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Family Subsystems & Boundaries


In my class this week we talked about theories. A theory is an attempt to explain a phenomenon. We discussed four different theories. 
The Exchange Theory posits a rational assessment of a situation. This theory weighs the costs and rewards of a situation.
The Conflict Theory asserts that all societies are characterized by inequality, conflict, and change as groups within the society struggle over scarce resources. 
The Symbolic Interaction Theory views humans primarily as cognitive creatures who are influenced and shaped by their interaction experiences.
The Family Systems Theory is built on the premise that humans respond primarily at the emotional rather than the cognitive level. 

I really want to focus today’s post on the Family Systems Theory. In class we were able to talk a lot about the concepts of the system. I want to discuss a few of those concepts. 

One of the concepts is subsystems. In one of my textbooks it says that Subsystems are part of the overall system assigned to carry out particular functions or processes within the system as a whole. Every family has several different subsystems. There are marital subsystems, parental subsystems, and sibling subsystems. As we talked in class one subsystem that I thought about was in my extended family. I have 40 cousins on my mom’s side of the family and I am the fourth oldest. In my mind, the oldest six cousins, are the “original” cousins. When the cousins younger than the first six of us try to include themselves in our group we love to correct them. It’s a silly example but it definitely is a subsystem of our family. 

Another concept is boundaries. A boundary is an invisible line of demarcation that separates an individual, a subsystem, or a system from outside surroundings. Some relationship’s boundaries are to open and others are to closed off. In my reading it said, “In family terms, no system is fully open or closed; if it were totally open, no boundaries would exist between it and the outside world, and it would cease to exist as a separate entity; if totally closed, there would be no exchanges with the outside environment, and it would die. -- Families that function effectively maintain the system by developing a balance between openness and closeness.”  It is so important to have very clear boundaries. In class we compared a healthy boundary to a white picket fence around a house. It makes the boundary clear, but doesn’t scare people off. 

I really enjoyed learning about family dynamics and theories. Taking a closer look at our family systems helps us recognize the patterns of behavior within our own families. If you want to learn even more on the topics I talked about I would suggest looking at “other blogs to read” at the top at the screen. All of my classmates are posting about what they take out of our weekly discussions as well. 

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