Analysis of Understanding Family Resilience by Joan Patterson

889 Words2 Pages

Family is the fundamental group of people that hones each individual into a social being and trains each person into a being that complies with various changes that may occur in one’s life. It aids in developing a person’s skills and attitude in relating to other people. If not for the family, growing and developing one’s self is a difficult and an almost impossible task to accomplish. In the article by Joan Patterson, known as Understanding Family Resilience, it had highlighted various information and explanations of how a family responds and should opt to act during times of adversity, or also known as family resilience. It is defined by McCubin, H and McCubin, M. as “characteristics, dimensions, and properties which help families to be resistant to disruption in the face of change and adaptive in the face of crisis situations.” Since change occurs on a daily basis and is entirely inevitable, the trait of a family to be flexible in adjusting is necessary. Events that may trigger changes are various crises and challenges or internal and external forces. Such occurrences that arise and are experienced by the family may draw most families to become hopeless and disoriented. In Patterson’s work, a clear explanation and citation of various instances to prove that such misfortunate events that could lead to the disorganization of a family can be avoided and be used as an opportunity to further strengthen the relationship founded in the family. “Family stress theory emphasizes the active processes families engage in to balance family demands with family capabilities as these interact with family meanings to arrive at a level of family adjustment or adaptation” (Patterson, 1988, 1989, 1993). In order for a family to be resilient, it ... ... middle of paper ... ...der to surpass the stress experienced by the whole family. It is continuously staying strong and supporting each family member in the changes that might take place in order to respond to the internal and external forces. In brief, developing a resilient family does not solely depend on just those part of the family, everyone has a significant role to play in order for a family to cope with the internal and external stress they encounter. The article is truly useful in most of the situations Filipino families are experiencing right now. It would not only guide them but also mold those families to become stronger and have higher hopes and goals in life. Metaphorically, Understanding Family Resilience is similar to a guide for families to follow in order to have a stronger relationship, not just with those part of their family but also those part of their environment.

Open Document