1. Introduction on communication and relationship.
Supported by accurate
citations/references.
What is deemed “family” differs by culture, socioeconomic class, and political affiliation.
Basically, a family is defined as a group of relatives and descendants who live together.
Families are essentially made up of involuntary relationships that are typically filled with
emotional intensity, subtle innuendo, and a history of both immense joy and deep grief. “The
primary focus of family systems theory is on behavioural exchanges that occur during a
specific moment of interaction between family members,” according to Smith et al. (2016).
All conceptions of the family are built on, developed, and perpetuated through
communication (Miller-Day, 2017).
Communication can be defined in a variety of ways. “The process of transmitting information
and common understanding from one person to another is known as communication,”
according to Keyton (2011). In other words, Miller-Day (2017) defines communication “as a
symbolic, transactional process of producing and coordinating meanings in a setting,
incorporating both verbal and nonverbal codes.”As the definition emphasizes, there is no
communication until there is a common understanding as a result of the exchange of
information. Figure 1.1 and Figure 1.2 illustrates the definition and highlights the key
components and phases of the communication process (Cheney, 2011).
Figure1.1: The communication process
Figure 1.2 The Phases in Communication Process
Communication is a critical part of any relationship, and the family is no exception. In fact,
communication is one of the key components of a healthy family system. Poor
communication, on the other hand, can lead to a number of negative outcomes, including the
breakdown of the family system.
2. Discussion on why effective communication is crucial in the family system.
Support your points with a least THREE journal articles related and relevant to
family communication.
There are a number of reasons why effective communication is crucial in the family system.
First, communication is necessary in order to maintain a healthy relationship between family
members. It allows family members to express their needs and wants, and to resolve conflicts
in a constructive manner (Finne & Grönroos, 2013). Flexibility and adaptability to change are
core elements of resilience. In the process of establishing effective communication, the
family system may change frequently to generate integration and evolution resulting in a
balance situation to be difficult to achieve particularly in a complicated family system. This is
due to the fact that a family is not a system with fixed characteristics. Few strategies to help
children to embrace changes are talked about changes, involve children in making decisions
about changes and demonstrate the change can be a positive thing. Therefore to achieve
homeostasis, each family member must be able to adjust or adapt to any type of change,
whether expected or not. A family system is a part of an open social system (Hamzah and
Yusof, 2018). Family members must engage in a healthy communication process to practice
openness in the family.
A person can only be easily understood if they are open.For instance, having one-to-one
chatting with each family member before going to bed helps in strengthening individual
relationships. Open, comfortable and effective communication not only benefits the children
but every family member in boosting confidence, self-esteem, teamwork, healthy and warm
relationships. Since family members have different personalities they behave differently in a
situation which leads to complicated responses. These responses are sometimes unreasonable
because they are the result of family issues. A parent may pay more attention to the younger
child compared to the eldest. As a result, insufficient attention is given to the elder child and
the child may feel neglected. This makes the eldest child commit mistakes such as lying or
beating the sibling in an attempt to get the parent’s attention. This will result in him
motivating the parents to modify their attitudes once they realise the problem and begin to
pay attention to him. Hence, this makes communication important for a family system.
Second, communication is essential for the development and maintenance of a strong
emotional bond between family members. This emotional bond is what allows family
members to support and care for one another in times of need. Each member of a family
system is related to each other and this requirement of needing each other is compulsory for
this system as it has to function efficiently and effectively. Individual behavior will have an
emotional and psychological impact on other family members and will lead to a long-term
effect. Therefore, they must act with poise to maintain communication within the family
system.
Finally, communication is necessary in order to ensure that family members are able to
effectively coordinate their activities and responsibilities. Without effective communication,
it would be very difficult for families to function properly (Sheeks & Birchmeier, 2007).
Every family system requires a technique to make communication between family members
easier. The sharing of information has ramifications for family ties. However, not every
member of the family has access to the same information. Information sharing can be
contradictory, causing a relationship to grow closer or causing family members to
misunderstand each other. A single communication, whether positive or negative, can set the
tone for a family’s opinion, therefore effective communication skills are crucial. Nonetheless,
information sharing is critical in achieving family system uniformity, stability, integration,
and coordination.
3. Analysis on how poor communication between family members contributes to the
negative impacts. Support your discussion with latest and accurate real examples and
facts/references.
