Blog 13

I really enjoyed this lesson on LGBTQ theory. One of the major points that I think is important is that this theory truly accounts for diverse pathways to family formation, structure and development. As a result, in the same spirit, it is important not to lump all LGBTQ families into one pot. Recognizing that each family is unique in its own ways, much as was covered in understanding diverse families, is part of what allows the theory to be flexible and continuously relevant.

Another key takeaway was embedded in the lecture regarding queer theory. This theory questions “heteronormativity”, questions the heterosexual/homosexual binary, and unpacks hidden assumptions about “normal” families and “good” parents. I think one evident example is captured in the quote shown in the photo below: "Asking who's the 'man' and who's the 'woman' in a same-sex relationship is like asking which chopstick is the fork."

I think this quote perfectly demonstrates an ongoing tendency for individuals (even those who accept lesbian/gay couples) to describe and understand them through the lens of heterosexuality. Subscribing gender attributes, associating with traditional gender roles, and similar heteronormative approaches strip a person of their individuality because not all people fall into distinct and complementary genders (man and woman) with natural roles in life.

Blog 12

My unwavering dedication to the public interest developed as a result of many factors and influences in my life that have pushed me to strive to make the dream of social justice a reality for all. While my academic and extracurricular pursuits propelled me along this trajectory, my greatest inspiration has been my family. They have challenged me to believe in others, to be passionate in leading a life of service and to respect the richness of my heritage.

Growing up, I heard stories of injustice that may seem inconceivable to some people: my grandfather’s business being confiscated in Cuba, his forced internment in the fields of Bejucal, his decision to uproot his family to a foreign country to escape the abuses of the Castro regime, as well as his years of sacrifice working three jobs to improve the life of his family and to secure for his children the privileges of freedom, education, and opportunity in the United States.

While those experiences are not alien to many immigrants, few young people possess the same passion and indignation as their older relatives. It is their grandparents’ experiences, not their own. However, I think younger generations have an obligation to learn from their cultural ancestry, share the richness of our vibrant culture, and prevent these atrocities from ever repeating themselves. Their story is my own, embedded in my commitment to the public interest field, in part because of the social schisms which can develop along racial or cultural lines.

Thinking about how culture is built into who we are (and who I am) as an individual and how it influences family dynamics is incredibly important. In addition to my passion for public interest, some of my fondest memories come from family meals during which stories like the one I mentioned were shared. Understanding diversity in families makes the study of family dynamics rich, engaging, and connected to real human experiences.

Blog 11

I enjoyed reading about conflict theory and reflecting how there are indeed many points of tension in many relationships. One of the areas which was alluded to, which I wanted to explore further in this blog post, is the area of discipline.

This is a huge area of struggle for families, and one which I often encounter in my professional life. Children misbehave for a variety of reasons. Sometimes, children act up to get a parent's attention; sometimes when they imitate adults or their peers, it can be interpreted as misbehaving. Misconduct can be a sign that the child is growing up, evolving past a specific set of rules or is a testing limits to increase their independence.

Whether just at home, or even if this behavior extends past home life into school or public life, there are many suggestions designed to help improve behavior. The first step, as demonstrated below as in many other models, is to partner, discuss, and set limits for children. This is something that needs to be negotiated, first and foremost between the caregivers. When there is conflict between parents or guardians, it makes it difficult to create an appropriate discipline structure. However, even if there is agreement between parents or a child is in a single-parent household, relationships with family members, teachers, and other adults can bring the need for negotiation of this structure.

This reminded me of many of the points that were discussed in conflict theory because of the emphasis this perspective places on negotiating conflict for resources and power.

Blog 10

This week's Feminist Family Theory touches upon an important (and often under-explored) area of family dynamics. I personally identify as a feminist- someone who believes in equality between genders which is often not in existence. I believe women and men should be paid equally, which they are not (http://www.womenyoushouldknow.net/equal-payback-project-sarah-silverman-drastic-measures-close-gap-nsfw/). I believe women give consent when they say "yes," which is not a universal protection (http://news.yahoo.com/california-passes-yes-means-yes-campus-sexual-assault-092512755.html). I also believe women should be safe, protected and secure in their security and health, which it is often not (as discussed below).

