HDFS470 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Family Therapy, Homeostasis

• School: University of Delaware
• Department: Human Development and Family Studies
• Course: HDFS470
• Professor: Radnai- Griffin Dorit

Document Summary

Families: diverse in nature, structure, membership, size, beliefs, values, culture, language, roles, functions, living arrangements, varying perspectives within the family, common elements of a family: individuals bound together, shared understanding or commitment to one another among family members. Families differentiated from other social groups: usually last for a longer period of time than other social groups (example: friends) Intergenerational: family relationships both biological and affinal (legal) relationships, family relationships link them to larger kinship network. Family functioning and development can be understood only in the broader social context. Family systems model: provides a framework for looking at families and their challenges, view of the family as an interactive system of individuals, view family as a whole, members are seen as an interacting unit. Flexible: equilibrium, family systems work toward maintaining homeostasis, working toward being stable. Subsystems: parents, marital, siblings, parent-child, extended family, all interacting within concept of family system.