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Family Collage
        By
   Josh Reinhold
Malcolm in the Middle
 I didn’t really have any pictures of my own family, so when thinking of a
  family to analyze the family from the show “ Malcolm in the Middle”,
  immediately popped into my head.
 In the show it never once mentions the families last name so I am simply
  going to refer to them as the “Malcolm's.”
Story
 Line
 An offbeat, laugh track-lacking
sitcom about a bizarrely
dysfunctional family, the center of
which is Malcolm, the middle of the
two brothers who still live at home.
His eldest (and favorite) sibling,
Francis, boards at military school
because his parents believe it will
reform him and keep him out of
trouble. Malcolm often has a hard
time coping with his family life, but
he has more troubles to contend
with when he starts receiving
special treatment at school after
being diagnosed as an intellectually
advanced genius.
Characters
Malcolm- The “middle” genius
child

Reese- The moronic older
brother

Francis- rebel type oldest
brother sent away to military
school

Dewey- Youngest brother who
is a free spirit and marches to
the beat of a different drum

Lois- Crazy, short tempered
mother who does her best to
keep the family intact

Hal- Clueless Dad who is just
trying to make his way through
life
Family Type
 The Malcolm’s are an example of
  a two parent biological family.
 I would guess that the parents
  (Lois and Hal) have been married
  anywhere from 15-20 years and
  have 4 biological children.
 Galvin, Bylund and Brommel
  (2008) state that this is no longer
  the most common type of family
Economic Issues
 Having to support 4 kids and
  working sub par jobs, the
  Malcolm’s definitely suffer from
  some economic issues.
 “Economic pressures add
  significant stress to the lives of
  poor family members, and this
  stress affects the ways family
  members relate to each other.”
  (Galvin, Bylund and Brommel
  2008, pg. 15). This is definitely
  true for the Malcolm's and it
  portrays it in the show in comical
  ways.
Communication Functions
 The communication in the
  Malcolm’s household is very open.
  A lot of the time it consists of Lois
  freaking about something and
  yelling at the family, or a single
  person for what they did or did not
  do.
 I believe that this develops a
  meaning with the kids along with
  Hal realizing that Lois runs the
  show
Continued
 Another communication process in
  the family is Malcolm calling his
  brother Francis (who is away at
  military school) and talking
  secretly on how to beat his
  mother.
 Francis being the not afraid to
  stand up for himself rebel child
  has never been afraid to go right
  back at his mother and I think this
  displays another meaning.
Family-of-Origin
 Family-of-origin influences refers
  to the family or families in which a
  person is raised and is generally
  be the earliest and most powerful
  source of influence on ones
  personality (Bochner & Eisenberg,
  1987).
 This is definitely true in the show
  in the case of Francis, the oldest
  brother. Although him and mother
  clash, they are really the exact
  same person.
Family Rituals
   “Rituals contain a variety of meanings
    and messages in patterned and
    emotionally powerful forms; they serve
    to remind members of who they are
    and they reflect a family’s relational
    culture.” (Galvin, Bylund and Brommel
    2008, pg. 116).
   Although there are not really any set
    rituals in the family, the younger
    brothers all look up to Francis
    immensely. He teaches them all kinds
    if different things, and they try to mimic
    what he has done in the past. It is
    kind of portrayed in the show as
    passing down knowledge to another
    generation.
Continued
   One tradition that the
    family does have is
    that they always have
    meals all together as
    a family. Although it
    is usually filled with
    fights between the
    boys, or Lois yelling
    about something it is
    a tradition
    nonetheless.
Family Typology
 “Consensual families are high in
  both conversation and conformity
  strategies with their
  communication characterized by
  pressure and agreement although
  children are encouraged to
  express ideas and feelings.”
  (Galvin, Bylund and Brommel
  2008, pg. 177)
 This type is family is definitely the
  case for the Malcolm’s. They talk
  about everything but at the end of
  the day Lois usually has the last
  word. This, however is not without
  backlash from the kids.
Family Conflict Types
   The conflict in the Malcolm family,
    usually occurs by Lois catching
    the boys doing something wrong
    and then punishing them.
    Sometimes however she does
    practice compromise in cutting the
    boys deals to get them out of
    trouble
Works Cited
 FamilyCommunication: Cohesion and
 Change (Seventh Edition) by Kathleen
 Galvin, Carma Bylund, and Bernard
 Brommel, Pearson. 2008.

