Blog 2 Topic

Hi all, For by second Blog I have decided on the question: What is family systems theory? Explore connections between family systems theory and social psychology. I think family systems are a vital part of our social network. I think most of us would be able to say that they feel more comfortable when surrounded by family members that by friends. This may in part be attributed that individuals have usually spent more time with family members than they have with any other person. Hypothesised by Murray Bowan, Family Systems Theory is a theory of human behavior that views the family as an emotional unit and uses systems thinking to describe the complex interactions in the unit. It is the nature of a family that its members are intensely connected emotionally. Often people feel distant or disconnected from their families, but this is more feeling than fact. Family members so profoundly affect each other's thoughts, feelings, and actions that it often seems as if people are living under the same "emotional skin." People solicit each other's attention, approval, and support and react to each other's needs, expectations, and distress. A change in one person's functioning is predictably followed by reciprocal changes in the functioning of others. Families may differ s in the degree of interdependence they display, but it is always present to some degree. So i think this is a really interesting topic for my second Blog. As I begin researching, I will post more information surrounding the Family systems Theory as well as the way in which it relates to our field - Social Psychology! Reference http://www.thebowencenter.org/pages/theory.html