during the 1960s. 1960s.  Ernest Burgess (1926) referred to the family as a 1926) unity of interaction personalities, which means living, growing, super personality that has its essence the interaction of its members. Wherein members. it comprises of highly integrated (rituals, discipline, and interdependence) unintegrated (lacks the attributes of the first type). type).


Waller (1938) discussed how the family is the 1938) greatest source of influence on the child, but the childs personality also affects the parents, as well as family experiences are repetitive and are based on patterns of interaction. interaction.  Bertalanffy (1969) the birth to develop the basic 1969) ideas of general system theory (with high regards with the following personnelBateson, Jackson, personnel Haley, and Weakland, 1956). Weakland, 1956)


Brofenbrenner (1989) discussed the four basic 1989) systems that make up the ecological environment (microsystem, microsystem, mesosystem, mesosystem, exosystem, exosystem, macrosystem) macrosystem) that greatly affect the change of environment in time or chronosystem. chronosystem.  Broderick (1993) relate family process theory as 1993) the same with family system theory, wherein it has greatest utility in communication and clinical applications. applications.


Macrosystem

Exosystem Mesosystem
Extended Family Neighbors

Microsystem
Family Peers

Church

Person
School

Legal Services

Workplace

Mass Media

Spouses Workplace

Bronfenbrenners Four Ecological Systems for Developmental Change

1. Microsystem
Has face-to-face contact with influential face-toothers. others.  It is consists of the immediate family, teachers, and peers at school. school.  It may also include the church group and co-workers in the workplace. coworkplace.


2. Mesosystem


Refers to the connections and relationships that exists between two or two microsystems. microsystems.

3. Exosystem
Consists of settings in which the person does not participate in totally, but still experiences decisions that affect him/her indirectly. indirectly.  E.g. (newly transferred factory worker)


4. Macrosystem


blueprint  These are the overarching institutions, practices, and patterns of belief that characterize society as a whole and take the smaller microsystem, mesosystem, and exosystem into account. account.  E.g (Males are more superior that females and should be dominated by men.) men.

BASIC ASSUMPTIONS
1.

2.

3. 4. 5.

The whole is greater than the sum of the parts (Gestalt). (Gestalt). The locus of pathology is not within the person but is a system dysfunction. dysfunction. Circular Causality guides behaviour. behaviour. Rules are discovered in Retrospect. Retrospect. Rules results from the Redundancy Principle. Principle.

6. 7.

8. 9.

Feedback Loops guide behaviour. behaviour. Pathological Communication causes relationship problems. problems. All Family members take on Roles. Roles. Family types are based on the Rigidity of Family Boundaries. Boundaries.

PRIMARY TERMS and CONCEPTS



System  Boundaries  Elements  Family Rules  Feedback  Equilibrium  Clinical Concepts

Linear Causality  Circular Causality  Identified Patient  Double Bind  Disengagement  Enmeshment  Mutuality


CRITIQUE
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Sequential patterns of interaction Communication and control Goal orientation Boundary maintenance Complex relationships

Vignette (Feminist Family Theory)

Bob and Alice Stephens were having dinner at a nice restaurant to celebrate their tenth wedding anniversary. Bob said anniversary. to Alice, Isnt this relaxing? A dinner alone without the kids. We should treat kids. ourselves to this more often. Alice smiled often. politely but was unconvinced that it was such a treat. treat.

Guess why?
1. 2.

3.

4.

5.

Alice made the reservation as requested by Bob. Bob. Alice picked up Bobs suit from the cleaners on her way to work. work. Alice arranged the babysitter to take care of their children. children. Alice felt tired and anxious because of previous tasks. tasks. Alice is affected by her current situation regarding the case she is handling (single mother whose ex-husbands had failed to pay child exsupport). support).

HISTORY
It rooted with the Feminist movement. movement.  Defined as the search for rights, opportunities, and identifies women believe they deserve (Thomas, 2000). 2000)  Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony (1848) fought for the right to vote and rectified 1848) (US, 1920), locally it was during the Spanish 1920), Era. Era.


Betty Friedan, Gloria Steinem, and the National Organization for Women worked toward resolution of issues such as equal pay and job training for women, reproductive choice, maternity leave, subsidized child care, and an end to sex discrimination (Vietnam War). War). During 1960s to 1970s emphasizes the Liberal 1960s 1970s Feminists (career paths), Marxists Feminists (focused on the exploitation of women in their reproductive roles and in household labour as secondsecond-class), Radical Feminists (male(maledominance as the problem with the society, having power and authority as oppressive to women), and Social Feminists (womens liberation). liberation).

