Psychology Family and Child

Note:&Below&find&two&examples&from&prior&student&exams&of&well5developed&definitions.!Responses!will!vary,!but!should!show!thoughtful!preparation!and!adequate!detail.!!I!will!accept!a!range!of!responses!and!lengths!as!long!as!the!answer!is!complete!and!connects!relevant!terms!to!child!and!family!psychology.!Be!sure!to!refer!to!textbook,!readings,!and/or!slides!for!definitions.!Many!students!refer!to!case!studies!and!readings!for!examples!as!well!if!needed.!Relevant!personal!examples!are!acceptable!as!well.!!Assimilation!and!Acculturation!!!These!related!processes!reflect!family!reactions!after!the!transition!or!move!to!a!new!cultural!setting.!!Reactions!may!follow!family!and!child!immigration!and/or!migration!for!various!reasons.!Assimilation!is!the!process!in!which!an!individual!or!a!family!adopts!the!dominant!culture’s!practices,!language,!norms!or!customs.!Acculturation!is!a!process!where!there!is!a!conscious!process!of!making!decisions!regarding!what!aspects!of!one’s!culture!of!origin!to!retain!and!to!continue!to!practice!and!what!aspects!may!be!sacrificed!(and!to!what!degree).!There!are!several!theories!linked!to!acculturation.!Changes!are!multidimensional!according!to!Berry!and!occur!at!individual!and!societal!levels.!The!concepts!of!adaptation!and!adjustment!are!closely!related!to!acculturation!!!Knowledge!of!these!processes!is!critically!important!for!the!study!of!children!in!the!context!of!their!families!given!the!rising!number!of!immigrant!families!including!transnational!families.!Immigrant!families!often!need!assistance!with!decisions!affecting!acculturation.!Cultural!shifts,!differences!and!preferences!should!be!acknowledged!and!understood!by!those!who!work!children!and!families.!Within!families!there!may!be!generational!differences,!divides!and/or!conflicts!linked!to!these!two!processes,!particularly!with!the!degrees!of!assimilation!and!the!choices!in!acculturation.!!! An!example!of!a!difference!would!be!an!East!Indian!adolescent!wanting!to!and!feeling!more!comfortable!dressing!in!American/Western!style!clothes,!rather!than!abiding!by!the!family!preferences!of!girls!only!wearing!a!sari!or!other!traditional!Indian!clothing!as!they!come!of!age.!While!the!change!is!at!the!appearance!level!it!may!be!highly!symbolic!of!the!adolescent’s!adjustments.!This!could!lead!to!a!rupture!in!family!relationships;!communication!is!vital.!!Boundaries!!!Boundaries!are!key!to!the!structural!model.!Boundaries!are!formed!within!families!as!subsystems.!Subsystems!such!as!spousal,!sibling,!and!parentMchild!subsystems!must!be!able!to!maintain!boundaries,!but!must!also!allow!for!a!flow!of!information!between!subsystems.!Clarity!of!boundaries!is!linked!to!healthy!family!functioning.!!Conflict!may!arise!when!the!flow!of!information!and!the!structure!of!relationships!in!the!family!are!out!of!synchrony.!Enmeshment!(no!separation)!or!disengagement!(too!much!rigidness!or!separateness)!indicate!extremes!in!how!boundaries!may!impact!family!systems.!Boundaries!are!also!both!internal!and!external;!specifically!boundaries!exist!between!the!overall!family!system!and!the!outside!world.!!!Boundaries!are!significant!because!they!often!reflect!nature!of!authority,!communication!and!closeness!and!provide!structure!to!family!life.!Children!often!find!security!with!healthy!and!clear!boundaries,!but!may!feel!confused!and/or!be!at!risk!when!they!have!very!enmeshed!or!very!disengaged!relationships.!When!boundaries!shift!problems!may!occur.!These!problems!or!adjustments!may!be!needed!at!times!in!response!to!stressors,!and!can!be!longMterm!or!more!temporary.! For!example,!if!a!child’s!medical!needs!entirely!consume!one!parent!to!the!point!of!not!giving!any!attention!to!the!spousal!subsystem,!this!adjustment!while!needed!may!create!a!strain!on!family!relationships!and!cause!boundaries!to!shift.!