Family system

Understanding your family system can help provide useful information when working with families. Family systems may be open or closed. Open family systems involve acceptance of all family members as equal participants in the family. For example, children may be included in family decisions. Closed systems involve an authoritarian approach to family structure. For example, children are not included in family decisions. The strategies associated with family systems can help families explore the inner workings of their family structure.

In this Application Assignment, analyze family systems related to family systems theory.

The assignment (2–3 pages):

• Explain whether your family system, or one with which you are familiar, is an open or closed system. Justify your response.
• Explain how family systems theory applies to your family (or the one that you selected). Include a detailed analysis of the subsets, boundaries, family rules, and feedback loop or loops.
• Based on your responses above, explain how your family system, or the one you selected, is unique.