What is a family? The answer is not a simple one. The composition of families has changed in the 21st century and family life is impacted by many influences both internal (family structure and roles, culture, health and well-being of members, etc.) and external (race, social class, gender, ethnicity, etc.). As framed in our textbook, families can be viewed as smaller systems that exist within larger ones. That is, families become organized around a set of rules and power structures that both influence and are influenced by the larger context in which they exist. The readings and videos in this module will situate family in this way. This perspective will be important in creating a foundation for understanding the evolution of family therapy.
For the Discussion in this module, read the article entitled “The Way We Weren’t: the myth and reality of the ‘traditional’ family” by Stephanie Coontz (note misspelling as Koontz). Coontz’s discussion of the “traditional” family will stimulate and frame your thinking about the purpose and role of the family. Consider how are Coontz’s ideas similar and different to your own ideas? How do Coontz’s ideas compared and differ to those of the Goldenberg, Stanton and Goldenberg text chapter about what defines a “traditional family”? What realizations occurred as you thought about these questions? How does this view relate to applying systems theory to understanding families? These questions will help you as you think through and address the first discussion.