In an evaluation of the Bowen model, the relational patterns in my family of origin shall include the parent-child relationship and so forth that make up my adoptive family structural unit. For example, my adoptive family of origin is a typical two-parent middle-class traditional household, which is not generational on the maternal side. However, on the paternal side, there is a single parental unit set as the first generation by my grandmother (my father’s mother). Therefore, the immediate family structure was my mother, father and a triangle of his mother, at times. The generational triangle only began with my paternal grandmother.
Bowen postulates addressing the continuing family pattern differentiation or the lack of patterns that evolve
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Thus, this may be generational through the past four maternal generations. My parents had a “traditional” marriage. My mother quit her job when she became a mom, and my father’s role remained the same. My father had a highly stressful career. However, he loved both, his job and the family. My father did not discuss his work matters with any family member. My father met the everyday stresses of his profession free of feeling guilty that he worked long hours. Interestingly, other family members may have thought he neglected his traditional role due to the lack of time he had at home and different work hours in law enforcement. However, individually and as a family unit, the expansion of extended family members who became more supportive due to my father having cancer in three separate eras. In fact, my parents still could think clearly and balanced equilibrium of individuality and togetherness. During my father’s second illness, there was a triangle that involved his mother, my mother, and my father, which was highly emotional for the family unit. My mother tried to stabilize the unit in the dyad. This tension at times contributed to her being left out in the dyad in which my father then moved his mother into the outside position to relieve the marital tension. Subsequently, came acceptance and the release of denial. The emotional functioning …show more content…
Whereas, their family structure was a traditional mother and father structural unit with seven children. My grandmother spent time with my grandfather on Sunday’s. My maternal grandmother was not highly involved in the activities of the children due to the lack of self-confidence from her language barrier. My grandparents had established rigid boundaries brought with them from coming to the United States from Italy when they were both in their teens. Their central struggle was communication due to the language barriers for them to overcome. Later, they were married and enmeshed as parents being loving and attentive to their seven children. My grandmother’s boundaries, which were reciprocal, did not impede on her relationship with my grandfather. In fact, culturally, my grandparent’s family took precedence in their lives. Parental responsibility was shared by both grandparents and shifted partly to my mother’s older sister when she was in her late teens, which implemented new family challenges and new coping skills. My aunt’s responsibility positively impacted the family individually and as a family unit as such change became somewhat effortless for my mother’s sister. Therefore, she allowed such change as it was beneficial for the family as assistance and not a role change within the family. However, the family interactions regarding