In thinking about this theory and how it connects to the lives of women (especially in diverse cultures and circumstances, I wanted to explore the link between this theory and female genital mutilation (or FGM). FGM (http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs241/en/) is defined as all procedures that involve partial or total removal of the external female genitalia, or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons. This practice continues because a blend of cultural, religious and social factors within families and communities, particularly in Africa and the Middle East. These reasons range from eliminating a women's libido in order to deter "illicit" sexual behavior by females and encourage modesty, to preparing a woman for female adulthood, to religious promulgation.

The United Nations has worked for years to have FGM acknowledged as a health hazard to women and girls. Research evidence shows grave permanent damage to the health of girls and women. Acute complications involve hemorrhage infections, bleeding of adjacent organs, violent pain. Life long complications include scarring, chronic infection, urologic and obstetric diseases, serious complications during childbirth, pain at intercourse and chronic depression.

A number of governments have outlawed FGM, but the practice continues. In many of these societies, women's subordinate status renders them economically and socially dependent on their husbands and fathers, making it very difficult to avoid undergoing the operation. Efforts to eradicate the practice must also include ending pervasive discrimination against girls and women in these societies.

In the context of Feminist Family Theory, it is important to note how a practice of this type persists, and how the social, cultural and religious views which exist allow it to continue and thrive. This would be an important intersection of theory, research and practice for ongoing exploration and action.

Blog 9

I picked the image below because I think something important to calculate in the cost-benefit analysis is that, at least in some cases, the grass is greener on the other side. The assessment of stability, as described in the theory, is meant to analyze if the satisfaction with the current relationship is greater than any profitable alternatives. If there seems to be a better alternative, this means an individual will leave current relationship. However, what happens next?

Because of the changing nature and assessment of relationships, I think the idea of an "oops" moment can actually factor into an individual's greater, or overall, cost-benefit analysis. Have you never heard of a partner who broke up with their significant other and then regretted it or a couple who got back together after taking some time apart? I think this is just one manifestation of the cost-benefit analysis described by the theory.

Although not explicitly discussed in the theory, I wonder more about what factors are involved in shaping an individual's assessments and cost-benefit analysis. How does one weigh viable alternative options? Where is each person's threshold in the cost-benefit before selecting another option? While I recognize this is part of the comparison level, the subjective standard by which these decisions are made, I wonder what generalizations could be drawn, whether based on gender, culture, or other factors which influence an individual's tolerance and perfection in the social exchange process.

Blog 8

This week's readings and lecture on Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Models of Human Development reminded me of a situation recently encountered at work. As part of my work, the team I lead performs developmental screenings for children in order to facilitate identification and intervention for special needs. As our new budget year was starting, we were evaluating to see if we needed another observational tool to help assess families. My colleagues and I were most interested in promoting positive parenting and healthy parent-child interactions, which led us to explore the PICCOLO assessment.

The Parenting Interactions with Children: Checklist of Observations Linked to Outcomes (PICCOLO) is a checklist of nearly thirty observable, developmentally supportive parenting behaviors. The assessment focuses on the youngest children, particularly those between 10 and 48 months of age across several domains. This tool has been described as a positive, practical, versatile, culturally sensitive, valid, and reliable tool for practitioners that shows what parents can do to support their children’s development.

PICCOLO helps practitioners observe a wide range of parenting behaviors that help children develop over time to facilitate an approach known as developmental parenting. By identifying and focusing on parenting strengths, professionals are able to offer support for increasing the developmental resources available to young children and promoting parent skill-building.

The domains assessed by the PICCOLO include affection (warmth, physical closeness, and positive expressions toward child), responsiveness (responding to child’s cues, emotions, words, interests, and behaviors), encouragement (active support of exploration, effort, skills, initiative, curiosity, creativity, and play), and teaching (shared conversation and play, cognitive stimulation, explanations, and questions). Sample questions can be viewed here: http://archive.brookespublishing.com/documents/PICCOLO-sample-items.pdf.

