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工作坊 -家庭作用和價值

楊家正博士10 月 15日

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Definition of family

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“... a group of persons united by ties of marriage, blood, or adoption; constituting a single household; interacting and communicating with each other in their respective social roles of husband and wife, mother and father, son and daughter, brother and sister, and creating and maintaining a common culture.” (Burgess and Locke, 1953, p.7-8)

“ ... A basic unit of kinship composed of two or more members who are united by ties of blood, marriage or adoption, and who live together constituting a single household.” (Wong, 1975)

Definition of family

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“The family is a social group characterized by common residence, economic co-operation and reproduction. It includes adults of both sexes, at least two of whom maintain a socially approved sexual relationship, and one or more children, own or adopted, of the usually co-habiting adults.” (George Peter Murdock, 1949)

“... a social group made up of members related to one another by blood or marital ties and usually constituting a household.”(Lee, 1991, p.42)

Concepts of the family

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Karpel and Strauss summerizes different concepts of the family: (1) the functional family - defined by shared household, shared activities, shared responsibility for daily life and child rearing; (2) the legal family - defined by legal structure, altered by divorce and adoptive placement of children; (3) the family as seen by its members - defined by the perceptions of its members; and seen as “in” the family by family members; (4) the family of long-term commitments - defined by long-term expectations of loyalty and commitment; trust, reliability, and fairness are basic expectation; (5) the biological family - defined by blood relationships; parent-child relationship. What are the strengths and weaknesses of these definitions?

Functions of family

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Reproductive function Economic function Education (socialization) function Protective function Providing prestige and status Religious function Recreation Function Providing affection

Characteristics of Well‑functioning families A hierarchical structure with a strong parental/marital

coalition and appropriate generational boundaries; A caring and nurturing atmosphere supportive both of

individual differences and family growth and development;

Flexible and adaptability within a context of predictability and stability;

Initiative, reciprocity, cooperation, and negotiation; Effective communication; A congruent mythology; Openness in expression of all feelings; A systemic orientation; Optimism and a sense of humor; A transcendental value system and shared goals and

beliefs; Ritual, tradition, and celebrations; A viable network of support.

Family Life Cycle

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Newly married couples - pre-child year Childbearing families - oldest child under 3 Families with pre-school children - oldest child 3

to 6 Families with school children - oldest child 6 to 13 Families with teenagers - oldest child 13 to 21 Families launching young adults - first child gone

to last child gone Middle-age parents - post-child years to

retirement Aging family members - retirement to death of

spouse

Variations in Family Life Cycle

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Premature marriage - unwed/teenage pregnancy

Childless family Extended family Divorce - singlehood or single parenthood Remarriage - step-family Death of spouse or family member

Single Parent Family - Causes

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Separation and divorce Death of a parent Desertion Work Imprisonment Long-term hospitalization Astronaut families

Common Problems of Single Parent Families

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Financial difficulties Accommodation Emotional problems Parenting problems Social isolation Remarriage