In the 1960s, structural-functionalists proposed 1960s, structuralthat roles in families should be divided in the natural way generally based on sex. sex.  Jessie Bernard (1972), a sociologists who wrote 1972), The Future of Marriage, in which it contrasted male and female perspectives on marriagehis marriage and hers. hers.  Carol Gilligan (1980s), wrote In a Different 1980s), Voice (1982) which explored how women defined 1982) their identity and understood reality through relationships, particularly intimate relationship. relationship.


Collins (1998-2000) focused on the multiple 1998-2000) forms of oppressions, matrix of domination  In 1998, Multiple Racial Feminism was 1998, developed to further understand social location as a more complex social phenomenon. phenomenon.


BASIC ASSUMPTIONS
1. 2.

3. 4. 5. 6.

Womens experiences are Central to our understanding of families. families. Gender is a socially constructed concept (Language, Categorization, and Stratification). Stratification). Social and Historical context are Important. Important. There are many Forms of Families. Families. Emphasis is placed on Social Change. Change. There is No Objective, Unbiased observation of Humans. Humans.

PRIMARY TERMS and CONCEPTS

Sex  Gender  Categorization  Stratification  Privilege  Social Deconstruction  Social Disclosure  Praxis


COMMON AREAS of RESEARCH and APPLICATION

1. 2.

Division of Labour Family Violence

CRITIQUE
1.

2.

Feminist family theory sheds light on other issues that are neglected or ignored by other theories, such as male-oriented perspective of malewhat was previously considered objective research. research. Feminist family theory is not without its critic though. though. Feminism has been criticized as being oppressive to men by focusing only on issues that affect women. Feminist family scholars refute women. this by saying that issues that are important to women are also important to men. men.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Feminist family theory has been criticized for working outside the parameters and paradigms of the traditional, scientific base of knowledge. knowledge. Feminist family theory has also been criticized by their activist position. position. Feminist family theory has also been criticized for working against traditional nuclear families. But the families. reality is that the traditional nuclear family is no longer the dominant form. form. Feminist family theory was challenged the claims that too much attention to the oppression of one group groupto the exclusion of the other forms of oppression (race, ethnicity, age, disability, religion, and so forth). forth).

STRATEGIC and SYSTEMATIC FAMILY THERAPIES

Prepared by: Mr. Jemerson N. Dominguez
Copyright 1997-2002 Melvin W. Wong, Ph.D. All Rights Reserved 1997ChristianMentalHealth.com

Introduction


Strategic and Structural family therapy has been heavily influenced by Bateson's cybernetics model. They are mostly intent model. upon changing behavior rather than insight, and as such are famous for creative interventions. interventions. There are 3 main models in this theory: theory:

A. The Mental Research Institute (MRI) Started by Jackson who worked with Bateson, as well as with Haley on the Bateson project. project.

B. The Haley and Madanes Strategic approach - They were heavily influenced by Erikson, Bateson, and Minuchin. Erikson Minuchin. believed the unconscious was full of wisdom - thus, he didn't need to give people insight, just help them get access to it on their own. own.

C. The Milan Model - Palazzoli was a prominent Italian psychoanalyst. She and psychoanalyst. her team of 8 other analysts read the works of Bateson, Haley and did lots of Haley research. research. In 1980, they split, with half 1980, continuing research and the other doing training. training.

Major Assumptions A.MRI A.MRI



- families make common-sense but commonmisguided attempts to solve their problems. problems. The solution selection as well as its success is governed by system rules. The attempts rules. go awry and the result is a positive feedback loop that makes the problem worse. What worse. do you do?

A. identify the feedback loop  B. find the rules governing it  C. change the loops


and

rules

Note: Note: They are not interested in long term change, insight, or what function the symptom serves in the family; only problem family; focused behavioral change is important. important.

B. Haley and Madanes

1.Haley and Madanes were concerned with the function a symptom served, as it marked a payoff in the system that resulted due to the structure of the system. They studied triadic interaction over system. long period of time. Haley even wrote a book on time. Leaving Home. Haley was particularly concerned Home. with power struggles, and often prescribed the symptom such that the cost of keeping it up outweighed the gains. Madanes was concerned gains. with incongruous hierarchies, where a child uses symptoms to change the behavior of the parent. parent.

