Ethnographic Paper

The Ties That Bind Amy Salomone Wayne State University

Ethnographic Paper Introduction In our text, family is defined in many different ways by numerous theorists; however the definition that I was drawn to personally defines family as a unit of interacting persons related by ties of marriage, birth, or adoption, whose central purpose is to maintain a common culture

which promotes the physical, mental, emotional, and social development of each of its members (Ashford & Lecroy, 2013, p. 161). I think this particular definition appealed to me most, because it took into account that all parts of a family are interrelated and interdependent. Within individual family structures, each member relies on the other members for their mental, emotional, social, and physical support and well-being; the maintenance of all of which is vital to an individuals healthy functioning in the environment. From a social work perspective, the initial function of a family is socialization and social integration. Socialization teaches us the norms, values, and ways that we should behave in society and social integration ensures that each individual fits and is made aware if they step outside the norm (Day & Schiele, 2013). These aspects of family are extremely important, as they teach us how American culture, or any culture for that matter, expects us to act, think and, behave. In return, this affects the individual as they grow and develop. In this paper, I am going to explore the effect of my familys interactions in relation to the biophysical, psychological, and social perspectives, as well as the affect on my values as a future social worker. My Family: A Short Introduction I like to think my family is the stereotypical all-American family. When I speak about my family, I am referring to immediate family only, as all of my grandparents are deceased; my family is comprised of my mom, dad, sister, brother, and myself. My parents have been married for thirty-one years, which is to be commended in this day and age. My dad is an office manager

Ethnographic Paper at a medical office, and my mom is a nurse; however, both are unhappy with their jobs and are eagerly awaiting retirement. My sister is the oldest; she is thirty years old and has already been married and divorced which resulted in no kids; she is a social worker and has been practicing for the last 3 years. My brother is twenty-eight years old and is a member of the U.S. Coast Guard. He has been married to his wife for seven years; they have a three year old son and have

twins on the way. Last but not least is me, Im twenty-five years old and a social work student; I work at the local beach during the summer and do not have any kids nor have I ever been married. Biophysical Dimension The biophysical dimension encompasses the biological and physical elements that contribute to a persons behavior (Ashford & Lecroy, 2013). Although I hold enormous pride in my family, there are also aspects of our biology that I am not so proud; such as, the tendency toward eating disorders, which persists in my family. This could be argued as nature versus nurture; this argument is concerned with whether aspects of behavior are inherited genetically (nature), or learned (nurture) characteristics (McLeod, Nature Nuture in Psychology, 2007). A long held skeleton in our familys closet, my dad has been the victim of an eating disorder on and off for over thirty years. Unfortunately, I have followed in his footsteps and have found myself struggling with this disorder in my past as well. According to research done at Michigan State University, Until recently, it was generally believed that eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa resulted solely from environmental influences such as peer pressure and certain perceived expectations of society; however, genetic risk factors are also involved (Michigan State University, 2007, para. 1&2). I admit a large part of my struggle was contributed to nurture, and the environment in which I have been brought up since birth.

Ethnographic Paper However, science has proven that eating disorders are hereditary and that a genetic element is also involved. Despite the genetic element, my father and I are the only ones in the family to be affected by this disease. Psychological Dimension The psychological perspective deals with why individuals behave the way they do. One such aspect of the psychological dimension is how individuals cope with stress. Huljich (2012) compares coping mechanisms to addictions. We feel a compulsion toward our specific way of coping; be it anger, worrying, or turning to substance abuse. Individuals must have a way of coping and adapting to the change that is a part of everyday life. We tend to use a coping mechanism as a distraction, a crutch that we lean on as a way of preventing us from dealing directly with stress (Hiljich, 2012). In other words, the particular coping mechanisms that we tend to lean towards, gives us some sort of emotional payoff in the end in our battle against stressors. The coping mechanisms for which each member of my family adheres are divided. My mother and brother react to stress with anger. They have a tendency to have very short tempers, and are easily angered; both are inclined to strike out at others in high stress situations and they are easily frustrated. The payoff for this kind of reaction may be the ability to let off steam, and voice immediate issues and concerns directly related to the circumstances. On the other side of

the spectrum, my sister and dad have a propensity toward a suffer-in-silence type of reaction to stress. I, admittedly, may be wrong; both may just have a high ability to adapt in times of change and stress, so they may not be suffering at all. However, I have never seen either of them have a strong reaction to a stressful situation. The payoff for this kind of reaction may be that you do not seem vulnerable others. Lastly, I am a without a doubt a worrier. I deal with stress by

