Family support and human development

Lesson objective to learn that a family is a social group made up of people connected to each other by blood or marriage.

Q&A

Using the cards place them in the order of importance

What are the advantages in belonging to a family?

What types of families are there? Try to list them

Wall displays for AfL

The family – handouts

Families usually support each other financially – money

is shared

Relationships can be a great source of

support and satisfaction, or a source of stress.

Relatives provide a network of people

who can give support or advice.

Physical health and mental health is influenced by the

family

Provides an introduction to social rules - socialisation

Provides the setting where the majority

of people will develop a sense of belonging and self-esteem – or fail to

develop this

Should provide setting to meet

physical needs for food, shelter and

warmth

May care for older relatives

Contributes to intellectual, social

and emotional development of

children

Advantage of belonging to a family Belonging to a

family can have many advantages – such as safe, care settings for children: education and guidance for children and adolescents: and social and emotional support for older people.

Sociologists have indentified four types of families, which are classified as:› Extended› Reconstituted› Nuclear› Lone-parent

What do you think these mean?

Extended families draw this diagram

Grandparents

Children

parents

draw this diagram

An extended family is where parents, children and grandparents and sometimes aunts and uncles live in close proximity so that they are in constant contact. The extended family provides a network of people who care and financially support each other. Families used to live this way in the 19th century so they everyone could help with feeding animals and working in the fields. However, industrialisation caused many people to travel to cities to work and live in much smaller houses.

Lone-parent The proportion of families

containing a married or cohabiting coupled with dependent children declined to 31 per cent in 1979 to 21 percent in 2002: by comparisons, families headed by a lone parent rose from 4 per cent in 1979 to 7 per cent in 1993. Nearly one quarter of all families with dependent children are now lone-parent families, most are lead by the mother as the lone-parent. Whole some lone-parent families are in satisfactory financial circumstances, most are disadvantaged because they survive on benefits or low income.

Parent children

Task – in groups list on your mind map all the problems that could arise from being a lone parent

Nuclear The term is used to describe

the smaller family unit of husband, wife and children. In the past the husband worked to earn money and the wife shopped, cooked, cleaned and looked after the children. In today’s society , many families consist of two working parents, with nurseries, child-minders or nannies caring for the children except at weekends. Men and women share more of the household tasks although women will tend to undertake the biggest share.

Parents children

Reconstituted Approximately one

marriage in three ends in divorce and more people are now cohabiting than ever before. Some of these couples will eventually marry whilst others will also split up. Around one quarter of children under the age of 16 will experience their parents divorcing. A reconstituted family is one in which the partners are not both the biological parents of each child in the family.

step-paren

t

parent

children

children

AfL – answer these questions – in groups write on post notes What is an

extended family? Why did this

change during industrialisation?

why did they live together

What is a nuclear family?

What are the roles of most parents today?

What is a reconstituted family?

What percentage of children will find themselves in a family with parents that are not their biological parents?

Lone-parents suffer from a great deal of hardship what are these?

What percentage of parents are now from 2002 lone-parents?

Insufficient family support - Task In your groups on your

large mind map list several reasons why insufficient family support might happen - write down your major points on blue card!

Now discuss the importance of family life in its entirety (holistically) – write down what you think on pink cards. Stick on the bard next to the images

Look at the list of key words – write them down and fill in your understanding of them› Dysfunctional› Incomplete› Undisciplined› Over large families› Lax rules› Low income› Disregard for education› Aggression› Slower cognitive

processes› Over worked parent or

carer› Stereotyping› Disinterested

Insufficient family support

Insufficient support, however, may arise from dysfunctional, incomplete, undisciplined or over large families, often as a result of circumstance beyond their immediate control.

When there are large numbers of siblings born close together, an over worked parent or carer, lax rules and low income, then there is often disregard for education, more aggression and lower cognitive progression.

It is important to recognise the dangers of stereotyping for there are many entertainers, sports personalities, academics and authors who describe such backgrounds and have performed extremely well. Some wealthy entrepreneurs admit to disinterest in school and education during childhood and adolescence and to fending for themselves in a wider world. It might seem as if ‘hunger’ would drive some people forwards in a dynamic and exceptional way., but the majority of people lacking appropriate family support and/or income might find life increasingly difficult.

AfL Case studies The subjects of the case study are

Ryan and Martina.

The case study describes the couple as Caucasians of Austrian descent; both on their second marriage, each with two children of previous marriages, sharing one child and all five children live with the couple. Both ex-spouses are living and engaged on various levels in their lives.  Their youngest child is just six months old and Martina is recovering hormonally and physically from her pregnancy while also maintaining the household and supervising their children.  Ryan is reportedly physically abusive and demanding.

Questions – read the case study and decide the following:

1. What professional organisations will they need to involve in the therapy?

2. How will the children be affected by the abuse?

3. What will this do to their self concept?

4. How might Martina be helped?

AfL Marta exhibits symptoms of

classic abused wife syndrome while Hans blames Marta's inattention to his needs for his violence.   The therapist is required by law to report the family to Child Protective Services in order to prevent further abuse to the children as well as designing a complex treatment plan that includes individual therapies for Hans and Marta, family therapy for the children, couples therapy for the couple as well as social worker and family intervention to protect the children.

Ryan and Martina’s marital and familial relationships

The case study detailed the social, biological and psychological influences that requires specific treatment and legal action to address not only Ryan’s abusive tendencies, but the physical safety of his wife and children.  While Ryan and Martina’s case is not unique, it does present some challenges to the adaptability of clinical psychology's approaches to individual and interdependent problems.

Campbells case study The Campbells had multiple problems.

There were complaints from neighbours about the behaviour of the children, conflict within the community as a result of Mrs. Campbell's sometimes aggressive behaviour and the untidy state of the garden.

Mrs. Campbell had a history of drug use, depression and self harm while Mr Campbell had alcohol problems and was often away for long periods. The children had poor school attendance and some were involved in anti-social behaviour.

All had been placed on the Child Protection Register in the past and were subject to Home Supervision orders due to concerns about their well being.

In November 2007, the children had to be taken into care temporarily when Mrs Campbell was ill and their father was away. It was nine days before they could return home.

What sort of emotional and practical support could Mrs. Campbell get to help her cope better at home?

What are the long-term negative effects of this family unit?

How will the children cope?

What sort of support groups help young children?