Family Development Theory PDF

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Family Development Theory...

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Family Development Theory 

N.C.F.R = National Council Family Relations o Understanding families through interdisciplinary research, theory and practice

Family Developmental Theory  Emerged in the late 19400s – Duvall and Hill  One of the first family focused theories that was separate from psychology and sociology  focus on developmental stages that families must pass through (stages and tasks) Basic Assumptions  families undergo stages of development, just like individuals o focus on the developmental stages of the family as well as the individual o transitions from one stage to the next are usually related to changes in individual development  there are tasks associated with each stage of development o failure to complete a task does not necessarily preclude moving to the next stage of development but may limit a family’s optimal functioning at the next level  development is reciprocal  families must be viewed in multiple levels of analysis o society, family, individual  families should be viewed over time o families are not static o families change over time Primary Terms and Concepts  Family o Interacting persons related by ties of marriage, birth, or adoption whose central purpose is to create and maintain a common culture  Normative events o Focus is on the events that are expected to happen  Stages o Each stage of development is related to behaviors or tasks that would normally be expected to occur during the stages of the family life cycle  Tasks o Developmental tasks occur at particular points in development or in response to either physical maturation or cultural changes o Tasks must be met by developing new abilities, roles, or relationships  Timing o When something happens in family life has an impact on family life o Ontogenetic time: refers to the time one recognizes as one grows and changes through one’s own lifetime

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o Generational time: refers to how one’s time is experienced within one’s social group (family or cohort) o Historical time: refers to how time is experienced in the social context or greater historical period Change o Family developmental theory proposes that family relationships change over time Transitions o Shifts in roles and identities encountered with changes in developmental changes o As families shift from one stage to the next, their roles, behaviors, and tasks are reallocated in accordance with their new stage Transitions/Timing o Shifts from one family stage to another (not mutually exclusive) o Can be viewed as “on time” or “off time” o Sequences of events and stages can also be “disorganized”  Birth of a child before marriage

Stages of Family Development 1. Establishment Phase – courtship and marriage 2. Childbearing families – families with infants 3. Families with pre-school age children 4. Families with school-age children 5. Families with adolescents 6. Families with young adults – the launching stage 7. The middle years 8. Aging family members Normative Variations and Deviations  The extent of accepted variations in the family development depends on the strength of the norms within any given birth cohort and historical period  Deviation by large numbers of families from a normative path occurs when there are rewards for doing so  1 reason for deviance is to align family timing and sequencing norms with those of other institutions such as education and work Criticisms  Early model doesn’t account for demographic/societal changes  Social norms have changed  There is no one fixed and standard version of the family  Model describes middle-class, heterosexual, couples with children  Does not include family identity factors Important Alternative Stages

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Divorce Blending Long-term illness or disability Single Parenting...