Family Communication

Family Photography as a phatic construction

by Patri Prieto

Published in 'Networking Knowledge: Journal of the MeCCSA Postgraduate Network', Vol. 3, No. 2 (2010)

When the camera became a domestic consumer good, photography was adapted to the needs of private production and... more When the camera became a domestic consumer good, photography was adapted to the needs of private production and reception (Slater, 1991: 50). The family archive contains images of selfportrayal, whose form is oriented towards established patterns, like cartes-de-visite, since they are  received privately as well as in a quasi-public area (wallet, desk in an office etc.).

Family photography gains its performative character by means of its phatic function (Malinowski, 1923/1949: 315-7), inscribed in a historical and socio-cultural frame (Hirsch, M. 1997: 10-2). It actuates in the border between naivety and formality, and these Memory-Pictures (Keppler, 1994: 187) create an impression of reliability and authenticity by their ritualized reception.

The storage in a family archive and the perfomativity of its reception oscillate between the paradigm of scripture and the regime of narration (Langford, 2006: 227). The characterization of the media category ‘family photography’ by means of the phatic function of communication, and the identification of suitable tools for the analysis, are the topics of this article.

Factors associated with posttraumatic growth among the spouses of myocardial infarction patients

by Mithat Durak

Key Words: cognitive processing, environmental factors, individual factors, myocardial infarction patients, posttraumatic growth, spouses of myocardial infarction patients

To clarify the rationale behind Posttraumatic Growth (PTG), a model by Schaefer and Moos describes the relative... more To clarify the rationale behind Posttraumatic Growth (PTG), a model by Schaefer and Moos describes the relative contribution of environmental resources, individual resources, event related factors, cognitive processing and coping (CPC) on PTG. In the present study, this model was tested with the spouses of myocardial infarction patients with data from various hospitals in Turkey. A structural equation model revealed that neither individual nor environmental resources had indirect effects on PTG through the effect of event-related factors and CPC, while they showed direct effects on PTG. The findings were discussed in the context of the theoretical model.

Empathic interactions between parents and children: an exploratory study

by Rafael Carvalho

Co-authored with professor Maria Lucia Seidl-de-Moura, published in The Romanian Journal of Psychology, Psychotherapy and Neuroscience.

Empathy has been broadly studied, but its development and evolution are rarely considered from an integrative... more Empathy has been broadly studied, but its development and evolution are rarely considered from an integrative perspective. In addition, few studies explore fathers’ participation in child development, focusing mainly on mothers’ role. This study attempted to contemplate these two gaps in the literature, considering an evolutionary and developmental view on empathy, as well as including fathers as participants. It aimed at investigating empathic interactions between parents and children and parental beliefs about empathy importance and development. Participants were 10 families, including father, mother and one 8-11 years-old child, who all lived together in the city of Rio de Janeiro. In order to assess the variables involved in family empathic interactions, a variety of methodologies were employed: an observation session of parents-child joint activities, an Inventory of Empathy for the parents, an Empathy Evaluation interview for the children, and an instrument focusing on parental beliefs on empathy. The results indicated relationships between empathy scores of parents and children in the instruments. In general, parents value empathic abilities and consider its development to be mainly influenced by their example and children’s learning process, instead of by children’s maturity and temperament characteristics. However, in the observation of the joint activities, difficulties in empathic communication were observed, leading to the hypothesis that there is no direct relationship between beliefs, individual abilities, and family practices. As an exploratory study, it is pointed out that more investigations on parent-child communication in daily activities are needed to advance knowledge in this field.

Does marriage protect older people from distress? The role of equity and recency of bereavement.

by Nico W. Van Yperen

Using an Ecological Framework to Understand Parent-Child Communication about Nutritional Decision-Making Behavior

by Jenn Anderson

And earlier draft of this paper will be presented at NCA 2011.

Manuscript draft under review.

Co-authored with Khadi Ndiaye, Kami Silk, Amanda Carpenter, Allison Hurley, Haley Kranstuber, & Jeff Proulx

Investigating the content of communication about food and nutrition in the parent-child dyad can provide insight into... more Investigating the content of communication about food and nutrition in the parent-child dyad can provide insight into how rules and roles associated with food are instantiated within the family context. The current study uses an ecological framework to consider the multiple levels of influence on communication and dietary behavior within the family context. Interviews (N = 33) were conducted with parents and children from low-income families in two different counties within a Midwestern state.

Results indicate low levels of communication about food choices between parents and children, as well as low involvement from children in food selection and preparation. Results also identify the accessibility of healthy food and financial considerations as key barriers to facilitating nutritional choices. Strategies for designing interventions that encourage initiation of familial discussions about food, promote positive nutritional role models, and highlight the importance of positive feedback and rewards for healthy food decision-making behaviors are discussed.

