Family in Crisis

Abstract

Kegnote address bg Dr Bruce Sparks MBBC\, MFGP tTt hu theme of the third Ceneral Prac. I tice Congress is "Familg ln Cnsis'l This concerns the family in its broadest sense from two person families to extended family systems with multiple genera. tions; from communal families of non. parent adults to single parent families and those with gay parents. Mary Howell in her book "Helping Ourselves" has described the characteristics of a family as joint oc. cupaton of a household, with sharing of time and space; an exchange of unpaid services between family members; a com. mitment to stay together over time; and bonds of ritual tradition and familv history.2 Dr Peter Cusins has very crisply defined the family as "a number of people wh^o think they are a family and act like one.r Dr Norris has defined a family as "an open system in a state of dynamic equilibrium. A system is a set of organis-ed, interacting and interdependent components the function of the com. ponents (in a family, people) can only be fullv understood in terms of the function of ihe whole".a For this system to function as an in. tegrated system it must maintain itself in a state of equilibrium-each member of the family in equilibrium with the other memDers. Should a change be introduced into one component of the family system then a reciprocal balancing change will occur in some or all of the other components. Should the rules and patterns of behaviour of this family permit this secondary change to occur then equilibrium is once more established, possibly with readjusted rules and values. For example, should a young woman wish to marry out of her family faith then, depending on the existing rules and value systems, one of two outcomes is possible. If there is a reciprocal "giving.in" by the parenb then equilibrium is once more established, but if there is a reciprocal counteraction then imbalance and a crisis is precipitated. Thus within this system there must be "give and take" to maintain balance. A sign of a healthy family system is that it can adapt to changes-allowing space for resistance and time to make the transi. tion. Some changes occur through growth-the child learning to walk or an adoles. cent becoming an adult. Other changes occur volunlarily : such as a change in occupation or a move to another city. The changes most likely …