(Family) Systems Theory

• Nathan Loynes• n.loynes@leedstrinity.ac.uk

Eco-systemic theory

Wider World

Community

Family

School/education setting

Child/Young Person

Family Systems Theory

• Families are SYSTEMS of interconnected and interdependent individuals.

• To understand the individual, we must understand the family system of that individual. People cannot be understood in isolation from one another.

What does it mean to say a family is a system?

A family is greater than the sum of its parts.

• As members of a family system every member is interconnected.

• Think about a mobile. When one piece moves, the whole mobile moves. Movement of one affect the whole system.

Key Concepts

–Family Roles–Family Rules–Homeostasis/Equilibrium

Family Systems Theory

• Within family systems theory the focus is on with how we relate to one another. We build a collection of interactions called a system.

• The system can be a family or a workgroup or a collection of friends.

• Our focus is on the system rather than just on individuals.

• With the system there are qualitatively different elements that help determine what we are and what we can become .

Family Systems Theory

• Each part of the system affects each others.

An alcoholic family member often destabilizes the family system. The alcoholic’s unpredictability, violence, contempt, and self focus distorts much of the family’s interaction.

The whole family must adapt to these behaviors. They do things such as absorbing the anger, denying the effect of the alcoholics behavior, avoiding him, and even trying to cover up the disease.

Family Systems Theory: Basic Elements

• The family is a structure of related parts or subsystems. Each action or change affects every other person in the family.

The family structure

• The family structure has elements that can only be seen in its interactions. Individual make up a family system. This family system is a complex whole that cannot be understood by examining members separately.

Family Roles

• Family Roles: Patterns of interaction become ingrained habits that make change difficult.

Family Rules

• Family Rules: Each family has certain rules that are self-regulating and peculiar to itself. The family is a purposeful system; it has a goal. Usually the goal is to remain intact as a family.

Boundaries

• Boundaries: For families to function well, subsystems must maintain boundaries.

Adaptation

• Adaptation: Despite resistance to change each family system constantly adapts to maintain itself in response to its members and environment.

Systems change

• Systems change through the family life cycle. Changes in family systems are caused by both nominative (predictable life cycle changes) and non-normative (crisis) stresses.

Equilibrium is the condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced.

• If one individual in the established system seeks to change, other individuals in the system will seek to resist that change and maintain the state of equilibrium.

• The relationship between individuals is circular or recursive.

Linear causation ?

Class teacher feels pupil’s behaviourcould be improved if only his motherwould ‘cooperate with school’ andaccept there is a problem. Teachermakes sure that each incident,however small, is reported home

Mother feels that teacher makes afuss about the smallest things andis picking on her son. So, inorder to protect him, shechallenges the significance ofeach reported incident

Circular (or recursive) causation

Class teacher feels pupil’s behaviourcould be improved if only his motherwould ‘cooperate with school’ andaccept there is a problem. Teachermakes sure that each incident,however small, is reported home

Mother feels that teacher makes afuss about the smallest things andis picking on her son. So, inorder to protect him, shechallenges the significance ofeach reported incident

Overfunctioner-Underfunctioner Dyad

• One member of the couple (the overfunctioner) is very responsible. This person wants things to be planned out. In contrast, the other member of the couple (the underfunctioner) may be less responsible, more fun-loving, more spontaneous, etc.

• Imagine a married couple as they deal with finances in the family. The overfunctioner thinks that its important to budget and to stay within a budget. The underfunctioner thinks that sometimes you just have to be willing to splurge and enjoy!