For ECED 1301.01

1. C
FAMILY SYSTEMS
THEORY
By Tonia Mears EDUC 1303.01 Children and Families

2. What is the Family
Systems Theory?
• Family Systems Theory is the idea that everything that
happens to any family member has an impact on everyone
else in the family.
• Example: My mother was diagnosed with ovarian cancer
12 years ago and ultimately succumbed to the disease. This
not only affected the family at the time but prompted my
sister and I to be vigilant in our yearly testing.

3. Models
within the
Theory
When looking at the Family Systems Theory we must also
look at the 3 models that are the base of the theory.
Developmental Contextualism
Circumplex Model
Family Life Cycle

4. Developmental
Contextualism
Lerner states, “The family is not a context within
which a child’s ontogeny merely unfolds. Instead,
the family is a dynamic context, one wherein a child
is both transformer and transformed” (pg. 12).
I can think of no better example than when my son
was born. I was a late mother, not giving birth until
my 35th birthday. The day he came into this world
he not only began his journey in development, but
also transformed myself and my husband into
responsible parents that doted on him.

5. Circumplex
Model
“Created by Olson and others this model is
intended to demonstrate how all family
members are interconnected” (pg. 13).
• Cohesion- feelings family members have for
one another as well as the amount and kind
of time they spend together.
• Flexibility- the ability of family members to
change roles and amounts of power they
hold over time.

6. Circumplex Model
Continued
• Communication- a mechanism for
establishing and maintaining
cohesiveness and for supporting families
to be flexible over time in order to best
meet family functions.
• Families variations occur based on this
model and the criteria of cohesion,
flexibility, communication.

7. My Family Dynamics
Within my home my son, my husband, and myself make up
the entire household.
Mommy and Connor
When looking at the relationship between myself and my 4
½ year old son I can see the we fall within the somewhat
flexible/enmeshed categories. I am not only his mother but
also his playmate and according to him, his best friend. I am
obviously very much connected to my child as we are
constantly together.

8. Tonia and Travis
My husband and I have been together for 13
years and married for 6. In that time we have
become flexibly/ very connected. We are
partners and best friends. My husband also
has Asperger’s Syndrome and that has
played a part in how very close and
connected we are to each other.

9. Where we fall in
the
classification
After studying the text I believe that my family falls
in the Midrange of families. We are extreme in
cohesion yet balanced on the flexibility.

10. Family Life Cycle
• “The family life cycle emphasizes that
“families comprise people who have a shared
history and a shared future” (pg.14).
My family is currently in the 3rd stage of the 6
listed. This stage is the families with young
children time.