Family Interaction Processes: Power and Decision-Making lecture

 Power in Families

• Definition: an ability or potential to change the behavior of another family member (Dunbar; Segrin & Flora)

  • You either are or could change another family member’s behavior. 

  • Power is rooted in interactions. Power is rooted in communication (verbally or nonverbally).

  • HAS to be at least a person with power and one other. Must be at least one other person. Does Not exist on an individual basis. 

Sources of Power (5)

1. reward

2. coercive

3. legitimate

4. expert

5. Referent

Sources of Power: reward

Offering someone reward if they comply with behavior we expect them to do. Only works if reward is something valued. Would lose power if they don't actually have the ability to give the reward–future reward power will not work. Does NOT change internal beliefs–won't create a value system for behavior. Ex. i'll clean my room for ice cream but it won't create value for why i should clean my room.

Sources of Power: Coercive

Stick part of “carrot (reward) or stick” analogy. If you don't do this, you'll get something taken away. EX.If you don't clean your room you'll get your xbox taken away. Must be something we fear/will motivate you to do the behavior. Person in power must be able to inflict the punishment. Will change behavior but will not change interval beliefs. Value system does not change. Children have this when they do stuff like throw tantrums (because the tantum can be a form of punishment to parent).

Sources of Power: Legitimate

Rooted in things like positions and titles (based on roles). Titles: parent, sibling (oldest, middle, younger), etc.. Power can be parent, older sibling, grandparent, etc. Certain roles get certain power=legitimate power. Ex. “clean your room b/c i'm the parent and i told u so,” is a parent using their legitimate power. The one not in power must have internalized respect for the one in power. Changes both behavior and value/belief. Ex. “don’t eat so much junk food” child then changes belief that junk food is good for you since parent knows more

Sources of Power: Expert

They have the ability to influence my behavior because they know more than I do. Only have this power if they actually do have more knowledge and skill. Will lose this if their information is found to be wrong. Person centered rather than position center. This power can shift a lot like one sibling has power in vacation because they know how to book hotels the best, and another may have expertise in good restaurants because idk they just do.

Sources of Power: Referent

If someone in the family I like asks me to change my behavior I will because I like this family member. Will change behavior and beliefs.

which powers change only the behavior?

reward and coercive

which powers change behavior and values?

legitimate, expert, referent

Hidden Power in Families

• Behind the scenes, but still very powerful

• Has influence but it is not observed or calculated like the ones above 

• Ideologies that function as type of hidden power: religion, culture (cultural dynamic that suggest some get power and others don’t get power)

Power and Cultural Norms

1. Power-distance.

2. Masculinity-femininity.

Power and Cultural Norms: Power-distance.

• We need to ask how big or small is the power distance in the family, and depending on how big or small will tell us if its hierarchy or equal spread of power. 

  • Larger power distance. Power not equal there is hierarchical power. Big difference between those in power and those without.

  • Small power distance. Power is much more equally distributed. Democratic. Everyone gets a say/vote. Power may rotate/ be context specific. 

  • Thought of as a dimension:

    • Large distance-------Small distance

    • Rigid, authoritarian, high conformity and low conversation families are large power distances. 

    • Lassafaire, chaotic, authoritative, democratic, pluralistic (high conversation) families are small power distances. 

Power and Cultural Norms: Masculinity-femininity.

• whether we view roles as gender specific or as fluid. 

  • Masculine side: gender specific. very rigid roles. Males are meant to do masc. roles, women do fem. roles. 

  • Feminine side is more fluid roles. Not gender specific. Ok if mother runs finances. 

What families are large power distances?

Rigid, authoritarian, high conformity and low conversation

What families are small power distances?

Lassafaire, chaotic, authoritative, democratic, pluralistic (high conversation)

Family roles related to power

1. Matriarchal (female)

2. Patriarchal (male)

3. Democratic Authority

4. Child-Centered

Family roles related to power: Matriarchal vs. Patriarchal

• Female is matriarchal, male is patriarchal. One person has power. Less powerful must accommodate and adapt to the more powerful, everyone goes to this one person. 

  • Legitimate power (based on role, title, position.), coercive power (authoritarian probably has ability to engage in punishment), reward power are likely to show up in matriarchal and patriarchal power. 

  • One overall structure that is more likely to show up in this power is single parent. 

