Family Systems Theory

Family Systems Theory

Families are holistic, goal-seeking systems — the family as a unit has properties and purposes that go beyond individual members

System

A family works like a system:

• all parts are connected, so a change in one affects the whole.

• Within it are smaller groups (like parents, siblings, or spouses) that help it function.

  • These parts can be studied alone or as part of the bigger family unit.

Key People and Dates

Ernest Burgess (1926): family = “unity of interacting personalities” / “super personality”

Waller (1938): family as a closed system of social interaction

Parsons (1956): Four-role model — Instrumental leader, expressive leader, instrumental follower, expressive follower

Basic assumptions

• The whole is greater than the sum of its parts

• Individual actions must be understood in family context

• Families pursue goals that are arranged hierarchically and shift across the life cycle

• Families self-monitor via feedback

• Families are defined by communication

The whole is greater than the sum of its parts

The family is a system

• Family is more than just a group of individuals; it has a holistic quality

• Family members are interconnected; changes in one affect the whole

• The family system has its own rules, roles, communication patterns, and power structure

  • Meta-rules: “rules about rules” — decide how rules are understood, enforced, or changed.

• Individual behavior must be understood in the context of family relationships

Family roles

• Families rely on repeated behavior patterns and role expectations.

• Refusing a role can upset family balance.

• Four main roles:

  • Mover → starts action

  • Opposer → resists/block

  • Follower → agrees/supports

  • Bystander → observes

• Common dysfunctional roles:

  • Dependent

  • Enabler/Codependent

  • Hero

  • Delinquent

  • Invisible child

  • Clown

Individual actions must be understood in family context

Individual actions must be understood in family context

• Every action a family member takes serves a purpose or role in the family system

• Behavior should be understood in context: look at both their family environment and other areas of their life

Families pursue goals that are arranged hierarchically and shift across the life cycle

• Families set goals and create strategies to reach them, with varying levels of focus

• Goals are organized hierarchically and guide family decision-making

• Long-term or high-level goals are more stable than short-term goals

• Family priorities can change as circumstances in the family life cycle change

Hierarchy

Layers of power and authority within a family

• Organizes family structure, influences communication, decision-making, and overall function

Families monitor via self-regulation and feedback

• Families track whether they are achieving their goals and maintaining stability

• Feedback helps monitor changes in family functioning and supports survival

• Positive feedback: encourages or sustains change

• Negative feedback: resists change and restores previous balance

  • Both types of feedback can be healthy or unhealthy depending on the context

Feedback

Response to another family member’s behavior, especially when it deviates from usual patterns

• Negative feedback: corrects deviations to maintain stability

• Positive feedback: encourages change or growth

• Balance: healthy systems balance positive and negative feedback; too much can cause instability

Equilibrium

Families naturally resist change to maintain stability

Family is defined by their communication patterns

• Family communication shapes and maintains the family system

• Messages include verbal, nonverbal, context, and shared history

• Focus on both content (what is said) and relationship (how it’s said)

• Metacommunication: talking about communication to clarify and improve interactions

Locus of Pathology

• Where the problem is located

• Problems are seen as system dysfunctions, not individual faults

• A person’s behaviors, feelings, and interactions can only be understood in the context of their social environment.

Boundaries

• Family boundaries control what comes in and out, protecting the family and shaping interactions between subgroups (like parents and children).

• Boundaries can be open (flexible), random (disorganized), or closed (strict); confusion happens when someone is there physically but not emotionally.

Entropy

• Families naturally move from order to disorder (entropy), losing energy, focus, and connection over time.

• New energy, like information or family rituals, keeps families organized, while closed boundaries block this flow and increase disorder.

Historical time & choice

Concepts that help understand how families navigate racial and ethnic socialization within society

Bamaca et al. (2019)

Cultural gaps in families: important to consider family worldviews, identity, and perceptions styles when understanding how cultural differences emerge and are managed within the family