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In his thirties, he marries a dynamic woman. He quickly adjusts what he thinks and says to please his friends and co-workers. When John becomes an adult, he lacks confidence and is prone to “groupthink”. They leave him no room for decision-making in childhood and adolescence. They always look after him and deal with all his problems.
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Example: John’s poorly differentiated self These people tend to rely on others for acceptance and approval. Others have a poorly differentiated “self”. Some develop a strong “self” and become autonomous and confident. Once formed, the “self” can only change after the person makes a long-term effort. People’s levels of “differentiation of self” differ. That’s because Ann and Sofia joined sources to scapegoat Mary, an outsider. When Mary and Ann fall, the composition of the “powerful dyad” changes: Sofia takes the position of Mary. Sofia feels uncomfortable and constantly tries to maintain her position in the triangle. Mary and Ann have a stronger bond, which makes Sofia the odd person out. Triangles usually have one side in conflict and two sides in harmony.
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It is more stable than a two-person relationship because it can resist more tension. The triangle is the smallest stable relationship system. In what follows, we’ll discuss them one by one, paired with examples. The Bowen Family Systems Theory comprises eight interlocking concepts ( Kerr, 2000). Related Theory: Durkheim’s Functionalism (Which also emphasizes the role of the family in society) 8 Family Systems Theory Concepts (with Examples) Then, he proposed to treat “anorexic families” instead of “anorexic children”. He recognized psychopathology stems from poor boundaries among family members. In the words of Dr Bowen, “that which is created in a relationship can be fixed in a relationship” (Bowen, 1978).įor instance, this understanding is key to Salvador Minuchin’s (1978) proposed treatment of anorexic youth. Familial, community, and social relationships are reciprocalīecause familial, community, and social relationships are reciprocal, treatment should not be directed at the symptomatic person. We can see how this has influenced subsequent theories of family, such as concepts around types of parenting and how they affect children’s social development. This can lead to clinical, psychiatric, or social illness in the mother and/or the children. Imagine the father becomes aggressive or depressive. If the emotional functioning of one member changes, the entire family/emotional unit automatically responds to this change. Conversely, a child in a dysfunctional family might develop antisocial behavior and experience numerous obstacles in their growth. Thus, individuals can only be understood in relation to one another.įor example, a child growing up in a loving and supportive household progresses to become an emotionally stable and socially prosperous adult who exhibits prosocial behavior. The family is a complex emotional unitĮach member plays a specific role and respects certain rules. Bowen’s theory was innovative because it shifted the focus of attention to the family unit (the group rather than the individual).īowen’s theory was very influential and its key concepts and structural approach have been widely applied to nonfamily groups: work environment (Chambers, 2009), community structures etc.īowen’s three key assumptions were: 1. Until the 1960s, that traditional psychology saw the individual as the basic unit of emotional functioning. You might also see the theory in the literature cited as the Bowen Family Systems Theory (BFST). He further developed it with Michael Kerr (Kerr & Bowen, 1988). The psychiatrist Dr Murray Bowen introduced the family systems theory in the 1950s. References Family Systems Theory Definition and Assumptions