These domains reminded me of the micro system influences which can impact children according to Bronfenbrenner's theory. Asking important questions such as "How does amount and quality of children’s engagement with parents impact their development and learning?" or "How can interaction with children and the quality of parent-child interaction be altered or improved?" are critical in understanding the development of a child. I think this is a great real-life application of the theory and how it truly works outside of "laboratory conditions" in common practice.

Blog 7

This week's Family Systems Theory reminds me of several stories and situations I have encountered recently. The first picture is of blocks which spell out family. One of the concepts which struck me in the theory is that each family member comes together to influence family dynamics. All of the blocks together spell "family" but without each individual member together, the sum would not be achieved. While each letter is important, they all come together to spell the single word, just as all family members contribute to the sum family dynamic.

The other area which stood out to me about this theory was the concept of boundaries. We often talk about boundaries in the context of personal space or professional ethics or interpersonal engagement in a work setting. It is much more rare (in my opinion) to talk about boundaries in a family, at least in explicit terms. By defining boundaries as the management of the flow of energy and information/communication in a family as the mechanism by which belongingness and autonomy are set, there is a deep well to explore, whether in a theoretical or therapeutic context.

I have always found the expression, "I am drawing a line in the sand" (second picture) to be extremely interesting. The saying is meant to imply that a decision and its resulting consequences are permanently decided and irreversible, but I always found this to be so ironic because sand is such a malleable substance. These boundaries are something I have recently seen a co-worker struggle to define. My co-worker and friend, Daniela, has been working part-time at our agency for nearly six months since she graduated with her Master's degree. She was recently offered another part-time position and has undergone the process of defining boundaries and rules (explicit and implicit) in order to address their responsibilities and her new schedule.

It has been difficult, because Daniela has been used to having much more free time. As a student, and even recently holding a single part-time job, allowed her great flexibility and afforded her much more free time. As she looks to still retain time for personal activities she enjoys, she has had to figure out how to balance with her husband. For instance, it seemed to be an implicit responsibility for her to take their family dog to the groomer's and the vet. As she has added other responsibilities, even this task which she had always handles, and which had been taken for granted, needed to become part of the explicit conversation she had with her husband. As a result, they have had to redraw the lines and expectations and responsibilities in their relationship (in the sand or otherwise) to accommodate these life adjustments. I think Family Systems Theory really underscores the communication, power dynamics, and boundaries which shape many facets of families, including the example provided in Daniela's case.

Blog 6

The Family Stress Coping Theory and Family Resilience Theory has so many practical applications. I have recognized the role that family resilience and asset-based thinking have impacted the work of mental health professionals in my field. I have also had to look at family stress factors to serve as a resource for families and help link them with the tools needed to address challenges they are encountering.

This theory reminded me of a trailer I saw recently for an upcoming movie, called Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. The movie poster and link for the preview are included below:



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_dideF5qvk

The reason this movie reminded me of the theory is inescapable- it is all about crisis and resilience! The movie follows 11-year-old Alexander as he experiences the most terrible and horrible day of his young life, but he does not get much sympathy from his family. After he wishes his upbeat family could share in his bad days so he is not alone. Then, his mom, dad, brother and sister all find themselves living through their own terrible days. Just from the preview, it is clear there are a number of stress factors which crop up in a short time for the family, not just its individual members.

Some of the taglines from the movie stick out to me, "We are not going to let this day get the better of us" or "If you find yourself in choppy waters, just remember you're the captain of your own ship." This clearly shows the elements of resilience, particularly in how a family deals with crisis. By recognizing that they are going to make it through together, despite how difficult their day is, they are able to build resilience and strengthen as a family unit.

Blog 5

The picture I posted below caught my attention for the discussion of Family Development Theory over the life course. The image of multiple generations together (parent, child, and their parents) is a powerful image for me which links back to stages of family transition.

One of the elements I most appreciated about the theory (and which resounded to me personally) was that two stages can be occurring at once for a family. Acknowledging that a young couple and launching of a new family with young children can be occurring at the same time as a family is dealing with the aging of older members, demonstrates how relevant and realistic this theory is to modern society. Especially with an increase of diverse families, altering timelines of family development, the compounding of these life stages and transition times is realistic, and even likely.