What families are likely to have matriarchal or patriarchal power?

1. Legitimate power (based on role, title, position.),

2. coercive power (authoritarian probably has ability to engage in punishment)

3. reward power

4. single parent

Family roles related to power: Democratic Authority

• Does not assign power of leadership to any specific family member. Power can shift around. Everyone gets a vote. Pride themselves in being high in conversation orientation–everyone gets a chance to talk.

  • Expert power(because this person has power only for what they are an expert in, aka power shifts with this one), referent power (that liking someone is enough to change your perspective)  

Family roles related to power: Child-Centered

• Children have power and parents accommodate compared to the top down approach of matriarchal and patriarchal.

• Engaging in role reversal

What is unique about power roles?

These power roles can change with different contexts. Like when choosing what to eat for dinner, parents may let the child choose the dinner (child-centered) but when doing finances the mom does it (matriarchal).

Family rules related to power

1. The family paradigm. most abstract

2. Mid-range policies. mid-abstract

3. Concrete rules.

4. Rule sanctioning. specific

Family rules related to power: The family paradigm.

• Most abstract.

• A shared set of assumptions, expectations, and commitment that helps the family operate and function.

• These are our overarching values, beliefs, it is a philosophy.

• Parents are usually the ones to set the paradigm. EX. we value equity (broad/abstract)

Family rules related to power: Mid-range policies.

• Mid-abstract.

• Still broad enough that they serve several specific rules.

• Set of rules for how we should act in a certain context/sector.

• EX. we value equity-> we value equity when it comes to CHORES around the house (sector is chores)

Family rules related to power: Concrete rules

• Specific rules in the sector.

• Mean to guide behavior.

• EX. following the same example: picking up after yourself, dishes, one child does sweeping, other child mops.

• Specific rules.

Family rules related to power: Rule sanctioning.

• What happens when we don't follow the rules?

• What are the consequences for rule violations?

• Any sort of punishment for not following rules.

Decision Making in Families

1. Instrumental

• Needs to be a decision that is emotion free. Basic decisions or ones we need to make on the day to day basis EX. what tv show will we watch tonight, what time to go to bed. 

2. Affective. 

• Rooted in emotion. EX. decision to divorce. 

*It is difficult to say any one solution is just instrumental or just affective.

What’s difficult about decision making in family?

*It is difficult to say any one solution is just instrumental or just affective. EX. what tv show will we watch and two children fight over which show to watch and the parent keeps picking child A’s show….favoritism. 

Decision making styles

1. Consensus

2. Accommodation

3. Defacto

Decision making styles: Consensus

• Everyone agrees. Agreement doesn't mean it has to be your top choice but you support the other choice.  

• Everyone has veto power. One person has the ability to kill decisions. 

• If everyone but one person wants an olive garden then that person vetoes the decision. 

• Makes this style difficult. Gets harder as family size gets bigger. 

Decision making styles: Accommodation

• Some family members have to give in to other family members. Majority vote. Does Not have to be a majority vote—could also be a matriarchal/patriarchal family where one person chooses and everyone else has to accommodate/adapt to that decision. 

• Simple, easy, quick 

• Problem: if you constantly are on the losing end, you'll start to feel like your family doesn't value your perspective. 

Decision making styles: Defacto

• Context or situation decides for you. Family doesn't get to make the decision. Some family members have to give in to other family members. Majority vote. Does Not have to be a majority vote—could also be a matriarchal/patriarchal family where one person chooses and everyone else has to accommodate/adapt to that decision. 

• Simple, easy, quick 

• Problem: if you constantly are on the losing end, you'll start to feel like your family doesn't value your perspective. 

• Ex. The family is deciding for the upcoming fall school year and are using a consensus method on if they should send their kid to private or public school–but they spent too much time thinking about it and they miss the deadline to send their kid to private school. Because public school is the only choice remaining, the context decided for them.

Decision topics: consumer purchase and food choices

• Tweens in the USA (children aged 7-12) directly spend about $44 billion annually and influence the spending of billions more

• Teens spend $259 billion annually in the USA 

• Kids influence the spending of $1.2 trillion a year by adults.

• Kids don't realize just how much power they have in the decisions about what things are purchased. Kids are tiebreakers when parents can’t decide or when parents are indifferent. 

• Children who watch more television are more aware of product options and brands, and they ask their parents to buy these advertised products more