The Family Life Cycle & Role Conflicts

“Married & Single Life” Ch. 9 & 10

“Changes & Choices” Ch. 4 & 5

“Contemporary Living” Chp. 15

Family Life Cycle

What is a Family?• Difficult to define because its different for everyone• U.S. Census Bureau Definition:

– A group of two or more persons, related by blood, marriage, or adoption, who resides together in a household.

• Most easily defined as: A group of people who share or feel ties of affection.– Could be people and animals– Could be people related by blood only– Could be several people, none of which share blood– Could be a combination of blood and non-blood

Family Functions

• Physical Needs– Food– Clothing– Shelter– Furnishings– Health care

Family Functions

• Education– How to speak– How to feed, bathe, and dress themselves– How to get along with others– Convey their beliefs about religion to their

children

Family Functions

• Provide Love and Affection– Emotional “safe haven”– Learn “give and take” of living together in a

close relationship– Learn to live in harmony

Family Functions

• Nurturance– Nurture social skills– Learn about the culture of the society– Family transmits its personal priorities to

children and guides them as they learn right and wrong.

Family Functions

• Procreation– Couples bring the members of the next

generation into the world.

• Protection– From harm– Practice good health and safety habits, form

wholesome friendships, and avoid situations in which they are likely to become victims of crime

Family Functions

• Recreation– Sports, games, other recreational activities– Relaxation– Learn

Characteristics of Strong Families

• Members communicate and listen to each other• Support one another• Trust• Sense of play and humor• Sense of shared responsibility• Recognize right and wrong• Traditions• Respect• Share a belief in the importance of religious of philosophical

foundation• Believe in the contributions they can make to their

communities.

The Family Life Cycle

• Just as individuals go through stages of life, families too are also continually changing

• The family life cycle– Beginning– Expanding– Developing– Launching– Middle Years– Later Years

Beginning Stage

• Marriage

• Employment

• Breaking away from the family of origin and forming own family

Expanding Stage

• Child-Rearing

• New demands on time and energy

• New expenses

• Balancing act

Developing Stage

• Children grow up and go through school

• Parents’ main focus is the children

• Tug between children’s dependence and their need to be independent

• Children prepare for adulthood

Launching Stage

• Move the children from the family of origin into their own homes

• Unique experience in that a new family life cycle has now begun with the children!

• Launching stage is being postponed later now than years ago. Children are living with their family of origin longer, mostly due to economics.

Middle Years Stage

• Adjust to the “empty nest”– Sometimes during this stage, people go

through a serious self-examination, and maybe even a mid-life crisis

• Become grandparents• Plan for the future• More “middle agers” today are finding

themselves responsible for both older and younger relatives

Later Years Stage

• Retirement

• Develop new interests

• Spend as much time as possible with family

• Reduced income

• Aging process (sometimes illness and health problems)

• Death

Roles…

What are My Roles?

• Inherited roles- Family roles, or roles you can’t control and/or do anything about– Son/daughter, mother/father, boy/girl

• Assigned roles- Roles you are given or give to yourself, based on your talents and goals– Career/job, cook, gardener, captain, friend

• You behave differently in each of your roles. That is acceptable and sometimes, even necessary.

What is a Role Conflict?

• But first, what is a role?• Role- Pattern of behavior• Role Conflict- Lack of compatibility between

different expectations from a job or position. One of your roles prevents you from filling some of your other roles.– Student and a job– Career and a wife and/or parent

• Role Strain- The pull between familiar behaviors of the past and the unknown challenges of the future– Growing up!

Things to Remember About Roles

• Don’t over-do it!– When you have too many roles, at least one

will suffer. Sometime all of your roles will suffer

• Each roles takes time and energy• Roles change• Recognize your roles

– This helps yourself and those around you– Make sure your roles are personally fulfilling

How Can I Manage Role Conflicts

• Handling with role conflicts is all about MANAGEMENT!!!

• You need to manage:– Goals– Resources

• Human– Time, energy, knowledge, people

• Material– Car, home, money, supplies, etc.

– Priorities• What is most important to you? What HAS to get

accomplished?