“Losing Things Was Nothing New”: A Family's Stories of Foreclosure

by Andrew Herrmann

Herrmann, A. F. (2011). “Losing things was nothing new”: A family’s story of foreclosure. Journal of Loss & Trauma, 16, 497-510.

Although personal bankruptcies and foreclosures have always been common, in Western culture people do not often share... more Although personal bankruptcies and foreclosures have always been common, in Western culture people do not often share these stories. In this article, I briefly examine the literature surrounding, narrative “stories on the margin,” and disenfranchised grief. I then present my family members’ stories surrounding the loss of our home in 1991 through foreclosure. Following these stories, I examine how disenfranchised grief –
through the lack of culturally sanctioned stories of loss – can lead to silence. Finally, I substantiate why eliciting noncanonical economic narratives are personally and collectively beneficial for research on grief and loss.

My father's ghost: Interrogating family photos

by Andrew Herrmann

Cite as:
Herrmann, A. F. (2005). My father’s ghost: Interrogating family photos. Journal of Loss and Trauma, 10, 337-346.

This article presents an autoethnographic, autobiographical investigation into the story of a boy (now a man) and his... more This article presents an autoethnographic, autobiographical investigation into the story of a boy (now a man) and his relationship with his missing father. The account includes flashes of memory and brief conversations with other members of my family. After innumerable years, my father was located upon my grand- mother’s death. I recall the special trip I took to Florida in order to reconnect with my father. After our brief reunion, he disappeared once again. I ask questions about his emotional state, but find that I am asking questions into a void. Finally, I come to the realization that he does not want to be found, and that realization is a form of closure itself.

Family Communication with Gay and Lesbian Family Members: Predictors of Relational Satisfaction and Implications for Outgroup Attitudes

by Jordan Soliz

This study investigates perceptions of family communication among members with different sexual identities.... more This study investigates perceptions of family communication among members with different sexual identities. Specifically, from the perspective of heterosexual family members (N = 129), the study takes an intergroup perspective to determine how accommodative and non-accommodative communication and attitudes toward homosexuality predict intergroup anxiety and relational satisfaction with gay or lesbian family members. Further, the manner in which family communication influences attitudes toward homosexuality is examined. Results are discussed in terms of implications for research on heterosexual–homosexual interaction, family communication, and intergroup communication, in general.

Communicative correlates of satisfaction, family identity, and group salience in multiracial/ethnic families

by Jordan Soliz

Guided by the Common Ingroup Identity Model (S. L. Gaertner & J. F. Dovidio, 2000) and Communication Accommodation... more Guided by the Common Ingroup Identity Model (S. L. Gaertner & J. F. Dovidio, 2000) and Communication Accommodation Theory (C. Shepard, H. Giles, & B. A. LePoire, 2001), we examined the role of identity accommodation, supportive communication, and self-disclosure in predicting relational satisfaction, shared family identity, and group salience in multiracial/ethnic families. Additionally, we analyzed the association between group salience and relational outcomes as well as the moderating roles of multiracial/ethnic identity and marital status. Individuals who have parents from different racial/ethnic groups were invited to complete questionnaires on their family experiences. Participants (N = 139) answered questions about relationships with mothers, fathers, and grandparents. The results of the multilevel modeling analyses are discussed in terms of implications for understanding multiracial/ethnic families and family functioning.

Toward a Dialectical Model of Family Gender Discourse: Body, Identity, and Sexuality

by Thomas W. Blume

Warren, E., Parry, O., Buchanan, J. & Ifans, J. (2008 ) I’ll (not) see you in court: family dispute resolution in North Wales, Research, Policy & Planning:The Journal of the Social Services Research Group, Vol. 26, No. 3, pp143-155

by Julian Buchanan

co-authored with Emily Warren, Odette Parry & Jonquil Ifans

This paper draws on a qualitative evaluation of the CAFCASS Cymru’s Family Dispute Resolution Pilot Programme (FDRP)... more This paper draws on a qualitative evaluation of the CAFCASS Cymru’s Family Dispute Resolution Pilot Programme (FDRP) in North Wales. The FDRP was developed as a child centred intervention aimed at resolving disputes involving children, without recourse to the courts. The evaluation comprised postal questionnaires for parents and qualitative interviews with a sample of parents, children and professionals engaging with the programme. Overall, both professionals and families were very positive about the programme. However, while valuing the FDRP child centred imperative, some parents found it (a) difficult to relinquish their attachment to personal grievances with the other parent and (b) less empowering. Also, while the programme was founded on the principle of agreement, for many of the interviewees issues of enforcement were also important. That is, some professionals argued that an element of compulsion was needed for parents to engage in the FDRP process and comply with agreed outcomes. Likewise, some parents said they wanted continued CAFCASS Cymru input to ensure that the agreed arrangements were observed. In conclusion, while both professionals and parents were highly supportive of the programme, they highlighted issues which have resource implications for an already resource heavy service.