In my family, for instance, this has certainly been the case- compounding stages and transitions, which do not always fit neatly in the theory but certainly exemplify many critical changes my family undertook as a unit. The second picture I included is one that shows my sister's high school graduation, which also marked the start of her college career. My parents were simultaneously tasked with supporting my sisters and I as we progressed through late adolescence into young adulthood, while also taking care of my grand-aunt (depicted, who I called my second grandmother) as her health began to decline. My mom's mom, my maternal grandmother, passed away a couple short months before this picture was taken. In addition to being in a state of transition because of this loss, our family was also in the middle of other key transitions and it was certainly a period of mixed emotions- pride and happiness (for my sister's accomplishments) but also sadness.

Another time when these stages were compounded for family was about a year and a half ago. My nephew had just turned one year old. Weeks later, my grandmother (depicted in the second photo), passed away. While her health had been in decline for some time, and elder care had become an increasing priority for our family, she had the opportunity to become a great-grandmother and lived with my sister, her husband, and shared in the first year of my nephew's life. Losing her in December was difficult because it substantially altered our lives in the middle of what was otherwise a period of stability and joy of having Nicholas in the family as a nephew, grandchild, and great-grandchild.

Analyzing some of my personal experiences through this lens is emotional because of how real those stages and transitions have been to me as mile markers in my life.

Blog 4

So, for this week's post on structural functionalism, I found several images which I thought related to the theory. One of the most important areas to explore in structural functionalism is the importance of gender roles in supporting a healthy family dynamic.

The first image I selected was one of a mother teaching her daughter how to cook. I selected this image to try to demonstrate the way in which the theory sees women as being central to family functions, and how females play a critical role in rearing offspring. I hold great respect for any woman (or man) who takes on the bulk of households chores in order to support their family and/or partner's career. I think it takes bravery and selflessness to dedicate one's self to one's family in order to meet the needs of the family and make sure home dynamics are healthy and positive. The reason I take issue with the instrumental and expressive roles outlined by structural functionalism is twofold- first, because of the assumption that women and men should be assigned one capacity over another and, secondly, because there is a greater social value on one role over another.

The reason I selected the second image is to show how women and house work is overly simplified. A container so simple to open a woman can do it! The implication is that a container has to be simple to open for a woman (unlike for a man) so that it can be managed in the course of daily duties. Anyone who works (male or female) will tell you that there are definitely hard, grueling days in any career that try one's patience. However, to value paid employment outside of the home as superior devalues the work done within the home. Cooking, cleaning, child rearing- those are the easy things! Commuting, spending the day at the office, only to commute again- that is what holds real value.

The third image twists J. Howard Miller's "We Can Do It!" poster, also called "Rosie the Riveter." I was so surprised to encounter this re-imagination of the classic rendition. This marketing for cleaning products twists an iconic feminist image, which was originally used to represent women exiting a traditional, domestic role by working in manufacturing during World War II. By linking the image Rosie back to domestic cleaning, it undercuts what the image was meant to represent.

The final image from the well-known Cyanide and Happiness depicts a funny deviation of established social gender roles. Indeed, it gets to the idea of why men and women are assigned roles by gender. The cartoon shows how a man might prove to be a much better chef or baker, which means that everyone in the household, would appreciate the man's baking more. Generally, I think the structural functionalist approach does not acknowledge individual attributes that impact social functioning and family dynamics deeply.

Blog 3

Earlier today I came across an article entitled, “You Shouldn’t Ask Why Janay Rice Stayed” by Tara Culp-Ressler posted through ThinkProgress (http://thinkprogress.org/health/2014/09/09/3564896/janay-rice-cycle-abuse/). Recently, the conversation of violence, specifically domestic violence, has taken a lead in national conversations because of the implications for Rice and other players through the NFL.  The article contends that the conversations surrounding Janay Rice should focus substantially less on whether she stayed with Ray Rice after his abuse; given that his violence towards her was first brought to light even before they were married, despite her status as a victim of a violent crime, many individuals have publicly criticized her for remaining with her abuser. The focus on her continued loyalty and support to Rice has drawn as much attention, if not more, as his release from the team or the NFL’s tougher policy on partner violence.