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continuously running through all the worst case scenarios in my head. I think the payoff I receive for this is a vast majority of the time, the situation I am worrying about turns out better outcomes than I thought because I have already thought through the worst outcomes. Therefore, I feel relieved once I have tackled a stressful situation and I can put it behind me. Social Dimension According to Allen (2007), all family members have a stake in maintaining the delicate balance in their relationship patterns. The action of one member affects all others and that member is in turn affected by the reaction of others (A Delicate Balance section, para. 1). As a family, we are interdependent; we cannot help but act with a group mentality. Like most families, mine tries to protect our own. If one of us is in need, it is not just an expectactation but a given that the others will rally around that person to reinstate the balance. An individual's behavior is connected to their feelings and sense of self; each person is unique and individual and has the free will to change their behaviors (McLeod, Psychological Perspectives, 2007). This theory accounts for the various difference between members of my family. We all have very different ways of interacting with others. My mom is more of a loner personality, she doesnt like to socialize people that she does not know or feel comfortable around. She has stated numerous times that she does not understand why my sister and I are going into social work for a living, as she could not imagine talking to strangers all day. My brother is similar to my mom, in that, he is not very social with those he does not know personally. But, he maintains a core group of friends that he has retained for quite some time. My dad is very social; he is always up for a conversation and is not shy around people he does not know. My sister is the most social person I know; we often joke that she could hold a conversation with a paper bag because she is has a very bubbly personality. I like to think of

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myself as a mixture of both; I can be both social and reserved depending on my mood. I do enjoy being around others, but some days I am happy to be on my own. Although, I think we all have days where we would prefer to shut out the rest of the world and be by ourselves. Social Work: My Culture & Values I think the biggest obstacle as a result of my culture is my naivety towards the types of prejudice and discrimination in society. Already, being in social work classes for a little less than two months I have been made blatantly aware of issues of racism and discrimination that I had never been aware of due to white privilege. I have fallen victim to ignoring the everyday benefits I receive as a white female, because issues of race do not directly affect me. However, now that I have been made aware I hope this will help me advocate for clients of other cultures as I take on the role of being a social worker. The values I hold close, such as helping others and compassion is also essential for becoming a great social work. In spite of this, these qualities also my make it difficult in being a social worker. Depending on the population a social worker is working with, I think becoming emotionally attached to clients is a large challenge. Social workers are expected to build a trust and rapport with their clients to be able to effectively help them; after growing so close I think it would be difficult not to get attached or emotionally involved. Conclusion In conclusion, it is indisputable that our culture and background determines how individuals will think and act toward others, whether it is conscious or not. Family influences behavior through genetics and social interactions; they are our introduction to the acceptable behaviors of society. However, I believe family is not the final word on who we become. We can

Ethnographic Paper grow, adapt, and change from where we come from and how we were brought up; whether the change for the better or worse is up to us.

References Allen, J. A. (2007, January 31). Child Welfare Manual: Understanding Families. Retrieved October 13, 2012, from Family Systems Theory: http://www.dss.mo.gov/cd/info/cwmanual/section7/ch1_33/sec7ch1.htm Ashford, J. B., & Lecroy, C. W. (2013). Human Behavior in the Social Environment: A Multidimensional Perspective (5th ed.). Belmont, California: Brooks/Cole, Cengage Learning. Day, P. J., & Schiele, J. (2013). A New History of Social Welfare (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson. Hiljich, P. (2012, September 27). Mind Wellness Awareness: Identifying Coping Mechanisms. Retrieved October 14, 2012, from Psychology Today: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/mind-wellness-awareness/201209/identifyingcoping-mechanisms McLeod, S. (2007). Nature Nuture in Psychology. Retrieved October 13, 2012, from Simply Psychology: http://www.simplypsychology.org/naturevsnurture.html McLeod, S. (2007). Psychological Perspectives. Retrieved October 13, 2012, from Simply Psychology: http://www.simplypsychology.org/perspective.html Michigan State University. (2007, May 12). Genetic Risk Factors For Eating Disorders. Retrieved October 13, 2012, from ScienceDaily: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/05/070511150158.htm