BY EVONNE MWANGALE KIPTINNESS COM 830X

FAMILY COMMUNICATION

PROCESS

WHAT IS A FAMILY?

A family

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics,2011  A family is a group of two or more people that are related by

blood, marriage (registered or de facto), adoption, step or fostering, and who usually live together in the same household.

This includes newlyweds without children, gay partners, couples with dependants, single mums or dads with children, siblings living together, and many other variations. At least one person in the family has to be over 15.

Cambridge dictionary a group of people who are related to each other, such as a

mother, a father, and their  childrenThe family is a fundamental social group in society

Why is family important

The family is the most important social unit of society (Wilson, 2013). It is also the basic sexual unit the basic child-raising unit the basic communication unit the basic all-around fun The basic friendship unit.

The family sets the standard of what society will look like and how we all interact with each other.

Types of families

Nuclear – father, mother, child/children Single parent – one parent and child/childrenExtended – includes grandparents, uncles,

aunties, cousins…

Family Communication

Family communication refers to the way verbal and non-verbal information is exchanged between family members (Epstein, Bishop, Ryan, Miller, & Keitner, (1993).

Communication within the family is extremely important because it enables members to express their needs, wants, and concerns to each other. 

Open and honest communication creates an atmosphere that allows family members to express their differences as well as love and admiration for one another.

The family Communication process

The process through which verbal and non-verbal information is exchanged between family members (Epstein, Bishop, Ryan, Miller, & Keitner, (1993).

This process aligns itself with the typical communication process (sender-encodes a message-through a channel-decode-receiver), however the relationship between the sender and receiver is close and unique

The Family Communication Process

The communication process in the family involves Who says what to whom? When? Where? How?

Factors that affect the family communication process Instrumental and Affective Communication Clear vs marked Direct vs Indirect communication Family communication patterns

Instrumental and Affective communication

Instrumental communication is the exchange of factual information that enables individuals to fulfill common family functions (e.g., telling a child that he/she will be picked up from school at a specific time and location).

Affective communication is the way individual family members share their emotions with one another (e.g., sadness, anger, joy).

 Healthy families are able to communicate well in both areas.

Clear vs. Masked and Direct vs. Indirect Communication

 Clear communication occurs when messages are spoken plainly and the content is easily understood by other family members.

Masked communication occurs when the message is muddied or vague.

Communication is direct if the person spoken to is the person for whom the message is intended.

Communication is indirect if the message is not directed to the person for whom it is intended.

HOW TO BUILD EFFECTIVE FAMILY COMMUNICATION

Communicate Frequently – find time to communicate. Communicate clearly and directlyBe an active listener Pay attention to non verbal cuesBe positive

 effective communication is primarily positive. Marital and family researchers have discovered that unhappy family

relationships are often the result of negative communication patterns (e.g., criticism, contempt, defensiveness).

Researchers found that satisfied married couples had five positive interactions to every one negative interaction (Gottman, 1994).

Couples who are very dissatisfied with their relationships typically engage in more negative interactions than positive.

It is very important for family members to verbally compliment and encourage one another.

Researchers have discovered a strong link between communication patterns and satisfaction with family relationships (Noller & Fitzpatrick, 1990).

One researcher discovered that the more positively couples rated their communication, the more satisfied they were with their relationship five and a half years later (Markman, 1981).

Poor communication is also associated with an increased risk of divorce and marital separation and more behavioral problems in children.

VIDEO

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKcNyfXbQzQ

REFERENCES

Australian Bureau of Statistics (2011), Labour Force, Australia: Labour Force Status and Other Characteristics of Families. Government of Australia Press

Epstein, N. B. Bishop, D., Ryan, C., Miller, & Keitner, G., (1993). The McMaster Model View of Healthy Family Functioning. In From a Walsh (Eds.), Normal Family Processes (pp. 138-160). The Guilford Press: New York/London.

Noller, P., & Fitzpatrick, M. A. (1990). Marital communication in the eighties. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 52, 832-843.

Koerner, A. F., & Fitzpatrick, M. A. (1997). Family type and conflict: The impact of conversation orientation and conformity orientation on conflict in the family. Journal of Communication Studies, 48(1), 59-75.

Wilson, L. (2013). The family unit and its importance. Center for Development

Gottman, J.M. (1994). Why marriages succeed or fail. New York: Simon & Schuster.

FAMILY COMMUNICATION PATTERNS

Families usually follow two types of communication orientation: conformity and conversation (Koerner & Fitzpatrick, 1997)

FAMILY COMMUNICATION PATTERNS

Conformity orientation A family that has a conformity orientation is one

where common attitudes, beliefs, and values are expected.

This family opposes conflict and stresses compliance to the decisions made by parents or older family members.

Conversation orientation allows the family members of all ages the freedom to

express their opinions openly and freely.

From these two orientations, four family communication patterns emerge