I am not inserting my personal opinion in to this blog. The reason I selected this article is because I think it serves as an incredible example of social interactionism and is a critical, relevant social issue which deserves to be discussed; the interactions of multiple perspectives is what makes this issue so ripe for analysis through the theory.

To understand people’s anger with Janay requires one to understand that there have been ongoing frustrations with tolerant (or perceived tolerant) social behavior towards violence which many people find upsetting.  Particularly for the social elite, or for those who would keep a winning football team at the expense of appropriately disciplining a player, permissiveness of wrongs condones behaviors because of how they are prioritized against other social values. Especially given the NFL’s previous history in addressing domestic violence, frustration has mounted in drawing a hard line to no longer accept this behavior. Scalding articles, as captured in one piece entitled, “The NFL, Where Smoking Pot Is 8 Times Worse Than Beating a Woman,” succinctly captures the discrepancy between punishments in the athletic industry and demands they reflect the social harm they truly cause. (http://mashable.com/2014/08/27/nfl-marijuana-josh-gordon-suspension/)

The article quotes Chai Jindasurat, the programs coordinator for the Anti-Violence Project, who says, “When we solely focus on whether a survivor stays with or leaves their abusive partner, we place all the responsibility on the survivor rather than holding an abusive partner accountable. Intimate partner violence is about power and control, and leaving can be an extremely dangerous and frightening option for survivors.” This perspective shows the complexities involved with the cycle of violence and how Janay’s role as a woman and partner is shaped by complex, and often conflicting, social interactions. Activists have even started a Facebook hashtag #WhyIStayed (although there is also a #WhyILeft movement), to explain their perspectives and experiences. In essence, they explain why staying is not just a symbol of “weakness” or “submissiveness,” but how staying is tougher course of action because of the limited resources and support which are often offered.

The racial component is also explored, as the article cites a Drexel University therapist speaking about the perception of African American women. She says, “It’s almost like we can’t be victims. We can’t be innocent victims in the way that women of other races can be.” The speculations which have gone into how Janay “deserved” her treatment (statements which echo other dominant social commentary regarding abuse, such as when Rihanna was beat by boyfriend Chris Brown http://thestir.cafemom.com/entertainment/156026/amanda_bynes_tells_rihanna_chris), show how social perceptions cloud discussion of appropriate punishment and lead to victim blaming and shaming. Further undermining her agency as a woman by questioning her decision to stay, in addition to language about how she deserved her treatment, is a form of re-victimization by undercutting her as an individual and justifying the behavior against her.

In essence, the action of staying with her husband Ray Rice has been used to represent and characterize domestic violence situations universally, and has made Janay a social symbol for domestic violence victims and survivors.  The cultural underpinnings of this decision, couple with the social roles perceived by individuals, has become a hotly contested issue which is representative of the social interactionism perspective’s analysis of conflict and social change.

Blog 2

As is evident from the readings and other materials for this week's unit, the American family has been in a constant state of flux and transition. As the structure of families has shifted and developed, so have the theories which explain these ebbs and flows. Often times I have found myself reflecting on my individual experiences- my role as a sister, daughter, aunt, niece, and cousin- that I have not connected it back to the experiences of the larger groups to which I am connected, whether they be geographical, racial, or otherwise. 

One of the stories that comes to mind most often when discussing identity, race, ethnicity and the perceptions of others regarding these domains is one that my friend, Laura, told me long ago. When she went to college, she was often labeled as a "stereotypical white girl from the suburbs." With her blonde hair, blue eyes, and fair skin, Laura probably looked the part based on most individual's perceptions. When she went to college in Pennsylvania, and even once she entered graduate school in Texas, people constantly found her to be out of place at Hispanic events or spoke Spanish around her, instead of to her. It is probably because Laura defies most people's image of when they think of someone from Latin America or who speaks Spanish; Laura was born and raised for the first ten years of her life in Venezuela. This assumption, at times, has made Laura feel isolated. At times, it has worked to her advantage, as a tool to surprise people and broaden their understanding of identity and culture, if they have the opportunity to get to know her more deeply. 

