Case Study
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Case Study: The Rodriguez Family
The case study about the Rodriguez family focuses on the family dynamics, including relationships between the family members. Ana and Ramon Rodriguez met when they were 18 years old and despite the differences in their families’ socio-economic status, they fell in love. The case study describes the challenges experienced by Ramon and Ana at the beginning of their marriage and later when their children were older. Ramon’s mother, Gabriela, played a significant role in raising Ana and Ramon’s son, Juan, especially when Ana was suffering from post-partum depression. The couple later had another daughter, Maria, who according to Ana, was an ‘easier child’ who, unlike Juan, listened to her and had good grades. Juan was involved with a gang as a teenager and was later arrested for drug possession. Maria, on the other hand, experienced a lot of pressure due to her family’s expectation that she would be the first member to go to college and she did not want to disappoint them. This essay will focus on understanding the behaviors in the case study using the structural family theory and the family emotional systems theory and will address the social work role when practicing with the community in the case study.
Family emotional systems theory
The family emotional systems theory posits that emotional ties that exist within families have a significant impact on people’s lives (Palombi, 2016). Healthy human functioning is only possible if people acquire a balance in their rational and emotional lives. The ability to achieve this balance is referred to as differentiation. Effective differentiation ensures that one can establish an identity that is separate but related to that of their nuclear family. An individual’s ability to develop healthy relationships as an adult is based on the learned patterns of relationships within the family (Dolz-del-Castellar & Oliver, 2021).
The main micro-level concepts defined under the family systems theory include the multigenerational perspective and anxiety within the nuclear family emotional system. Individual anxieties and emotions influence relationships with other people (Palombi, 2016). For instance, if a child exhibits impairment in emotional or physical functioning, the parents may transfer their anxiety to the child who may respond by being emotionally reactive to the parents. As a result, these family members attempt to reduce the intensity of the emotional reactions by distancing themselves which in turn leads to isolation (Walsh, 2014). In the case study, Juan distanced himself from his parents and sister since they often focused their anxieties on him. He, therefore, became isolated from the family and joined a gang, and cannot wait to leave home once he is of age.
The multigenerational perspective is a significant component of the family systems theory and it explains that both nuclear and extended family relationships are crucial to personal development. For instance, a person who is cut off from their parents may experience difficulties as a parent and this extends to their children who are also likely to be cut off from them (Rothenberg et al., 2017). In the case study, Ana has a poor relationship with her son, Juan and this can be attributed to the negative relationship she had with her parents who disowned her when she was pregnant. As a young mother, Ana was unable to bond with her son because the bond with her parents was broken.
At a macro level, the emotional system in the Rodriguez family is impacted by the government’s treatment of illegal immigrants. Ramon and his family were illegal immigrants and for years, they lived in fear of deportation. The illegal immigration status was worrisome for Ana who became depressed and anxious. Luckily, the Immigration Reform and Control (IRCA) Act was signed and Ramon and his family became citizens.
Structural Family Theory
The structural family theory posits that when families are characterized by appropriate rules, boundaries, and subsystems, the behaviors and emotional lives of the members will develop appropriately (Jimenez et al., 2019). One of the micro-level concepts in the structural family theory is the subsystem concept. Examples of family subsystems include parents, nuclear and extended family member subsystems, and sibling subsystems. Problematic subsystems are caused by a conflict between family members or the exclusion of specific members (Walsh, 2014). In the case study, there is a conflict between the parent-child subsystem and the nuclear and extended family subsystem. Ramon and Ana had difficulty parenting Juan because he experienced academic difficulty and had difficulty paying attention in class. Juan was diagnosed with ADHD and he often refused to take his medications because he did not like the side effects. Juan felt isolated from his family because he did not perform as well as his sister, Maria. Ana felt that Juan was a difficult child and simply focused her efforts on Maria. A problematic subsystem existed between Juan, and his sister, Maria since they performed differently at school and were treated differently by their mother. Juan acknowledged this difference by explaining that Maria had the brains of the family while he had the good looks. Conflict in the nuclear and extended family member subsystem was as a result of Gabriela, the children’s grandmother’s tendency to defend Juan regardless of what he did.
At a macro-level, the main concept that explains the behavior of the Rodriguez family is the concept of external systems influence. Walsh (2014) explains that although families are the primary institution, other institutions, including educational and religious institutions influence family interactions. Families also exist within other systems in the community. The Rodriguez family mainly interacts with the Latino community. Juan was affiliated with a local gang and feels that the gang understands him better than his family. The Rodriguez family is also influenced by the education system since Juan’s poor academic performance resulted in conflict between Ana and Ramon. Maria is also under immense pressure from her family to go to college hence she has developed anxiety issues.
Role of the social worker in practice with this community
Among marginalized communities, social workers play a critical role in empowering the members and facilitating the provision of social and education services that improve their welfare (Aaslund & Chear, 2020). The role of the social worker when practicing with the Latino community that includes the Rodriguez family is to ensure access to community services including mental health services and economic resources. Since the Rodriguez family lives in a marginalized area, it is important to facilitate access to social welfare programs and employment-related programs that will facilitate access to good employment opportunities. Family support services including family counseling are also important to promote cohesion among families. The Rodriguez family would benefit greatly from family therapy since it will help the members deal with the issues affecting them. Social workers should also advocate on behalf of the Latino community since the people are marginalized and have poor access to essential services.
Conclusion
The structural family and the family emotional systems theories focus on the micro-level issues such as lack of cohesion and conflict within the Rodriguez family which influence the members’ interactions and behavior. At a macro level, the family interacts with other institutions including the education, religious, and mental health institutions. Availability of community services such as support programs and counseling is essential to promote healthy family functioning.
References
Aaslund, H., & Chear, C. (2020). Marginalized groups protest against social welfare and public health: conceptualizing the challenge for social workers. European Journal of Social Work, 23(6), 1032-1043. https://doi.org/10.1080/13691457.2020.1818059
Dolz-del-Castellar, B., & Oliver, J. (2021). Relationship between family functioning, differentiation of self and anxiety in Spanish young adults. PLOS ONE, 16(3), e0246875. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0246875
Jimenez, L., Hidalgo, V., Baena, S., León, A., & Lorence, B. (2019). Effectiveness of Structural–Strategic Family Therapy in the Treatment of Adolescents with Mental Health Problems and Their Families. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(7), 1255. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16071255
Palombi, M. (2016). Separations: A Personal Account of Bowen Family Systems Theory. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy, 37(3), 327-339. https://doi.org/10.1002/anzf.1170
Rothenberg, W., Solis, J., Hussong, A., & Chassin, L. (2017). Profiling families in conflict: Multigenerational continuity in conflict predicts deleterious adolescent and adult outcomes. Journal of Family Psychology, 31(5), 616-628. https://doi.org/10.1037/fam0000319
Walsh, J. (2014). Theories for Direct Social Work Practice (3rd ed.). Cengage Learning.