Running head: FAMILY THEORY PAPER

Family Theory Paper

NUR 531 Family Theory
Lori Huneau
December 3, 2014
State University of New York Institute of Technology

FAMILY THEORY PAPER

The family that I have chosen for this paper is the S family. I had the pleasure of meeting
C.S., the mother, 10 years ago at a play group that both of our daughters participated in. Our
daughters have grown up together and have remained the best of friends. We see the entire
family regularly as our children participate in many of the same activities in the community and
are for the first time this year attending the same school. Their family is a nuclear family
consisting of a mother, father, and their three children.
Family Identification

Initials

Age/Race

Roles in Family

J.S.

37
Caucasian

Father,
breadwinner,
disciplinarian

C.S.

36
Caucasian

Mother,
Housekeeper,
child caretaker,
recreational
activities
coordinator

M.S.

11
Caucasian

Daughter,
assists mom
with care of
O.S.

T.S.

9
Caucasian

O.S.

2
Caucasian

Son, family
comedian

Son

Occupation

Medical
equipment
sales

Stay at home
mom

6th grade
student

3rd grade
student

Preschool
student

Interests/Activiti
es
Golf, Down
syndrome
group, coaching
the kids sports
teams
Hanging out
with friends,
Down syndrome
group activities
coordinator

Basketball,
soccer, softball,
band, chorus,
church youth
group
Basketball,
soccer,
baseball,
church youth
group
Play group,
playing with his
friends

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Definition of Family Systems Theory

The theory I have chosen to use to analyze the S family is the Family Systems Theory.
The basic premise of this theory is that the family is composed of individual members who share
a history, a reciprocal emotional attachment, and develop strategies for meeting the needs of
individual family members and the family as a whole (Friedman, Bowden, & Jones, 2003). The
family systems approach is based on several basic assumptions; each family is unique in its
composition and interactions, the family is an intricate system whose component parts have
constantly shifting boundaries and varying degrees of resistance to change, for each member to
grow and develop a family must fulfill a variety of functions for each member, and a family goes
through a variety of developmental stages in which produce various amounts of stress affecting
all of its members (Friedman et al, 2003).
Basic Components of the Family Systems Theory
Family Systems theory recognizes a family as not just a collection of individual family
members, but that the whole family is greater than the sum of its parts. It is more than who
makes up the family, it is the interrelatedness of the components in the family system that come
together to define that family and its unique characteristics (Friedman et al, 2003).
Because of the interrelationships within a family, any change in any one part or individual in
the family can have a ripple effect. The ripple effect refers to the delicate balance or equilibrium
that exists within a family being disrupted, impacting all of the members of the family at varying
intensities (Friedman et al, 2003). When working with families nurses must take into account
what impact that any given intervention will have on the family as a unit.

FAMILY THEORY PAPER

Another important component of the Family Systems theory is the idea that families are selfreflexive and goal-seeking. Their self-reflexive nature enables them to make themselves and
their behaviors the focus of examination and target of explanation (Friedman et al, 2003,
p.159). Because of this they tend to examine themselves and then set goals. Families strive to
reach certain objectives and common goals. Using both positive and negative feedback loops the
achievement of goals becomes attainable through various routes within the family (Friedman et
al, 2003).
Family Systems theory describes a family as having both internal and external boundaries.
The internal boundaries define how family members relate to one another. These are subsystems
that become the bases for family functioning and organization (Friedman et al, 2003). These
subsystems usually consist of family members that belong to the same generation, are the same
sex, or those that share the same interest or functions. Family members can be a part of more
than one subsystem. Over time within a family unit, rules develop about who is included in the
subsystem, their roles, and how the subsystems interact with each other (Friedman et al, 2003).
The external boundaries described in the systems theory refer to the family regulating the
amount of input they receive from the environment and the amount of output they provide to the
environment in which they are in constant interaction (Friedman et al, 2003). In order for a
family to adapt to outside demands and their internal needs is through selective permeability of
its boundaries. It is important for a family to screen and modify input from its environment to
promote its survival and growth (Friedman et al, 2003, p. 161). The degree of permeability of a
family may vary depending on their culture, preference, or circumstances and may vary
depending on the different stages of the familys development.

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Constant interaction with their environment enables families to exchange materials, energy,
and information which is necessary for their survival. There are varying degrees of openness or
closedness among different families. A more open family is able to work through their problems
creatively utilizing new opportunities, techniques, and resources and are welcome to new ideas.
They take initiative to gain knowledge and seek out new resources and use them to solve their
problems (Friedman et al, 2003). A more closed family are threatened by change and are
resistant to it. These families have less permeable boundaries and are not open to strangers or
new opportunities. They tend to have minimal interaction with their environments and often
have predictable routines, roles, and rules established (Friedman et al, 2003). Most families are a
combination of open and closed and can change depending on the circumstances.
According to Family Systems theory, families are able to modify their behavior to each other
and the environment as the situation demands through family adaptation (Friedman et al, 2003).
Families must maintain a level of equilibrium while continual change and growth are occurring
in order to remain functional. Healthy families are flexible, more spontaneous, open to growth
and change, responsive to new stimulation, and not status quo oriented (Cox & Paley, 1997). A
sufficient range of behaviors and patterns, along with flexibility, is essential for families to meet
both internal and external demands (Friedman et al, 2003).
Application of Family Systems Theory to My Family
I have chosen to apply the Family Systems theory to the S family as it relates to an
internal stressor (the birth of O.S.) being placed on the family and the necessary adaptation
within the family to maintain equilibrium while continual change and growth are occurring.

