1. Family
By: Lindsey O’Brien
CMS 332
April 7, 2012

2. Family Type:
• A two-parent
biological family
consisting of my
father, mother,
older sister and
myself.
“Families are made up of bonded relationships. The bonds may
be as binding as blood or as warming as a loving hug. What
makes a family “family” is the sense of ‘home’ felt and shared
among individuals” (Pg. 1). – Charles Wilkinson

3. Family Communication
Functions
In my family we
are able to share
our thoughts and
life stories with
each other. By
being open with
one another about
problems that
arise, we are able
to keep a strong,
loving and
supportive bond.
It is an ever
changing process
that consists of
hard work and
maintenance. “Communication may be viewed as a symbolic,
transactional process of creating and sharing
meanings” (pg. 24.

4. Functions Continued..
“The family is a system constituted, defined, and managed
through its communication” (pg. 53).
Cohesive: “Family members strive for emotional closeness, loyalty,
and togetherness with emphasis on some individuality” (pg. 31).
Flexible: “Family members experience high levels of change, shared
decision making, and shifting rules and roles” (pg. 32).

5. Family Images and Themes
Like any team, each
player plays a different
position leading to the
ultimate
goal…WINNING! My
family is like a team.
We each play our
different positions and
share many of the
same goals. Through
love, support and
teamwork we always
win because no matter
what we are there for
each other.
“Never give up and
give it all you’ve got. If
it was your best then
you know you tried!”

6. Family Roles
Father: (Husband/Father) Takes care of all
finances, providing a roof over our heads
and comfortable, safe living. Worked to
support our family.
Mother: (Wife/Mother) Made sure the
house was always clean, no one was ever
hungry and everyone was always healthy.
Also worked to support our family.
Both parents always took part in the
decision making within our household.
They shared parental responsibilities while
we were growing up and always provided
love and support to my sister and I.
Sister: (Daughter/Sister) The academic and
quieter one.
Myself: (Daughter/Sister) The athletic and
louder one.

7. Family Rituals
Some family rituals
that we try to stay
consistently
involved in include:
• Family dinners.
• Celebrating
Birthdays.
• Spending
holidays
together.
• Apple picking
and blueberry
picking during
the seasons.
• Vacations (not as
much now that
my sister and I
are older).

8. Rituals Continued..
“Rituals are not just pleasurable routine events; rather, rituals serve
central ongoing maintenance and relational functions” (pg. 113).

9. Family Typology
My family would be categorized as
consensual and open.
“Consensual families are high in both conversation and conformity strategies
with their communication characterized by pressure for agreement ,
although children are encouraged to express ideas and feelings” (pg. 173).
Open Family: “boundaries tend to remain flexible when members are
encouraged to seek experiences in the outside space and return to the
family with ideas the family may use if group consensus develops” (pg. 175).

10. Power and Decision Making
My parents share a
syncratic relationship and
share all decision making
processes, negotiating
life's expected an
unexpected events.
Syncratic Relationship:
“shared authority and joint
decision making, implies
that each partner has a
strong say in all important
areas” (pg. 185).
“Decision making is the
process by which family
members make choices,
reach judgments, or arrive
at solutions that end
uncertainty” (pg. 194).

11. Conflict
Like all families, conflicts can arise. In my family conflicts never go
unmentioned and must be resolved. I feel that depending on the conflict all
styles are used, including: competitiveness, collaboration, compromise and
avoiding to get to a resolution. Regardless of how the matter is settled, it is
always worked out.

14. References
Galvin, K., Bylund, C., Brommel, B. Family
Communication: Cohesion and Change (8th Ed.) Allyn
and Bacon. 2012.