2.Haley and Madanes also formulated that rules followed a hierarchical order, and thus improving the hierarchical and boundary problems would prevent dysfunctional feedback loops from starting, a sort of "plan ahead" strategy. strategy.  3.Haley and Madanes believe families go through dysfunctional stages to get to functional ones. ones.


4. Madanes posits four categories of problems resulting from; from; a. desire to control and dominate b. desire to be loved c. desire to love and protect others d. desire to repent and forgive Thus, Haley and Madanes are interested more in short sequences, but also in long ones that last months or years and reflect chronic structural problems.

C.The Milan Group



read and followed many of the works of MRI and Haley and Madanes, worked with Madanes, power struggles and boundaries as well, and focused on long time spans spanning even multiple generations. They worked mostly generations. with anorexic and schizophrenic families. families.

Theoretical Formulations
A. Normal Family Development  B. Problematic Family Development  C. Goals for Therapy  D. Conditions for Change


A. Normal Family Development



1.The MRI group disdains concepts of "normality. "normality." They do, however, believe that families should be able to shift solutions when they aren't working, in order to prevent a run away positive feedback loop  2.Haley and Madanes emphasized clear generational boundaries, like the Milan group, but did hold a concept of normality and believed therapy should change the dysfunctional structure and create a more functional one. one.

3.The Milan group, like the MRI, also disdains concepts of "normality." They do, like Haley and "normality. Madanes, Madanes, believe that families should have clear generational boundaries. However, unlike Haley boundaries. and Madanes but like the MRI's, they believe that the therapy should be "neutral" and not have expectations of families. This way, the therapy families. helps the family by simply examining the family, asking questions to help them examine their own family structure, and exposing games after which they can redesign their family into a better structure on their own. own.

B. Problematic Family Development



There are three models for problem development; a. cybernetic (runaway positive feedback loops) b. structural (flawed family hierarchies) c. functional (one member develops symptoms to control others)  The MRI use only the cybernetic model, Haley and Madanes use all 3 but Haley stresses the structural and Madanes the functional, and the Milan's use both structural and functional.

Example: Example: Tommy is 16 and has recently refused to go out of the house. 1.MRI would focus on getting Tommy out, believing the parents attempted solutions kept him home. home. 2.Haley and Madanes would focus on the triadic relationship between Tommy and his 2 parents. Haley parents. would wonder about the parents unresolved conflicts and marital struggles, Madanes would wonder about how Tommy staying home helped one or both of his parents. parents. 3.Milan would focus on the family's history and hidden power struggles, or family games, in which Tommy is embedded and has to stay home to help a family member "win. "win."


C. Goals for Therapy



1.MRI 1.MRI simply change the current problem (run away positive feedback loop) and send the family home, even if there are other serious problems. Unless the family asks for help on other problems, the therapy doesn't intervene. MRI's help the family by making them form clear, straight forward, immediate, behavioral goals and sticking to them.

2.Haley is also behavioral, concerned with the behavioral, immediate problem, and anti- insight. Unlike anti- insight. MRI, he wanted a structural re-organization of rethe family, like the structural therapies, but one which would proceed in steps and have subsubgoals along the way all dealing with the presenting problem. Madanes believes that problem. additional goals such as happiness and the ability to work, love, and play are important also. also.

3.Milan 3.Milan held that the therapy was responsible for change, and had to basically manipulate and outwit the family and their games though strategies designed to expose games and reframe member's motives. Palazzoli focused on exposing "dirty games," and Boscolo on understanding the games and the family better. Boscolo did not take responsibility for the family's change, and wanted to collude with them and get them to make their own changes to whatever new structure they would devise.

D. Conditions for Change



1.MRI 1.MRI believed that by attempting first order change, or change in the behavior, second order behavior, change, or change in the system's structure, could be achieved. They don't need insight as to why they have problems, nor do they need to understand why the change in behavior is needed. They simply need to act differently and see for themselves that the family's rules for problemproblemsolving can be more flexible. They try to keep resistance low and motivation high.

