Family Systems

This week I have been learning about certain theories. A theory is basically an explanation of something. Social scientists use theories to guide their research. Some of their research includes the study of intimate relationships. The four most commonly known theories studied by social scientists to understand intimate relationships are: systems theory, exchange theory, symbolic interaction theory, and conflict theory.

The book we are reading out of in my class, called Marriage and Family: the Quest for Intimacy by Robert H. Lauer, says the following about systems theory:
"As applied to intimate relationships, system theory asserts that the intimate group must be analyzed as a whole; the group has boundaries that distinguish from other groups. Thus, particular people from the system have particular rules and roles that apply to their system. Furthermore, the group is also composed of interrelated parts or individuals. That is, the parts are not independent but influence each other and work together in such a way that the system tends to be maintained; outside influences generally cause minimal change."

I liked this explanation of systems theory.

Exchange theory asserts that we want the costs in relationships to be lower than the rewards. For example, there is the phrase "you owe me one." That demonstrates exchange theory in action. If the costs in relationships are higher than the rewards, we often tend to stray from those people.

Symbolic interaction theory is usually about the perception of meaning in relationships. In the book it says, "That is, what happens in interaction is a result not merely of what individuals bring to it but also of the interaction itself." Also, peoples ideas and perceptions change as they interact with different people.

Conflict theory, as said in the book, "asserts that all societies are characterized by inequality, conflict, and change as groups within the society struggle over scarce resources." This theory is basically about how people in groups and relationships have conflicting ideas, and there are different reactions to it. An example of this is feminists. Overall, they agree that everyone should be equal, but different feminist believe this to different extents.

I really enjoyed learning about different theories and systems, and I would encourage you all to do some research on it!

Thanks for reading!