Understanding Family Dynamics and Theories

Today I am going to talk about the different theories in explaining family dynamics.  There are four specific ones we talked about in class. (most of my information is from pages 20-22 of Marriage and Family, Lauer & Lauer.)

1. Exchange Theory: the idea that we try to keep our costs lower than our rewards in our interactions. Cost being anything from time, money, energy, emotional output- anything you would say in your investment in the relationship.  Rewards would be the same list but what comes back to you from the other person. It is a rational assessment of a relationship- if the relationship costs more than it rewards you will theoretically walk away from that relationship.
2. Symbolic Interaction Theory: Humans are shaped by their interaction experiences. Our interpretation of the situation is practically the situation in itself- how view the experience is more important than the experience itself.
3. Conflict Theory: This is the idea that all societies are characterized by inequality, conflict and change in groups as they struggle to be the best. This can range from social class, to religion, to gender. 
4. Systems Theory: the group must be analyzed as a whole. The group has boundaries that extinguish it from other groups. In each system each member takes a certain role to contribute to the family system. What happens to one person affects the family has a whole.

In class we put a "family" in a circle holding hands. When one family member is pulled in a certain way the rest of family showed obvious strain. I really liked watching the analogy.