2.Haley 2.Haley and Madanes also believed insight to be of little use, tried to keep resistance low, and focused on behavioral change, arguing that before the family can think or feel differently, they must act differently.  3.The Milan also try to keep resistance low and motivation high. They also try to find the "customer" or the most motivated family member and work with them. While they may not have the "problem," they may be the most motivated for change, and since one person can change a system, they may be the most successful level to use in producing change.


Techniques


The Strategic approach focused mostly on strategies adapted to the specific situation of the person and problem, as did Erikson. Erikson. Each of the three models is somewhat different. different.

A.MRI Techniques - there are basically 6 steps to treatment



1.introduction and setup - MRI's limit session to 10 and set up a powerful motivator  2.definition of the problem in clear behavioral terms  3.estimation of the behavior (run away positive feedback loops) maintaining the problem  4.setting goals

5.selecting and making interventions a.reframing - providing the family with a rational a.reframing for treatment. The MRI therapist may not believe what they tell the family, but that is unimportant as long as its a rational explanation. The point of it is not to bring insight, but to induce compliance b.outpositioning b.outpositioning - having someone take the role other family members place on them to the extreme c.paradoxical interventions - compliance based, c.paradoxical to simply get the family to change their behavior by complying with a directive, or defiance based, in the hopes that the family will defy the directive and improve

d.symptom d.symptom prescription or an exposure based paradox - to expose the family's hidden relationships e.restraining techniques - telling the e.restraining family they can't move very fast because they aren't ready  6.termination

B.Haley and Madanes use many of the same strategies listed above, but with the hope of changing the family's structure in the long run. Therapy begins by
1.a social stage - everyone is greeted and spoken to in order to make everyone feel more relaxed and less defensive.  2.a problem stage - introduce yourself and repeat what you know, then speak to each person and get their opinions and ideas about the problem. Haley engages the father first, and observes all the family members interactions to uncover hidden triangles.


3.an interaction stage - Haley has members talk about differing perspectives on the problem. By asking what problem. they have tried before, he gains information and also underscores the family's need of his help. Haley may end help. a first session with a simple directive, not advice, but a directive. directive. Haley may prescribe some ordeal, such that the cost of maintaining the symptom is more than the benefit of the symptom. Madanes often had people follow a symptom. directive by telling them it was just for pretend or play. play. Haley focused more on restoring power to the parents, while Madanes focused more on creating new and pleasurable interactions for the parent and child. Madanes child. developed a classification system for families, as well as guidelines for when to use hers, Haley's, or MRI techniques. techniques.

C. Milan - There are several Milan models.



The original model was very strategic. strategic. Families were treated by a male and female cotherapist team; therapy were observed by team; other members of the team; families were team; seen once a month for only 10 sessions. sessions. Therapy were supposed to be neutral and distant. distant. Sessions had 5 parts

1.presession 1.presession - tentative hypothesis are made 2.session 2.session - the hypothesis are tested and refined 3.intersession 3.intersession - the team would meet with the therapy while the family waited 4.intervention 4.intervention - the therapy would return to deliver the intervention. There are several interventions usually used:

a.positive connotation - reframe the problem but in a way that the family members are not blamed or labeled as bad b.rituals were directives to engage the whole family in some behavior that exaggerated or broke rules and family myths. myths. Family members may thank each other for their respective symptoms, mother and father may alternate days for parental responsibilities responsibilities

5.post-session - the team would analyze the postfamily's reaction and plan for the next session

EMERGENT MODELS OF THE NINETIES

Prepared by: Mr. Jemerson N. Dominguez

Introduction
In the last decades, family therapy has been transformed. transformed. The early emphasis on behaviour and the overwhelming power of family systems has evolved into the recognition that systems are influential but not determinative, that syndromes are not always caused by and, instead, can cause family problems, and that individual family members not only act and interact but also have hearts and minds. minds.

Emergent models include:

1. 2.

3. 4.

5.

Solution-Focused Model (by Steve de Shazer Solutionwith Bill OHanlon & Michele Weiner-Davis) WeinerCollaborative, Conversational Model (by Harlene Anderson, Harry Goolishian, Lynn Goolishian, Hoffman, & Tom Andersen) Deconstruction Model (by Michael White) Psychoeducational and Medical Family Model (by Carol Anderson, John Rolland, et.al.) et.al. Internal Family Systems (Richard Schwartz)

Future Directions


Emergent Trends 1. Greater link between theory and assessment. 2. Greater emphasis on biopsychosocial models. 3. Emphasis on constructivist approaches to family theory. Analysis of the family as a group that observes itself and its environment formulates hypotheses, and holds lasting belief patterns (Doherty & Baptiste, 1993, p. Baptiste, 521). 4. Emphasize race/ethnicity and gender

Two Divergent Paths 1. Theory that is tied directly to research activities. 2. Theory that is influenced by nontraditional research paradigms which emphasize epistemology (theory of knowing) and properties of interacting therapeutic systems.

