Pauline Boss

Sourcebook of family theories and methods: A contextual approach

Overview: Family Theories and Methods (W.J. Doherty et al.). Metatheory and Family Studies (D.M. Klein, J.A. Jurich). The Emergence of Family Theories and Methods: The History of Family Theory (B.N. Adams, S.K. Steinmetz). Comparative Methods in Family Research (G.R. Lee, L. Haas). Family Theories and Methods Emerging During 1918-1929: Symbolic Interactionism and Family Studies (R. LaRossa, D.C. Reitzes). Qualitative Family Research (P.C. Rosenblatt, L.R. Fischer). Family Theories and Methods Emerging During 1930-1945: Quantitative Measurement in Family Research (K.S. Wampler, C.F. Halverston, Jr.). Family Theories and Methods Emerging During 1946-1960: Family Development Theory (R.H. Rodgers, J.M. White). Family Theories and Methods Emerging During 1960-1980: Systems Theories (G.G. Whitechurch, L. Constantine). Family Theories and Methods Emerging During the 1980s: Communication Theory and the Family (M.A. Fitzpatrick, L.D. Ritchie). 17 additional articles. Index.

Normative Family Stress: Family Boundary Changes across the Life-Span.

Normative stress in families results whenever components are added to or subtracted from a family system. From birth to death, family boundaries change and remain ambiguous during the process of reorganization after acquisition or loss of a member. The familys perception of who is inside or outside the family system is significantly related to the interaction within that system as well as between that system and the outside world. It is proposed that due to the process of family boundary maintenance, there is little similarity in family structures across time: family structures are constantly changing to facilitate the accomplishment of functions while maintaining family boundaries.

The Relationship of Psychological Father Presence, Wife's Personal Qualities and Wife/Family Dysfunction in Families of Missing Fathers.

Findings from this study add strong support to the theoretical proposition by Boss (1975, 1977) that in a family with a physically absent father, a high degree qf Psychological Father Presence relates to wife dysfunction and is a significant predictor of Wife as well as Family Dysfunction. There is no support for the premise that the wifes androgynous qualities allow her to close-out her missing husband more easily

Family Boundary Ambiguity Predicts Alzheimer’s Outcomes

This study examines caregiver and patient relationship characteristics in the etiology of behavior problems in Alzheimers disease. Seventy-two caregivers and patients were assessed twice, 12 months apart. Cross lag panel analysis was used to test for one-way or reciprocal causal links among caregiver variables, patient impairment measures, and patient behavior problems. Caregiver distancing from patients (closeout) predicted increases in the frequency of behavior problems, including activity disturbances, paranoia, and anxiety. These behaviors in turn led to increased closeout of the patient by the caregiver. The reciprocal causal associations found in this study suggest that dysfunctional family interactions may underlie patient behavior problems and caregiver distress.

The Myth of Closure

Therapies for grief and loss have traditionally focused on the work of grieving. The goal was to reach an endpoint, now popularly called closure. There are, however, many people who, through no fault of their own, find a loss so unclear that there can be no end to grief. They have not failed in the work of grieving, but rather have suffered ambiguous loss, a type of loss that is inherently open ended. Instead of closure, the therapeutic goal is to help people find meaning despite the lack of definitive information and finality. Hope lies in increasing a familys tolerance for ambiguity, but first, professionals must increase their own comfort with unanswered questions. In this article, the authors, one a poet, the other a family therapist and theorist, offer a unique blending of theory, reflection, and poetry to experientially deepen the process of self-reflection about a kind of loss that defies closure.

Spousal dementia caregiving in the context of late-life remarriage

Increasing numbers of older couples entering late-life remarriage will face dementia and spousal caregiving. This qualitative study, informed by grounded theory methods, is a first to explore spousal caregiving in the late-life remarried context. Interviews with nine late-life remarried wife caregivers identified complex intergenerational stepfamily dynamics that appear to amplify isolation and stress for this group of caregivers. Most women reported experiencing rejection of remarriage by adult children, minimal family involvement in caregiving, and intergenerational conflict regarding decision making. Nonetheless, caregivers described proactive, strategic approaches toward caregiving. This study examines the construct of boundary ambiguity as it relates to late-life remarriage and dementia caregiving, thus merging the unique challenges of caregiver and stepfamily dynamics. Findings are discussed in light of the potential risks highlighted for remarried couples facing chronic health issues. Future dementia research that accounts for diverse marital and family histories is suggested.

The Family Coping Inventory Applied to Parents with New Babies

Parent coping behaviors were investigated in a sample of 100 mothers and 100 fathers of twoto three-month-old infants using the Family Coping Inventory, originally developed for families experiencing membership loss or separation. The relationship between coping behaviors, gender of parent and infant, and number of children also was examined. Factor analyses yielded three coping patterns: seeking social support and self-development; maintaining family integrity; and being religious, thankful, and content. T-testing between mother and father groups revealed that mothers found 17 of the 28 coping behaviors to be more useful than did fathers. Confirmatory factor analysis procedures were repeated on two equal subgroups of 100 randomly selected parents. Items relating to maintaining family integrity were usually replicated. These findings are consistent with past studies offamily separation and loss that also used the Family Coping Inventory. Some commonalities were identified in both loss and acquisitions of family membership. It also was found that coping patterns were affected by the gender of the respondent.

The role of intuition in family research: Three issues of ethics

The thesis of this chapter is that, unless one has had brain-surgery, a stroke, or has some organic deficiency, we are all whole-brained people, therapists and researchers alike. To elaborate on this point, this article is focused on the role of intuition in family research. Ethical issues in family research are viewed as similar to those in symbolic experiential family therapy. Three ethical issues, counter-transference, mutual benefit, and discovery, are discussed.

Coping with Normative Stress from Loss and Change:: A Longitudinal Study of Rural Windows

From the symbolic interaction perspective, the study examined the effect of loss of spouse on 30 rural widows in three Montana counties at 6 and 12 months after death of spouse. Participants were given a measure of psychological husband presence, a coping inventory, a health measure, and a measure of self-esteem. The results revealed a high level of adjustment among the rural widows at both 6 and 12 months after death of spouse, and a qualitative shift in the focus of the coping behaviors from 6 to 12 months after the husbands death. These results suggest that within this select sampleit is possible for widows to adjust to their new status and develop a positive and satisfying life as a single woman.

Resilience as Tolerance for Ambiguity

Marie’s husband went hiking four years ago and vanished without a trace. Marie has come to believe now, four years after his disappearance, that she will never know where her husband is, or whether he is dead or alive. Some days she thinks he is dead; other days she thinks he started a new life somewhere else. It goes like that, back and forth. She wonders when it will be over. Never? All she knows for sure is this: She is not waiting anymore for him to come back. She is finally moving forward with her life despite not knowing.