Systems theory • Read White & Klein, chapter 6 – White, J.M., Klein, D.M., & Martin T.F. (2014). Family Theories: An Introduction (4th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill. • Read Davies, P. T., Cummings, E. M., & Winter, M. A. (2004). Pathways between profiles of family functioning, child security in the interparental subsystem, and child psychological problems. Developmental and Psychopathology, 16, 525-550. • Read Whiteman, S. D., McHale, S. M., & Crouter, A. C. (2007). Longitudinal changes in marital relationships: The role of offspring’s pubertal development. Journal of Marriage and Family, 69, 1005-1020. • Read Cummings, E. M., Goeke-Morey, M. C., & Papp, L. M. (2002). A family-wide model for the role of emotion in family functioning. Marriage & Family Review, 34, 13-34. BCCBusinessClips’s channel. (2012, February 26). Communication: Sender/Receiver, Abbott & Costello Comedy Routine. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=7di5zAMMxaI Poke My Heart. (2014, August 29). Mommy’s Pregnancy Surprise Doesn’t Impress Little Boy. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=CNVPoFkcDxA **IN 400 WORDS RESPOND TO THE QUESTION #1 After watching “Mommy’s Pregnancy Surprise Doesn’t Impress Little Boy”, describe how the introduction of a new family member can effect the existing family members. How can family systems such as buffering and bonding in the Family Process Theory, modifying the Rules of Transformation or Variety, or creating negative feedback loops allow a family to better adapt to changes? Poke My Heart. (2014, August 29). Mommy’s Pregnancy Surprise Doesn’t Impress Little Boy. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=CNVPoFkcDxA #2 **IN 100 WORDS RESPOND TO THE ANSWER BELOW IN QUOTATIONS – USE PROPER APA FORMATTNG** “”According to White, Klein, and Martin (2015) the system is the family. All parts of the system work together and influence each other. Additionally, the system is understood once you view all parts together (White, et al, 2015). The system can affect the environment around them and also the environment can affect them (White, et al, 2015). In this video the boy was quite disappointed with the news of another siblings because he just watched his mother go through the process of having his sister. In his mind he recognized a difference from what his family looked liked before when he was an only child, and then what it changed to after he had to share his parents attention. Realizing another child would be added in the equation brought feelings of uncertainty as he knew he would have to go through the process all over again. The boy even mentioned he would be replaced by this new sibling which must of been how he felt when the second child came (Poke my Heart, 2014). The family becomes influenced and changed each time a new addition is added and they must respond differently to each child. I’m familiar with this situation because my oldest daughter wanted a sibling and was excited when I got pregnant. After I had her sister she was no longer excited and actually told me to put her back in my stomach. She saw how I had to divide so much of my attention between her and her sister and she wished things could go back to before. After you have another child your system is changed and operates completely different. All systems have variety and that variety allows them to adapt to new changes or fail to do so (White, et al, 2015). In this situation the boy was not ready to adapt to change but obviously the parents were. His sister would easily adapt to change because she came into a family already established with a big brother. I think every family goes through times when they need to learn adaptability and find their way through it. Their ability to do so makes their family stronger and more resilient. According to White et al (2015) the rules of transformation are established rules each family follows to survive as a unit. I don’t think all families have the ability to adapt and in those situations the family unit could be broken. Therefore, it’s important to understand how the system works and what makes it stay together. Reference White, J. W., Klein, D. M., & Martin, T. F. (2015). Family Theories: An Introduction (4th ed.). Los Angeles, CA: SAGE Publications Inc. Poke My Heart. (2014, August 29). Mommy’s Pregnancy Surprise Doesn’t Impress Little Boy. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=CNVPoFkcDxA “” #3 Cummings, Goeke-Morey, and Papp (2011) describe a child’s emotional security as being influenced by almost any social relationship such as those involving parents, grandparents, siblings and other family relationships as well as those with people outside the family. How do you think that the social relationships of your childhood effected your emotional security as a child? Do you still feel these effects in your emotional security as an adult? If not, what caused this to change? ***IN 100 WORDS RESPOND TO THE ANSWER BELOW IN QUOTATIONS – USE PROPER APA FORMATTNG*** “”In Cummings, Goeke-Morey, and Papp’s (2011) study, they define emotional security as “…a set goal by which children regulate their own functioning in social contexts, thereby direction social, emotional, cognitive, and physiological reactions” (p.19). Based on that definition, I would say that the social relationships of my childhood had a great affect on my emotional security as a child. For starters, until my late childhood I grew up living with my younger brother and my mom and dad. My mom and dad had a generally happy marriage until around the time I became a teenager. As I got older my parent’s marital conflict continually increased. This conflict had an extreme affect on my emotional security. It never did and never has gotten to the point where I became angry or aggressive or misbehaved but at the time I did display negative emotions such as sadness and anxiety. Cummings, Goeke-Morey, and Papp (2011) state that children from homes with physical marital conflict were likely to show such negative emotions and would sometimes attempt to control exposure to marital conflict (e.g. leave the room). I can say that stands true for me. As a child and even now as an adult, I seek to avoid conflict of any sort at all costs. When my parents would fight, I would leave the room or the house. Now, if my boyfriend and I get into an argument, it is my natural reaction to shut down and attempt to leave the situation. This is how I attempt to maintain my emotional security. However, even though my parents had a bad marriage, I had (and still do have) an excellent relationship with my mom, my brother, and my maternal grandparents. This has also had an affect on my emotional security. Having such strong relationships with the other members of my family all throughout my life has increased my emotional security tremendously, especially as a child. When you witness something upsetting as a child, such as your parent’s marital conflict, you are moved from that place of security (Cummings et al., 2011). When I was removed from the place of security, another way that I reestablished it was by going and talking with my mom and/or brother and occasionally my grandparents. Just by reaching out and opening up to them I was able to learn some coping skills and better ways to maintain my emotional security, which is still true today. Cummings, E. M., Goeke-Morey, M. C., & Papp, L. M. (2002). A family-wide model for the role of emotion in family functioning. Marriage & Family Review, 34(1), 13-13. doi:10.1300/J002v34n01_02”” **FOR AN A GRADE SEE BELOW** #1 USE THE PROPER APA 6 EDITION!!!