Pop, I.Gh., Popoviciu, S.A., Popoviciu, I. (2010) Transdisciplinary approach on knowledge production in family as community of practice, Problems of Education in the 21st century, 21, 141-152

by Salomea Popoviciu

This paper presents a new perspective on family as a possible community of practice using a transdisciplinary approach... more This paper presents a new perspective on family as a possible community of practice using a transdisciplinary approach and the search window methodology with top-down and bottom up levels of knowledge. In a family as community of practice communication is facilitated by a flexible accessible structure (mutual engagement) between parents to children (top-down perspective) and children to parents (bottom-up perspective). In this mutual inform-action process parents through the mechanism of authority and collaborative relationships encourage learning as a central aspect of children identity shaped by family participation. The children, through the mechanism of apprenticeship learn through sharing information and experiences. This process of mutual engagement leads to a shared understanding (joint enterprise) and new resources (shared repertoire) which are the building blocks of a community of practice.

No footsteps to follow: How blue-collar kids navigate postindustrial careers

by Kristen Lucas

Lucas, K. (2006). No footsteps to follow: How blue-collar kids navigate postindustrial careers. dissertation, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN.

Adviser: Patrice M. Buzzanell

During the recession of the early 1980s, the United States experienced a massive industrial downturn. More than 3... more During the recession of the early 1980s, the United States experienced a massive industrial downturn. More than 3 million blue-collar jobs permanently vanished from the economic landscape, altering the structure and availability of once-viable career paths. Therefore, the goal of this project was to learn about the experiences of the sons and daughters of blue-collar workers who cannot follow in their parents’ footsteps, but instead must transition into careers in a postindustrial economy. Guided by life course theory, I interviewed 62 people—sons, daughters, fathers, and mothers—to determine how family-based communication about work and career both helped and hindered one cohort of “blue-collar kids” in their career transitions.

The research consisted of two phases, an archival phase and an interview phase. The archival research traced events of the recession (1979-1982), particularly as they related to industrial downturn in a small Michigan mining community. The interview-based research phase delved into the life courses of a cohort of individuals who came of age during that particular period of economic downturn. These individuals’ (and their parents’) work histories, family messages about work and career, and career and class identities, reveal several important insights into postindustrial career transitions.

First, the “kids’” and parents’ constructions of periods of economic downturn serve several notable purposes, including destigmatizing the experience of job loss, offering a viable model of lifetime employability, and backgrounding the politics of economic downturns. Second, family-based messages about work and career do not occur in straightforward, unambiguous memorable messages. Instead, communication about these issues—and ultimately communication about social class mobility and reproduction—emerges and comes to be understood through relational dialectics. Third, this cohort simultaneously must reconcile competing tensions between two macrolevel discourses that dictate, to an extent, how careers should unfold. On one hand, blue-collar kids are driven by the social mobility mandates of the American Dream and, on the other hand, are committed to upholding the values-based obligations of the Working Class Promise.

The findings contribute to the literature on organizational socialization, family communication, and career identities. The findings also are suggestive of several interventions for communities facing deindustrialization.

Sonification of Emotion State In Family-Run Businesses

by Lars Graugaard

Funded by Danish Center for Design Research

I report on an application that makes use of auditory display of data that represents an individual’s appreciation of... more I report on an application that makes use of auditory display of data that represents an individual’s appreciation of his situation in the specific collaborative context of a family owned company. The auditory display is an emotion mapping of the company-family structure, and thereby transmits the emotional impact of possible future scenarios if no intervention takes place. The structural parameters ‘family complexity’, ‘company complexity’, ‘company structure’ and ‘structural risk’ are mapped to structural aspects of the auditory display that contain sufficient similarity to be readily appreciable with minimal preparation. The result is that the implicit emotional state of the analysis subject – a member of the family – is represented in the audio stream. This facilitates other family members’ empathy, because it circumvents subjective semantic interpretations and potential rejection of a purely verbal interpretation of the data. The technique is general and may be applied to other collaborative situations where a self-learning approach is preferred.

A bittersweet prelude: my sugared narrative (exploring family dynamics in health)

by Michele Battle-Fisher

The Yale Journal for Humanities in Medicine

I begin with a backdrop for this story. While my cousin in this narrative is the one living each day with chronic... more I begin with a backdrop for this story. While my cousin in this narrative is the one living each day with chronic kidney disease, this narrative is about me. As an African-American, pursuing my history has not been easy but it is one that each of us has been taught to seek to take back. We need to know where we came from to move forward. As my aunt pieces together our ancestry from love letters, vital records and family Bibles, each link she makes to a lost soul however remote, is a victory in reclaiming ourselves. Whether it is the Moroccan royalty that was found in slave records or the love letters from an incarcerated relative, each artifact is given the care and significance that it deserves. The family tree becomes a picture of our family that needed to be told. These stories give homage to the self that we try to become