The document summarizes the Perkins family structure and dynamics based on a family collage and analysis assignment. It describes the family as a blended single-parent household, with an emphasis on the supportive roles of the grandmother, aunt, and cousins. Economic hardship is discussed as well as the family values of independence and prioritizing family. Family roles, rituals, decision-making processes, and conflict management styles are examined based on concepts from the course readings.

1. The Perkins
Family
Collage and Analysis
Regina Perkins 11/20/11

2. Introduction to my family
 I would say that my family is a combination of
single-parent and blended. My mother raised me
as a single-parent but our home was filled with
other family members
 My grandmother and aunt played a huge part in
helping raise me when my mother was working
 I consider my cousins to be like my brothers, and
we always introduced ourselves as brother and
sisters
 In the text it even states that “today, families
define themselves, for themselves…(pg. 5)”

3. Introduction to my family
 Despite the lack of paternal support, my
mother had the support of her mother
and sister when it came to raising
me, giving me the opportunity to have a
very loyal extended family

4. Economic Issues
 One issue that my family faced a lot that the
text touched upon was the economic issues
that some families face
 My mother was the sole provider for me and I
definitely could relate to the fact that
“economic pressures add significant stress to
the lives of poor family members, and this
stress affects the ways family members relate
to each other (pg 16).”

5. What Family Means
 “Even in the most mundane
interchanges, participants’ messages
imply their visions of the nature of social
and physical reality as well as their
values, beliefs, and attitudes (pg. 26).”
 My family has developed a few core
meanings and metacommunications

6. What Family Means
 The
one theme/message our family has
developed and practiced throughout the
years is “family first”
 No matter who comes in and out of your
life, you family will always be there for
you, so you should treat them with respect
and love.

7. What Family Means
 Another
important notion that has special
meaning to my family is to be
independent.
 My grandmother was also a single mother
of 5, so she has taught her children and her
grandchildren to value the meaning of a
dollar and make your own living because
you never know what may happen

8. What Family Means
 There are a lot of metacommunications
that occur in my family, even though we
know quite a lot about each other we
always sarcastic and make smart
remarks, and reiterate the fact that no
matter what we were only kidding, or
were being sarcastic
 Despite our flexible, cohesive
functioning, there are still times where we
question each other, but with the best
intentions

9. Boundaries
Iwould say generally we have established
a permeable boundary, we are very
open to others opinions values and share
our values with other families with a great
deal of acceptance.

10. The Family System
I have a very interdependent family, we
all have individual relationships that form
our family system
 We have a lot of symbolic interactions
that take shape in “inside jokes

11. The Family System
 Here is an example of how my family uses the
narrative theory to demonstrate our “inside” jokes:
 It was my father’s first experience at a Thanksgiving
dinner, my grandmother had told him to get in line
otherwise all the food would be gone. Nevertheless,
my father politely waited till every member got their
food before him, and when he went up to the table
to fill his plate, it was all gone…
 This story is an example of how we are always to take
opportunities as they are presented to us, especially
when tit involves food.

12. Family Roles
 My mother was definitely seen as the “provider”
 My grandmother is the “helper,” when any of us
are having issues with one another, or issues in
general, my grandmother is always ready to give
advice and help
 My aunt is definitely the “joker” of the family. She is
such a free spirit and can take any situation and
put her own light-hearted twist on it
 All the other members of my family were equally
important in their roles of supporting one another.
There will always be a shoulder to cry on, helping
hand, and open ear because we are all there for
one another.

13. Family Secrets
 All the members of my family have secrets,
we don’t push each other to reveal them, but
if we do know something we respect that
person and keep them to ourselves
 The secrets probably range from sweet,
essential, maybe some toxic ones, or even
dangerous
 But as the text states the secrets do seem to
serve purposes like bonding, evaluation,
maintenance, privacy, defense and
communication (Vangelisti, pg. 90)

14. Family Network
 Our family network most likely aligns with
the “all channel network.”
 It “supports exchanges between or
among all family members, supporting
direct interation and maximum feedback
(pg. 93).”

15. Stories
 My grandmother is the story-teller of the
family.
 Her stories allow us to find out how the
family was established, how we deal with
certain issues, how relationships were
formed, and help us bond as a unit

16. Relationship Maintenance
 The Perkins family is very close for a
reason.
 We hold our relationships very dear, and
maintaining those relationships is an
important practice
 No matter the relationship whether it be
marital, parent/child, or siblings, we all
stay connected (or try to)

17. Relationship Maintenance
 Some of the ways that we maintain
relationships that the text mentioned were
through dialogue, and rituals
 A ritual that my grandmother and I have
practiced for a few years now is we always see
the newest films from the Twilight series together.
I don’t usually see the film with friends for the first
time, I always go see it with my grandmother
first. It is meaningful for the both of us as
fans, and creates something special for both of
us to share

18. Family Typology
 Of all of the different kinds of typologies I
feel that my family mostly identifies with
Fitzpatrick’s Couple Types (pg. 169)
 Of all of the couples in the family I would
say that they all are independent
types, they accept uncertainty and
change, and share/negotiate autonomy.
 Relationshipsare seen as a “team effort” and
not one duty is the sole responsibility of one
member

19. Decision Makers
 “Each family member must exercise a certain
degree of power in order to gain or maintain
some control over his or her life (pg. 180).”
 Even if it is a simple decision like what to eat for
dinner we always consult each other, no one
person is the “decision-maker,” we all feel like
we have the same resources and knowledge to
where there is always a consultation amongst
members.
 I would say that since there is a shared authority
then my family would be syncratic,

20. Power Development
I would say that the power development
in my family is no doubt due to how my
mother and her siblings were raised in a
single-parent setting, where children and
parents assume equal responsibilities and
enhances maturity and self-reliance.

21. Conflict Management
 “Aconflict between two members of the
family will affect other members (pg.
211).”
 In our family you can definitely tell when
there is a conflict, because we are so close
we can usually tell if something is wrong
with one another, and in one way or
another it affects each member of the
family

22. Conflict Management
 “Change may trigger uneasiness and
consequently conflict (pg. 212).”
 Example: When I was going through a
miscarriage, my family could tell something was
emotionally wrong, since they did not know and
did not want to “pry,” they thought I was mad
at them, so they began to act differently. Until I
revealed what happened and resolved the
brewing conflict there was plenty of tension
between my family and I.