FAMILY THEORY PAPER

The members of the S family are very close. This particular family was presented a few
years ago with the stressor of raising a child with special needs. O.S., their youngest son was
diagnosed with Down syndrome at 2 weeks old when he was hospitalized for feeding issues.
The news was devastating to the entire family. Since then, O.S. and his needs have been a
central focus for this family, but with the assistance of their internal and external resources, the
experience has enabled them to grow stronger as a family and gain a new perspective on life.
How a family appraises their situation, what resources they have, and how they respond will
also influence how individuals will adjust (McCubbin, Thnompson, & McCubbin, 1996).
This family is composed of more than just a mother, father, and their 3 children. Their
distinct qualities and interactions make them who they are as a family. C.S. and J.S. are very
supportive of each other and affectionate with one another and their children. They spend a lot
of time together doing recreational activities and love to be in each others company. Many
subsystems exist within the family. The parents compose one subsystem with a common role of
providing care and raising their 3 children. The children also have formed a subsystem where
they are learning to support, express feelings, cooperate, and even help care for each other.
There are also distinct subsystems between J.C. (father) and T.C. (son) as well as C.S. (mother)
and M.S. (daughter). The parents try and spend special time with each child individually to give
them an opportunity to have their own time with them.
The birth and subsequent diagnosis of O.S. has had a ripple effect on the entire family. C.S.
is a stay at home mom who initially had to spend her days confined to her house so that services
including PT, OT, and music therapy could come to her home and assist O.S. in meeting his
developmental milestones. The other children had to decrease the time spent on activities they
were involved in out in the community because their parents were hesitant to take O.S. out of the

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house for fear that he would get sick. As O.S. has gotten older he has been able to do more than
they had ever expected of him. He is now in preschool giving C.S. a little more free time and the
other kids have gradually gotten back in to their recreational activities that they were involved in
before his birth.
With O.S. doing so well developmentally, the S family have now set a family goal of
encouraging him to grow up around children similar to him so that he has more opportunities
(possibly courtship or marriage) and doesnt feel different. The have decided to adopt an
orphaned child who also has Down syndrome from China and provide O.S. an opportunity to
grow up with a child like him and provide a better life to a child in need. J.S. and C.S. are
planning on going to China in January to meet and bring home the newest member of their
family who they have named Oscar. M.S. and T.S. are extremely excited to meet their little
brother and the family has worked together fundraising to make it happen, bringing them closer
than ever.
The S family can be described in systems theory as an open system with semipermeable boundaries. Although initially devastated to hear of O.S.s diagnosis, J.S. and C.S.
have since embraced it and accepted the challenge of helping O.S. to become a functional and
productive member of society. Upon initial diagnosis they gained as much information about
Down syndrome from books and other resources as they could so that they had a strong
foundation to care for him and reasonable expectations for his future. They are members of a
Down syndrome support group and C.S. has met many families in the community with children
with Down syndrome whom she meets for play dates regularly. O.S. has just started preschool
so that he has the opportunity to interact with different children. The family is also active

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members of their church in which they receive support and the children participate in the
churchs youth group.
As previously mentioned, they are seeking the opportunity to adopt another child with
special needs. Through sharing their story with their community, Reeces Rainbow, and other
organizations, they are being assisted in providing the funds necessary for the adoption to take
place. They are also planning other fundraisers for family and friends in the community to help
support their new endeavor.
Through effective family adaptation, the S family has been able to grow as a family
despite the demands placed on it. The life they had envisioned for themselves and their child had
been turned upside down once learning that O.S. had Downs syndrome. Since then, with the
support of each other, their church, and their community, it has brought them even closer as a
family. They now see it as God gave O.S. to them and them to O.S. for a reason and they will all
be better people because of him and their experiences together. They are now looking forward to
their newest journey with the addition of Oscar to their family.

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References
Cox, M., & Paley, B. (1997). Families as systems. Annual Review of Psychology, 48, 243-246.

Friedman, M., Bowden, V., & Jones, E. (2003). Family nursing research, theory, & practice (5th
ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Giallo, R. & Gavidia-Payne, S. (2006). Child, parent, and family factors as predictors of
adjustment for siblings of children with a disability. Journal of Intellectual Disability
Research, 50(12), 937-948.

McCubbin, H., Thompson, A., & McCubbin, M. (1996). Family assessment, resiliency, coping,
and Adaptation. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Publishers.