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Family Beliefs and Ideologies. Marriage and Family Interaction HPERF258. Before We Start Today’s Class…. FYI--Draw Your Family For next class: draw, or in some other creative way, depict your family and what it means to you. Write a brief description of what you’ve depicted.
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Family Beliefs and Ideologies Marriage and Family Interaction HPERF258
Before We Start Today’s Class… • FYI--Draw Your Family • For next class: draw, or in some other creative way, depict your family and what it means to you. • Write a brief description of what you’ve depicted. • We will discuss this in class next time.
Family Ideology • A set of beliefs, standards, and values that are shared by all family members • Also called a family paradigm (Reiss defined it as a set of beliefs shared by all family members).
Development of Family Beliefs • Develop in the Broader Social and Cultural Context • Are influenced by the broader social and cultural context • Influence how we interpret the beliefs of the broader social and cultural context • What does this mean?
Character of Family Beliefs • They are Seen as "Truth" by Members • i.e., "This is the way things are because this is the way they are.“ • Socialization of young children • Exposure from birth • Because they are learned at such an early age, we may not question them or struggle with them, if we see our beliefs becoming inconsistent with them.
Forming “Family” Ideology • Formative period • Borrowed or invented • Draw by “new family” members from their earlier family beliefs. Created to fit new situations where old beliefs don’t fit Examples from class?? Family rituals will have meaning for this (come later in the semester)
Where do we get ideas about how to “do” family -- article facilitation • In your small group, discuss article number #24, “Spanking Children: Evidence and Issues” • Be aware of your emotional response to the discussion. Why is it so common in the US for people to feel threatened by suggestions that we no longer spank children?
Configurations of Beliefs in Families • Shared beliefs in families • These are beliefs that are held in common by family members • Individual beliefs of family members • These are held by individual family members, • Family members may or may not know about each other’s individual beliefs • Assumptions of beliefs as “shared” • We may think that beliefs are shared, but, in fact, this may be inaccurate • Learning beliefs that were believed to be shared are not shared can be very stressful
Important Concept Regarding Levels of Abstraction in Family Ideology • Text presents three levels of abstraction. • Important to remember that, for each level of beliefs, there likely are deeper, more abstract beliefs that influence the more basic, concrete level
Insider’s Perspective • Insider's Perspective on Family (and how one's actions relate to that family) • The view of family that we develop by living in a family • Helps us to “do” family, but also makes it hard to see other types of families as acceptable
Draw your family • Small group discussion of what you learned from artistically depicting your family
Closed family paradigm • Fundamental beliefs emphasize continuity, steadiness, and conventional ways of thinking • Clear boundaries • Emphasis on predictability and stability
Open family paradigm • Fundamental beliefs emphasize dialogue, communication, patience, and a willingness to change • Negotiation and collaboration • Sharing of ideas, democracy, consensus • Flexibility
Random family paradigm • Fundamental beliefs emphasize discontinuity, change, and a radical focus on the present • Novelty, creativity, individuality • Rigidly emphasize individuality, lack of restraint and high levels of freedom • Appear to be “rule free”
Synchronous family paradigm • Fundamental beliefs emphasize harmony, tranquility, mutual identification • Decisions based on a non-intellectual sense of unity • Try to act in harmonious agreement
Family’s response to stress– small group • Exaggeration principle – families respond to stress with an exaggerated version of themselves • In your small groups, discuss how each family form would respond to a job loss in the family. • Closed families… • Open families… • Random families… • Synchronous families…
Final Thoughts on Lecture Material • Write one thought on how family beliefs have contributed to something positive in your life. • Remember to turn this in to your discussion leader.