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Family Self-defined Created/maintained through interaction Voluntary and involuntary relationships Boundaries Evolves over time Family Types Families-of-Origin Nuclear Families Gay/Lesbian Families Extended Families Stepfamilies Single-Parent Families Couples (cohabitating or married) Factors in Determining Stepfamily Types Parenting Managing change Separating the first and second marriages Dealing with nonresidential parent Modern Step Family Formed through divorce Vulnerable to dissolution Cultural changes Changing gender roles Unique type of marriage Purpose: fill knowledge gaps Neotraditionalist Stepfamily Challenge of stepfamily life: building satisfying marriage Middle ground: shared values, beliefs, styles Reasons it contributes to marital satisfaction and stability: - Pride of joint authorship - Zone of comfort - Stabilizer Matriarchal Stepfamily Parenting dominated by mother - Monitor role Lack cohesiveness Vulnerable to change - Change-embracers Unique combination of personalities Emphasize couple activities Romantic Stepfamily Appear similar to neotraditionals Characteristics - Signature trait: unrealistic expectations 2 reasons for unrealistic expectations: - strong allegiance to idea of family - compensation factor Ghostbusting Avoiding the ghosts of marriage past - Active listening - Open and encouraged disclosure Parenting Task in Stepfamilies - Decide when to integrate the stepfather in the child's life - Decide what type of relationship to build - Child's attitude toward the nonresidential parent - Child's gender Family Stories - Family members as subjects - Sequence of events - Significance - Performance - Fluidity - Meaning is negotiated Functions of Family Stories - Connect past/present/future - Build identity - Teach lessons and morals - Negotiate dialectical tensions - Reflect developmental tasks - Establish boundaries Types of Family Stories - Courtship - Birth - Survival Family Rituals - Recurring, patterned communication event - Produce and reproduce family culture and identity - Link generations together Adoption Story Themes - Dialectical tensions - Destiny - Compelling connection - Rescue - Legitimacy of adoption Systems Theory - Wholeness (Family as a system) - Interdependence (How things will affect others) - Hierarchy (Interpersonal subsystems - mom/dad. dad/son) - Boundaries/Openness (Visible or Invisible) - Calibration/Feedback (Response to change) - Equifinality (Same goal achieved through various means) Dialectics Ongoing tensions with contradictory impulses Three common dialectical tensions in families: - Novelty/Predictability - Autonomy/Connection - Openness/Protection Attachment Theory - Explain/predict bonding and behavior - Behavior in adulthood is based on availability/responsiveness of caregiver - Stable patterns of attachment form Attachment Styles (View of Self, View of Others) - Preoccupied (upper left) - Fearful (lower left) - Secure (upper right) - Dismissive (lower right) Social Exchange Theory Economic terms: costs and rewards Worth of relationship= cost - rewards Positive relationships Negative relationships Comparison level (CL) Comparison level of alternatives (CLalt) Expressing Intimacy - Declaration of commitment - Positive absolute statements - Private language - Messages of comfort and support - Playfulness - Nonverbal intimacy and sexuality - Self-disclosure Marital Middle Ground Challenge of stepfamily life: building satisfying marriage Middle Ground: shared values, beliefs, and styles - Pride of joint authorship - Zone of comfort - Stabilizer