Interpersonal Relationships in Family

What is a family? What are the types of families? How do families communicate?
  • Characteristics of Families
    • Defined roles. Members understand the roles each of them serves.
    • Recognition of responsibilities. Members realize that each person has certain responsibilities to the relationship.
    • Shared history and future. Members have an interactional past and an anticipated future together.
    • Shared living space. Generally, members live together.
    • Established rules. The relationship is rule governed, rather than random or unpredictable.
  • Family Types
    • Traditionals see themselves as a blending of two people into a single couple.
    • Independents see themselves as primarily separate individuals, an individuality that is more important than the relationship or the connection between the individuals.
    • Separates see their relationship as a matter of convenience rather than of mutual love or connection.
  • Communication in Families
    • Equality. Each person shares equally in the communication transactions and decision making.
    • Balanced split. Each person has authority over different but relatively equal domains.
    • Unbalanced split. One person maintains authority and decision-making power over a wider range of issues than the other.
    • Monopoly. One person dominates and controls the relationship and the decisions made.