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Family collage[1]

  • 1. Family Collage By Josh Reinhold
  • 2. Malcolm in the Middle  I didn’t really have any pictures of my own family, so when thinking of a family to analyze the family from the show “ Malcolm in the Middle”, immediately popped into my head.  In the show it never once mentions the families last name so I am simply going to refer to them as the “Malcolm's.”
  • 3. Story Line An offbeat, laugh track-lacking sitcom about a bizarrely dysfunctional family, the center of which is Malcolm, the middle of the two brothers who still live at home. His eldest (and favorite) sibling, Francis, boards at military school because his parents believe it will reform him and keep him out of trouble. Malcolm often has a hard time coping with his family life, but he has more troubles to contend with when he starts receiving special treatment at school after being diagnosed as an intellectually advanced genius.
  • 4. Characters Malcolm- The “middle” genius child Reese- The moronic older brother Francis- rebel type oldest brother sent away to military school Dewey- Youngest brother who is a free spirit and marches to the beat of a different drum Lois- Crazy, short tempered mother who does her best to keep the family intact Hal- Clueless Dad who is just trying to make his way through life
  • 5. Family Type  The Malcolm’s are an example of a two parent biological family.  I would guess that the parents (Lois and Hal) have been married anywhere from 15-20 years and have 4 biological children.  Galvin, Bylund and Brommel (2008) state that this is no longer the most common type of family
  • 6. Economic Issues  Having to support 4 kids and working sub par jobs, the Malcolm’s definitely suffer from some economic issues.  “Economic pressures add significant stress to the lives of poor family members, and this stress affects the ways family members relate to each other.” (Galvin, Bylund and Brommel 2008, pg. 15). This is definitely true for the Malcolm's and it portrays it in the show in comical ways.
  • 7. Communication Functions  The communication in the Malcolm’s household is very open. A lot of the time it consists of Lois freaking about something and yelling at the family, or a single person for what they did or did not do.  I believe that this develops a meaning with the kids along with Hal realizing that Lois runs the show
  • 8. Continued  Another communication process in the family is Malcolm calling his brother Francis (who is away at military school) and talking secretly on how to beat his mother.  Francis being the not afraid to stand up for himself rebel child has never been afraid to go right back at his mother and I think this displays another meaning.
  • 9. Family-of-Origin  Family-of-origin influences refers to the family or families in which a person is raised and is generally be the earliest and most powerful source of influence on ones personality (Bochner & Eisenberg, 1987).  This is definitely true in the show in the case of Francis, the oldest brother. Although him and mother clash, they are really the exact same person.
  • 10. Family Rituals  “Rituals contain a variety of meanings and messages in patterned and emotionally powerful forms; they serve to remind members of who they are and they reflect a family’s relational culture.” (Galvin, Bylund and Brommel 2008, pg. 116).  Although there are not really any set rituals in the family, the younger brothers all look up to Francis immensely. He teaches them all kinds if different things, and they try to mimic what he has done in the past. It is kind of portrayed in the show as passing down knowledge to another generation.
  • 11. Continued  One tradition that the family does have is that they always have meals all together as a family. Although it is usually filled with fights between the boys, or Lois yelling about something it is a tradition nonetheless.
  • 12. Family Typology  “Consensual families are high in both conversation and conformity strategies with their communication characterized by pressure and agreement although children are encouraged to express ideas and feelings.” (Galvin, Bylund and Brommel 2008, pg. 177)  This type is family is definitely the case for the Malcolm’s. They talk about everything but at the end of the day Lois usually has the last word. This, however is not without backlash from the kids.
  • 13. Family Conflict Types  The conflict in the Malcolm family, usually occurs by Lois catching the boys doing something wrong and then punishing them. Sometimes however she does practice compromise in cutting the boys deals to get them out of trouble
  • 14. Works Cited  FamilyCommunication: Cohesion and Change (Seventh Edition) by Kathleen Galvin, Carma Bylund, and Bernard Brommel, Pearson. 2008.