Sample Assignments – II. Theories That Help Us Understand Families

Introduction

Chapter II is dense with theory.  You will focus on five primary theories that help us to frame and understand how families function and interact with communities and schools.  You will find it helpful to review the following preview videos to pair with your reading:

Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems: 5 Forces Impacting Our Lives

Bowen Family Systems Therapy: Short Explanation by Dr Kirk Honda

Functionalism | Society and Culture | MCAT | Khan Academy

Conflict theory | Society and Culture | MCAT | Khan Academy

Symbolic interactionism | Society and Culture | MCAT | Khan Academy

Discussion A

1. Choose one of the theories covered in Chapter II.
2. What stood out to you and why?
3. Give two specific examples of how you will use theory to gain a better sense of how to engage with families.

  Discussion B:

1. Think of yourself at a particular time in your childhood (e.g., age 10).
2. Describe how each system in the bioecological systems theory model directly impacted your development.  Identify your influencers in each system.

Reading Review

1. In 1-2 paragraphs, create a profile or case study of a family.  This might be your own family, a fictional family, or a family that you work with on a professional level.  Your profile or case study should include a description of each family member, their roles and responsibilities, and any other relevant information that helps the reader to visualize your description.  Then, in 2-3 paragraphs, analyze the family from one of the theories presented in Chapter II.  In other words, if we were to consider how the family roles and responsibilities were shaped OR how the family engages with communities and schools OR how the family influences the child, which theory would apply?  Identify the theory and provide a detailed description that relates to your case study.
2. Choose and answer two of the following Pause and Reflect questions in Chapter II.

Reflection

1. Read the case studies below.
2. Choose one to examine and analyze closely.
3. Choose one theory covered in Chapter II that closely relates to the case study.
4. Analyze the case study from the perspective of that theory.

Case Study 1 :

The mom has six children and has never worked outside of the home. The dad owns a small convenience store and is almost never home. The children range in age from 5 to 22. The youngest, a 5 year old boy, is preparing for kindergarten in the fall, but has never attended any kind of program or school outside of the home. The child is extremely “street smart” but cannot identify his letters or numbers. The other children (a 7 year old boy, a 9 year old girl, a 13 year old boy, and a 15 year old boy) go to school and then return home to help mom around the house.  The boys go to the business to assist dad, as well. The children are often at the convenience sstore late at night and struggle to get to school on time. The 9 year old daughter is already learning how to cook meals, do laundry, and clean the bathrooms and bedrooms. The 22 year old boy assists with the business. If he ever wants a night with friends, it becomes a struggle with mom and dad because he still lives at home. They tell him he’s not setting a good example for his siblings, that he needs to take care of the family if dad is still at work, that there’s work to do around the house. He was not allowed to enroll in college after high school because he was expected to continue the family business. He drives a nice vehicle that his dad pays for and has been told that if he moves out, he will lose the vehicle.

Case Study 2:

In a blended family, there are 8 people. Bob married Kate. They each had 3 children of their own from previous relationships. The siblings don’t use the “step sibling” label. Bob’s biological children are Corinne (age 30), Corey (age 24), and Olivia (age 21). Kate’s biological children are Jaylynn (age 20), Jordan (age 17), and Joey (age 14).  While Kate and Bob are the parental figures and caregivers, Corinne, being much older than her siblings, also fulfills a caregiver role. Joey was 2 when the family started living together. Corinne, who was 18 at the time, took the initiative with Joey’s potty training.  She was a mother figure to Joey.  Kate’s children’s biological father is problematic.  His aggressive outbursts required intervention from the Department of Children and Families.

Case Study  3:

In the Zebo family , the grandparents are the guardians of their grandchildren. The grandchildren are a 5 year old girl (Zivi) and a 9 year old boy (Ralph).  They lost their mother to a drug overdose.  Their father is not present in their lives.  The grandparents are from Russia and are raising the children in that culture.  Zivi is angry:  she lashes out verbally when things don’t go her way. Ralph battles over control and fairness.  The grandfather is  easy-going, believing that their behaviors are not problematic and that they are “just being kids.” The grandmother is the disciplinarian.

Optional Bonus

1. Identify a community resource that is available to children and families in your community that addresses a system in the bio-ecological systems theory model.
2. Provide the address, phone number, and web site.
3. How does this resource connect to the specific system level?