These stories surprised me, even though I probably should have been cued into this idea much sooner. I have known Laura since high school, where we were in many of the same classes together, including Spanish. I remember on our first day of class, when we were getting to know each other and discussing our backgrounds, our teacher made an interesting comment. "We have such a diverse class today, some people don't sound like they speak Spanish and some people don't look like they speak Spanish." She probably meant that folks like Laura didn't look "Hispanic" and students like me had surnames like "Safstrom" which did not sound Hispanic.

The reason I make the connection with "looking" or "sounding" the part with language, is because the same becomes true regarding families. When you begin to make the assumption that some people do not look like they fit together, diverse families struggle to fit into the mold. I may look like my sister,  but what if I didn't? That does not make her any less of sister.

The idea of blended and diverse families, whether the mix is based on bloodlines, race, religion, gender, geography, language or any other identifying characteristic of an individual becomes the means by which judge families, then the understanding is limited. While sometimes, labeling, categorizing or grouping families helps from a theoretical standpoint to draw conclusions and explain trends, the nuances of every individual must also be respected by acknowledging every individual or family unit will not fit into one standard categorization. For this reason, I think it is the biggest challenge and excitement in studying families, to explore diverse theoretical perspectives to develop a broad, multifaceted understanding of families.

 Laura and I at the beach.

My youngest sister and I.

Blog 1 (Introductory Post)

Hi! My name is Jennifer. I am a distance learning student who resides in Miami, Florida, and I am so excited to be part of this course! I work full-time and also have extensive family obligations. While this requires strict time management, I am very happy to be pursuing graduate coursework through the Master’s program to enhance my knowledge base and skill set.                               

I graduated from the University of Miami of Miami with a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies and minors in Spanish, Sociology, and Business Law. As a result, I was exposed to a fair amount of theory through my undergraduate course work, but did not always feel like it linked directly with my day-to-day activities, work, or other professional commitments. The theories I learned most about centered on academic writing/literature, for use in historical analysis, or to explain a general outlook; the theories were mostly in the fields of international relations, culture, gender, and general community theories. I am excited to see "theories-in-action" as described in the welcome video of this course, in order to use theoretical perspectives to inform action, program evaluation, and service management.

While I did work as a student employee during my undergraduate career and participated in several internship programs and volunteer opportunities, my formal, post-collegiate professional positions are listed below:

• Switchboard of Miami, Miami, FL, Program Coordinator, November 2012 – present

• Teach for America, Summer Institute, Gompers Middle School, Los Angeles, CA, School Operations Manager, March 2012 – July 2012

• Transitional Educational Program, Highland Elementary School, Richmond, CA, Special Education Teacher, August 2011 – June 2012

In my current role as Program Coordinator for Help Me Grow (HMG), I manage the initiative's development in Miami-Dade County. HMG is is part of a national initiative that is designed to identify children at-risk for developmental or behavioral disabilities, and connect them with community-based programs for health and developmental services. This program was designed to support questions and concerns of families, while providing access to resources that could offer early detection for health or developmental concerns. 

My passion working in the early intervention services arena was informed by my experiences as a special education teacher in an undeserved elementary school in Richmond, California. I was committed to finding a program which allowed me to serve the community at large, not just the individual students in my classroom; for the last two years, I have found the opportunities afforded to me in my current role extremely engaging and fulfilling in making a positive impact on children and families in South Florida.

I hope to continue developing as a student and professional in order to take on greater leadership roles within nonprofits and enhance my capabilities and expertise in effectively delivering social services, which is the main reason I am pursuing this degree. I think family theory, in particular, would impact me greatly in my current role because of the field in which I currently work.

In terms of hobbies, as much as I can, I enjoy spending time with my loved ones. For instance, I am looking forward to going to several UM football games this season with my sister. I am a proud Miami Hurricane fan, although I hesitated to post pictures throwing up "the U" since I am probably vastly outnumbered by Gators fans in this class. I also enjoy reading and watching movies, whenever time allows. I was excited to find out that one of my most recent reads, Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, will soon be made into a movie, for instance.

With colleagues at the 2014 Help Me Grow National Forum in Miami.

West coast sunset with my family in California.

My sisters on my birthday last year.

 My sisters and I with my grandmother.

 With my sisters at the beach.

With my favorite person in the world- my nephew.