The Family Systems Theory: Mahaley’s Case

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How Ecological Systems and Family Systems Theories apply to Mahaley’s Case

The ecological systems theory hypothesizes that a people’s development is directly influenced by the environment in which they reside and their social relations (Bredekamp, 2014). In the case of Mahaley, environment factors that affect the girl include her family, neighbors, and the school, just to mention a few. The student interacts with the stated groups on a daily basis. Hence, any changes in the environment will affect her welfare.

On the other hand, the family theory views the family as a system in which each member contributes to the welfare of the other parties. An action by a member of the family directly influences all other members. This situation causes a certain reaction. Parents are the key pillars of a family. The disintegration of a child from them, as witnessed in the case of Mahaley, may cause developmental and health problems to the kid.

How Ecological and Family Systems Theories can be applied to better Support Mahaley and her Family

One way that the school can use the two theories to support Mahaley is by organizing counseling sessions for the affected student. The school should consult a family therapist to offer counseling services to the student and her family. Offering the service in a family setting will not only help the counselor to gain an insight into the problem but will also enlighten Mahaley’s mother about the importance of maintaining a close relationship with her son. If the mother establishes a close relationship with her daughter, she will easily cope with the sudden change in the composition of the family. Based on the ecological theory, the school should encourage Mahaley to make new friends for faster orientation to the new environment (Xu & Filler, 2008).

Mahaley’s Microsystem, Mesosystem, Exosystem, Macrosystem, and Chronosystem

Mahaley’s microsystem is made up of the home environment, which is comprised of the family members with whom she interacts with regularly (Kelly, Maynigo, Wesley, & Durham, 2013). Her peers and the kindergarten teachers are also part of her microsystem. Her mesosystem includes the interactions between the teacher and the parents to facilitate her education. Next, the exosystem refers to situations and decisions that affect a person, although the said individual cannot participate in their (decisions) making. For Mahaley, such decisions include her mother’s decision to move to Harcourt and to assume a new job in the named city.

Next, the macrosystem refers to the cultural environment in which a person lives. It can influence a person either positively or negatively. Lastly, a person’s chronosystem refers to major life transitions, which have a historical impact on the individual in question. For Mahaley, moving to the new city of Harcourt is an example of a chronosystem since it marks a historical transition in her life.

Three Systems that Influence Mahaley’s Healthy Development and Learning

One of systems that have a great impact on Mahaley’s development and health is the microsystem. Her initial microsystem consisted of the home environment, which was made up of her father, mother, brother, and the grandfather. After moving to Harcourt, Mahaley was distanced from all the other family members except her mother. This change in the microsystem may lead to poor development and poor performance in school.

Mahaley’s exosystem may also affect learning and the development of the student since she is not involved in the decision-making process. The decision by the parents to divorce may affect the child psychologically, a situation that may lead to retarded development. Lastly, Mahaley’s macrosystem may influence the health and academic performance of the student. In Ludlow, the dominant culture was that of the Hispanic/Latino. On the other hand, in Harcourt, the dominant culture is that of the non-Hispanic Whites. The sudden change of the way of life may lead to culture shock, which may negatively affect the development and academic performance of the student (Lerner & Callina, 2014).

The Application of the Triangle Concept in Mahaley’s Case

One of the concepts of the family systems theory that can be used to explain the problems facing Mahaley is the “triangle” concept. The mentioned concept hypothesizes that people in a family rely on each other to relieve themselves from stress and anxiety (Titelman, 2014). The more individuals a family has, the more chances that a member of the family will easily find relief of his or her stress through interactions. In the case of Mahaley, the family currently has only two members. This situation implies that the child can only rely on the mother to relief herself of the anxiety. However, the mother is working most of the times to the extent that she has no time to interact with the child. If the child could be in contact with the other family members, her anxiety would be relieved by interacting with them.

Why Understanding the Concepts of the Family Systems Theory can help to Support Mahaley and Her Family

An understanding of the concepts of the family systems theory is important to counselors since it may help them to uncover the exact causes of the problems facing their clients. By utilizing the concepts of the family systems theory, a counselor gains an insight into the problems affecting the client (Ponciano & Shabazian, 2012). He or she can relate them to the family structure. The family is an important aspect in counseling since much of the problems affecting the clients are directly related to family issues. Therefore, adopting a familiar approach to such problems may lead to the development of an amicable solution to the problem at hand.

Mahaley’s Healthy Development and Learning

As presented in the “Mahaley Mahe: New Student Overview” document, two major changes transpire in the life of Mahaley. They include a sudden change in the family structure and the impulsive relocation from Ludlow to Harcourt. Based on the family systems theory, the divorce of the parents and the subsequent separation of the child from other family members can present numerous developmental and learning issues. It is the pleasure of all children to live with the entire members of their families who include the father, mother, and siblings (Dunst & Trivette, 2009).

Based on the ecological systems theory, it may be argued that the new environment to which the child is subjected may inhibit her cognitive development in the short run. The difference in culture between the two environments may lead to culture shock, which may bar the child from participating in social activities. Given that children achieve cognitive development from interaction with peers and the immediate environment, the reluctance to embrace social interactions may lead to slow the acquisition of cognitive skills.

Importance of Respecting Mahaley’s Family Culture in this New Environment

One of the best approaches to mitigating negative development and poor academic performance for Mahaley is to offer a family-based solution to the problem. In as much as part of Mahaley’s problems emanate from other environmental factors outside the family system, the issues could easily be resolved by stabilizing the victim’s family. Mahaley would feel more comfortable in the new environment if she quickly adapts to the new family structure. The counselor should focus on helping the child to embrace the new family structure (Christian, 2006). This way, the child will easily adapt to the new environment.

References

Bredekamp, S. (2014). Effective practices in early childhood education: Building a foundation. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

Christian, L. G. (2006). Understanding families: Applying family systems theory to early childhood practice. YC Young Children, 61(1), 12–20.

Dunst, C. J., & Trivette, C. M. (2009). Capacity-building family-systems intervention practices. Journal of Family Social Work, 12(2), 119-143.

Kelly, S., Maynigo, P., Wesley, K., & Durham, J. (2013). African American communities and family systems: Relevance and challenges. Couple and Family Psychology: Research and Practice, 2(4), 264.

Lerner, R. M., & Callina, K. (2014). Relational developmental systems theories and the ecological validity of experimental designs. Human Development, 56(6), 372-380.

Ponciano, L., & Shabazian, A. (2012). Interculturalism: Addressing diversity in early childhood. Dimensions of Early Childhood, 40(1), 23-29.

Titelman, P. (2014). Clinical applications of Bowen family systems theory. London, England: Routledge.

Xu, Y., & Filler, J. (2008). Facilitating family involvement and support for inclusive education. School Community Journal, 18(2), 53-71.

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