Family Communication

Take Home Points Family Communication Pattern Theory (FCPT) What are the two orientations? What are the four family types? Be able to classify an example. How does conflict and decision making happen within each family type? What is the chilling effect? What is observational learning? Three family structures (power, decision, interaction) Know types of each Be able to recognize examples of different types How do these fit with FCPT?

What is your definition of family? On a scrap piece of paper, write it down

Family Definition “a network of people who live together over long periods of time bound by ties of marriage, blood, or commitment, legal or otherwise” Discuss definition – things about it

Family Communication Patterns Theory Two orientations Four family types

Conversation Orientation How much the family encourages everyone to participate with “unrestricted interaction” in a multitude of topics High Clarify cartoon Low Koerner & Fitzpatrick 2002

Conformity Orientation How much the family emphasizes similar attitudes, values and beliefs among all family members (Togetherness vs. Individuality) Who makes decisions? High Low Koerner & Fitzpatrick 2002

Family Types Based on FCP High Conversation Orientation Low Conversation Orientation Consensual Protective Pluralistic Laissez-faire High Conformity Orientation Low Conformity Orientation Koerner & Fitzpatrick 2002

Which type do you think is most common in the US? Consensual Shearman & Dumlao (2008) 131 students from a communication class in a university in the Eastern United States. 73% white, 21% African-American 1. Consensual, 2. Protective, 3. Pluralistic, 4th (and way last) Laissez Faire. 131 students from a communication class in a university in the Eastern United States. 73% white, 21% African-American Consensual, 2. Protective, 3. Pluralistic, 4 (and way last) Laissez Faire.

Do you think this holds true for other cultures/nations? Shearman & Dumlao (2008) No! In Japan, the most common was… laissez-faire! Koerner & Fitzpatrick 2002

How would family conflict be handled in each type of family pattern? Koerner & Fitzpatrick 2002

Conflict & FCPT Koerner & Fitzpatrick (1997) RQ: How are FCPs related to ways of coping with conflict within families? Method Participants: 35 families w/at least 1 teenage child Measures Coping measure: Conflict avoidance, Seeking social support, Venting feelings RFCP * Koerner, A. F., & Fitzpatrick, M. (1997). Family type and conflict: The impact of conversation orientation and conformity orientation on conflict in the family. Communication Studies, 48, 59-75.

Conflict & FCPT Koerner & Fitzpatrick (1997) Conflict avoidance Support-seeking Venting feelings *Consensual + Pluralistic - *Protective Laissez Faire Pluralistic: don’t avoid conflict, so negative emotions get expressed, and tend not to build up as much so that family members don’t have to vent Consensual: moderate on conflict avoidance; why does it say high here? Protective: seems contradicting that they avoid conflict but also vent feelings a lot, but look at social support. They are low in SS, which indicates that the family doesn’t have a good way to deal with conflict, and that by avoiding it, it builds up negative emotions, creates hostility. Laissez Faire: Emotionally divorced from each other. No one cares. *Chilling effect: High conformity orientation results in conflict avoidance, probably due to power differences in families

The family type you were raised in determines how you handle conflict as an adult. Family of Origin FCP  Adult Romantic Relationship Conflict Management Koerner, A. F., & Fitzpatrick, M. A. (2002). You never leave your family in a fight: The impact of family of origin on conflict‐behavior in romantic relationships. Communication Studies, 53(3), 234-251.

How you were raised influences your romantic conflict as an adult.

Observational learning is where we learn behaviors from good and bad role models.

Family Structures

Power-Authority Structure Ability to change behavior of other members in the family Types Positional Structure Person-oriented structure P. 262

Decision Making Structure How decisions are made within a family Types Consensus Accommodation De facto P. 262-263

DQ Which decision-making style does your family follow? Does this work, why or why not?

Interaction Structure How the family communicates with one another Types Centralized Chain All-Channel Network p. 263-264

DQ Are there any pattern types that you think the book is missing? Does your family not fall into one of the patterns they list?

Take Home Points Family Communication Pattern Theory (FCPT) What are the two orientations? What are the four family types? Be able to classify an example. How does conflict and decision making happen within each family type? What is the chilling effect? What is observational learning? Three family structures (power, decision, interaction) Know types of each Be able to recognize examples of different types How do these fit with FCPT?