Family Systems Theory

I think we all know that each family is different in their own special way. Either in culture, race, religions, or even just different set of rules that each family practices.

This week I learned a lot more on the types of theories that social scientists use to explain certain things in a family, in order to understand certain beliefs or actions that specific families take.

One of the main theories that I want to focus on is the family systems theory, which states that there are multiple subsystems within the family unit. There are different relationships(Dynamics) that makes the unit unique. For example, there can be A mother a father, a son, and a daughter. Yet the subsystems in the family can be that the Mother and Daughter have a special connection with each other, another subsystem is between the Mother and Father and they only discuss certain topics with each other that their children don’t know about etc.

The family systems theory also states that each family has unspoken rules and roles. You can learn these rules in a different ways. One of the ways you can come to know if you have an unspoken rule is if you violate the “rule” and everyone in the family unit freaks out a little bit, because you just disturbed something in the force. You can also learn specific rules when you visit a different home, and watch how differently they handle things, and if you try to do it the way you were taught, things the other family get weird.

An example of an unspoken rule can be that one family likes to wash their own plate once they are done eating. Another family might pile up the dishes until the end of dinner and then take turns each night cleaning the dishes.

Roles can also apply in the family systems theory. For example each person in the family unit can represent someone in the unit. The Father can represent the bread winner of the family, the mother can represent the director of the home, the oldest daughter can represent the rebel of the family and the second son can represent the responsible child.  It can be completely different in each family, but if someone tries to switch roles it can also cause some disturbance in the force.

So when there is disturbance or change, the family unit has the agency to either try their best to get back to how things used to be, and bring upon them the stress of forcing change, or the family can learn to embrace the change for the better of the family.

When we come to learn more on this theory, we can come to understand that everyone has been raised in a different way. Everyone comes from different backgrounds and customs that when one gets married, the spouses have to learn the differences that each other have, yet come to realize that this is an opportunity to compromise and grow together.