The Family Systems Theory During The Mid 20th Century

Murray Bowen, an American psychiatrist, began developing what would become known as the family systems theory during the mid-20th century. He believed that the family was an emotional unit and that it could be best understood by looking not just at current family interactions but the interactions of prior generations as well (Helm, 2009). His focus was on using theory, not therapy, to treat the patient and the cornerstone of that theory is that human behavior is based on a person being able to â€Å"maintain intimacy with loved ones while differentiating themselves sufficiently as individuals so as not to be swept up by what is transpiring within the family† (p. 205). At both the Menninger Clinic and the National Institute of Mental Health, Bowen became interested in schizophrenia specifically in relation to the mother and child. He soon realized that he needed to focus on the entire family rather than just mother and child to provide a more accurate picture for his research. The Bowen Family Systems theory was born of this realization. The basic premise of the family systems theory is that the therapist cannot fully understand or successfully treat the client without first grasping how that individual functions within their family system. To this end, Bowen postulated eight interlocking concepts for the family as an emotional unit and they are differentiation of self, triangles, nuclear family emotional process, family projection process, emotional cutoff, multigenerationalShow MoreRelatedStructural Functionalism and Conflict Theory1541 Words   |  7 PagesStructural Functionalism amp; Conflict Theory Karl Marx and Max Weber were the first conflict theorists in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Following Marx and Weber were three mid-20th century conflict theorists: Lewis Coser, Ralf Dahrendorf, and Randall Collins. Coser draws his theoretical ideas from Simmel. Like Simmel, Coser maintains that conflict is healthy for society. In contrast, Dahrendorf combines theoretical ideas from Marx and Weber. Dahrendorf sees power as the main feature in allRead MoreHistory Of Medicine During The 19th Century903 Words   |  4 PagesThe Hippocratic Oath, still taken by doctors up to today, was written in Greece in the 5th century BCE. The germ theory of disease in the 19th century led to cures for many infectious diseases. Public health measures were developed especially in the 19th century as the rapid growth of cities required systematic sanitary measures. Advanced research centers opened in the early 20th century, mid-20th century was characterized by new biological treatments, such as antibiotics. These advancements, alongRead MoreTheories Of Criminology And Criminal Behavior952 Words   |  4 PagesIn the early to mid-1800s there were a few perspectives introduced regarding how to determine which individuals were more likely to commit criminal behavior. These perspectives were made to identify and separate the more â€Å"superior† individuals from the â€Å"inferior† individuals. One of the first examples of this belief was brought forth by craniometry. Craniometry is the belief that the size of a person’s brain and the skull can tell a person’s superiority or inferiority in relation to certain racialRead MoreHow The Family Changed Over Time1478 Words   |  6 PagesThe way in which the ‘family’ unit is perceived has changed immensely since the last quarter of the twentieth century. Over time, many factors have contributed to these changes including, and not limited to, the industrial revolution, the feminist movement, the period of modernity and technological advancements. As a result, these factors have influenced significant changes to the ‘family’, these include; the increasing rates of female occupation, mean age at marriage, divorce, unmarried couplesRead MoreThe Bolshevik Invention Of Class1424 Words   |  6 PagesC.Jones 20th Century Russia Fitzpatrick July 2015 In Sheila Fitzpatrick’s essay, The Bolshevik Invention of Class: Marxist Theory and the Making of â€Å"Class Consciousness† in Soviet Society, she discusses the Bolsheviks view and struggle with class. It seems as though the thesis for this paper is stated right away, when the author notes that â€Å"†¦the Bolsheviks, cherishing an imagined class community yet inheriting a shattered and fragmented class structure in Russia after the revolution, found themselvesRead MoreHistorical Development of Nursing1413 Words   |  6 PagesCouncil of Nurses (ICN) definition of nursing is - â€Å"collaborative care of individuals of all ages, families, groups and communities, sick or well and in all settings. Nursing includes the promotion of health, prevention of disease, and the care of ill, disabled and dying people. Advocacy, promotion of a safe environment, research, participation in shaping health policy and in patient and health systems management, and education are also key nursing roles† (International Council of Nurses, 2014). Read MoreConflict Between Education And Education1727 Words   |  7 Pagesmotivation behind the building of public schooling in the mid nineteenth century was to create social stability. They hoped that by making education available fo r all, it would help the diverse population have more things in common while also minimizing poverty and crime. Public education would additionally help better prepare the next generation, allowing for more opportunities in their future. Since then, the American educational system evolved and has made much progress. Rules were created andRead MoreHow Different Systems Of Production And Their Contributing Socioeconomic Institutions Characterize Different Economic Periods?1606 Words   |  7 PagesThis theory is used to explain how different systems of production and their accompanying socioeconomic institutions characterize different economic periods (Blau, 2003). The SSA theory accepts crisis as a part of the capitalist cycle, and expects the market to collapse for new opportunities for growth and capital gains. At the end of the 19th century and in the early and mid-20th century, there have been three major economic collapses that shaped the structure and operation of the USA. Reich (2009)Read MorePuse, Mark Diego C. Pol Eco Current World Issues T-Th1591 Words   |  7 PagesUSSR on how it came to be. The History of the Soviet Union begins with the end of the Tsardom of Russia, for hundreds of years Russia was ruled by a series of Monarchs known as Tsar who wielded absolute authority over the country. But, during the 20th century the country suffered demoralizing defeats namely, The Russo-Japanese War and The World War 1, the defeats were accompanied by the brutality of the current Tsar, Nicolas II. Such affairs would eventually prompt a revolt from revolutionary groupsRead MoreHow Existentialism and Psychoanalysis Influenced Frankl807 Words   |  4 Pagesin-depth look at how existentialism and psychoanalysis influenced Frankl, let take a look at what each of these theories mean. Existentialism became identified with a cultural movement that blossomed in Europe during the forties and fifties; this term adopted by Jean-Paul Sartre as a self-description in Sartre and his associates postwar literary and philosophical writings. â€Å"By the mid 1970s the cultural image of existen tialism had become a clichà ©, parodized in countless books and films by Woody