SolutionSolution-Focused Model
Solution Focused Therapy (SFT) is sometimes linked to general Brief Therapy, ProblemProblem-Focused Therapy, and Possibility Therapy Therapy.  All share some common points of focus: focus:


Traditional therapy goes wrong by focusing on the cause of problems, the details of how they play out, the ways these events deviate from "normal" or the way couples are "supposed" to work, and having couples passively accept the expert therapists' explanations of "what is wrong" with them. them. Doing this gets clients stuck in a passive and helpless role, locked into a problem narrative they rehearse over and over again

A better approach moves client focus off of what's wrong and onto what's right, stresses the resources and skills clients have, and helps them take the role of expert (which they hold anyway) and take responsibility from there for setting their own goals and reaching them. It's not about what's missing them. and causes woe, but what's present and can woe, lead to happiness

Solution building is the goal, and as you change the language that shapes how you think about the problem, problem, you change the language that shapes how you think about the solution  There is no theory behind this, and you need not fully understand the problem to fix it. The it. solution may not even look like it will fit or resolve the problem, and that's fine - a small enough change will nudge the system in a different direction and that may be all that's needed


Therapists maintain a future focus, with language like "when this is fixed" "notice fixed when this problem doesn't happen this week week" "write down what your partner does to fix the problem this week" week  Rather than summing up what the therapist thinks the clients is saying, the therapist asks questions to focus and direct the client's thinking and view


Basic Theory


based on Milton Erickson and MRI models, and by watching what seemed to happen to families and couples right before they reported having had some break-through breakmoment. moment. This is key, as many studies of what works in therapy have been based on therapists views. views.

What's the role of the therapist?

Therapists Say Consultant Ask scaling questions Paraphrase Look for strengths and resources Listen, give ideas


Clients Say Mediator Friend Sounding board Made suggestions Savior

Why did you seek therapy?

Therapists Say


Clients Say


I suggested they take a break over summer since it was a school issue, she agreed, she called later about another issue that was not therapy related

It was the therapist's decision I was torn I wanted my son to have someone to talk to I still have difficulties with him

Goal/s


SFT focuses on exceptions to the problem, thinking that a change in behavior will naturally develop then. It's sort of insightthen. insightoriented, but not in traditional ways, since it is future focused, and doesn't get too deep into one member's "pathology," but rather focuses on what the system can do to adapt to it, and let's the couple decide if that "pathology" is a problem or not not

The theory itself has been applied to variety of settings, from therapy with individual experts, to school prevention programs with parent-schoolparent-schoolteen teams as the experts, to substance abuse treatment with abusers and sponsors. It's been sponsors. used with psychiatric populations (Bozeman, 1999), 1999), couples (Lambert, 1998, and Zimmerman 1998, et al, 1997), elderly (Dahl, 2001), youth offenders 1997), 2001), (Seagram, 1997), school-aged children (Corcoran, 1997), school2000), 2000), and children with LD (Franklin et al, 2001), 2001), all with success. success.

Couple Member Status Couples who seek SFT are classified as one of three types: types: A. Visitor - "I don't need any help since I'm not the problem." Confronting them on their lack of problem. responsibility is easy, but not very helpful. They helpful. need compliments for coming in and to get them to come back and be more active

B. Complainant - "We need help and are suffering but, someone else is responsible for fixing it." They need compliments to it. come back, and homework to focus their attention on things they control that impact the other's behavior, especially before behavior, "good" interactions

C. Customer - "We need help. We are both help. part of the problem, and we are both here to fix it but don't know what to do." do. Compliment them for coming, then give homework to shift their attention away from problems and on to exceptions and strengths

DURATION


Sessions last about an hour, include a short break, and are loosely scheduled, meaning couples may have 1 or more sessions, with the average being 3-4 sessions. What you 3do depends on the couple members' status when they come in.