Lorraine Flores Family Psych. 328 Dr. Eileen C.

Treacy November 15, 2011 Question #1: The Ecological model of human development is the theoretical foundation upon which this Family Psychology class has been developed. Please describe this model and the process by which it has been developed. What is the utility of this model in examining the various psychological phenomena that occur in families? Apply the Ecological model to your own development. The applied science of Family Psychology is a realm of psychology that attempts to give a psychological understanding of the family [micro level], contextually, as a system [macro level] (Class, 08/30/11). The theoretical foundation upon which Family Psychology is developed is the Ecological Model of Human Development. As families have developed within diverse cultural and social shifts in the growth of society, they have experienced various social events that contribute to their private and public life. The Ecological Model of Human Development illustrates these commonly shared occurrences and their internal, more psychological effects on humans growth and change through the life span (Class, 09/13/11). This view focuses on the collective and dependent interactions between individuals and other social systems. It is a multi-directional view of people between the micro and macro levels of structure (Class, 09/13/11). Such levels varying from the micro level consist of interactions of the individual with other individuals, within the family, a specific group, and extend to that of the community. The larger scaled structures are that of culture, the economy, history, and geography, that constitute society in its entirety (Class, 09/13/11). This model expresses that people develop as a product of their social relationships and the physical, cultural, and social environments in which they grow. As people socially develop the quality of their interpersonal interactions trigger an array of internally psychological sentiments. These sentiments develop in accordance with human cognitive, emotional, and biological development. As a result, peoples reactions manifest through their behavior and social actions. Researchers have attempted to understand the reasons underlying

Lorraine Flores Family Psych. 328 Dr. Eileen C. Treacy November 15, 2011 peoples success or failure and their contributing factors. According Waller (2001), literature explains that "resilience is a multi-determined and ever-changing product of interacting forces within a given ecosystemic context (p.290), resembling the ecological model. It is positive adjustment to adversity. Adversity in this concept usually involves risk factors of challenging life circumstances and trauma (Masters & Coatsworth, 1998 as cited by Waller, 2001). Furthermore, research has discovered that both risk and protective factors vary across multiple systems that affect future psychosocial problems. Like resilience, people are ever-changing (Class, 09/13/11). More importanltly, people believe in humans capability to change. This idea of plasticity, gives an understanding that the relation of the risk and protective factors that contribute to adversity, do not predict resiliency (Class, 09/13/11). Considering the film Precious (2009), we view the range of multiple stressors that may help or worsen human lives. For example, Precious was abused physically, verbally, and mentally by her mother on a regular basis. Similarly, her father sexually abused her and empregnated her twice. Such traumatizing adverse conditions exhibited themselves, on one aspect, in the cognitive distortion Precious displayed when she daydreamed she was a celebrity and when she viewed herself as a white female with blonde hair. In addition, Precious was extremely overweight which was detrimental to her emotional and bilogical development as she constantly experienced her mothers insults and further those of her community. Finally, Precious circumstances to a certain extent reflect resilience since she decides to pull herself out of her mothers abusive home and has her second child. However, the adversity present in Precious life did not predict the end result of her biological development. Unfortunately, in the end of it all and as she struggled to be resilient, Precious found out she had contracted HIV.

Lorraine Flores Family Psych. 328 Dr. Eileen C. Treacy November 15, 2011 Indeed individuals are consistently changing as society evolves. It is not that difficult to comprehend that external societal forces, whether positive or negative, may in fact influence an internal sentiment that may later be manifested in a positive or negative social reaction or vice-versa. As a female minority, it is somewhat easy to grasp the contextual approach of human development. The fact in itself that I am a female, indirectly arises certain sentiments that may impact my life. Also being a minority, further assists soceitys opportunity to exacerbate the adverse conditions I may encounter. Growing up, I have come to face with certain adversities that I have had no control over. With no regard to sentiment, the biological pressures of my appearance (Im not skinny), the emotional stressors of my family and my household (too much drama), have in turn curtailed my development in this society. The pressure of a well-meaning mother, who has also been affected by adversities, to conquer my ideas, my thoughts, with the intent that I do well in the future, have also played their part. However, I laugh in the face of adversity. I have come to experience such a vast amount of life threatning, compromising, and influential situations, that at my present moment I believe there is not much out there left to influence me. In contrast, I know there is so much I can, in turn, give back to avoid others from experiencing the many various adversities of life. Finally, the many risk factors that have made significant impacts and changes to my life, have yet to determine my present life as negative. Hence, one can see how the Ecological Model of Human Development and its psychological application, serve to express social issues and resilience.

Lorraine Flores Family Psych. 328 Dr. Eileen C. Treacy November 15, 2011 REFERENCES Waller, M. A. (2001). Resilience in Ecosystemic Context: Evolution of the Concept. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry , 71 (3), 290-297. Daniels, L. (Director). (2009). Precious [Motion Picture].

Lorraine Flores Family Psych. 328 Dr. Eileen C. Treacy November 15, 2011

Question #2: One of the key issues that the class has addressed across the various reading assignments has been the changing roles for women in family life. Select 2 different readings that deal with the issue of the changes in womens gender roles and summarize the key findings. Throughout the course of history, the roles of women have drastically changed. Changes in the economy, politics, culture, and society have significantly contributed to the struggles faced by both men and women (Class, 10/25/11). However, women dramatically suffer the changes (Class, 10/25/11). Much of the controversy that surrounds the changes of traditional female roles in family life, distinguish between motherhood, work, and marriage (sex) (Class, 10/11/11). These specific roles given to women are socially constructed as seen in Beth Baileys, Sexual Revolution(s) and Sharon Hays The Mommy Wars: Ambivalence, Ideological Work, and the Cultural Contradictions of Motherhood. The perceptions of women take into account both public and private dimensions (Bailey, 2007). The tensions between these dimensions brought about the Sexual Revolution, which severely influenced the role of females (Class, 10/25/11). Promiscuity, exploitation, consumption, premarital sex laws, and rules for women are only a few of the factors that structure changes in woman gender roles (Bailey, 2007). Between structural and ideological systems and the double standard, Bailey (2007), explains that policy builds upon values and socially constructed rationales of sexual conduct (Class, 10/11/11). Then again, ideologically, men and women had different roles and different interests in sex. From limited privacy, symbolic interpretations, and developed ideologies, the sexual struggle of women in 1960, has publicly changed (Class, 10/25/11). Traditional views have been reconsidered and rationalized as a part of the rising market economy, as depicted by Bailey (2007). For example, after Hugh Hefner introduced Playboy magazine to society, correspondingly, Helen Gurley Brown introduced Cosmopolitan. From one view, Playboy magazine as

Lorraine Flores Family Psych. 328 Dr. Eileen C. Treacy November 15, 2011 it advocated heterosexual sex, portrayed women as objects that were interchangeable, mute, made no demands, and out for pleasurable consumption (Bailey, 2007). On the other hand, Cosmopolitan magazine, gave woman an independent image and that of a sexual and material consumer of men. These views of sexual freedom, exploited both genders in the sense that sex sells. However, both magazines, in return, gave woman a bad reputation. Moreover, and despite the bad reputation, as previously mentioned, the sexual struggle of women in the 1960s resulted in more choices and rights for women. The new, more positive images of women, allowed them, the right to vote, get divorced, use contraception, and a higher education (Placeholder4). A variety of opportunities became available to become of high status in a male dominant, capitalistic society. As women have advanced in society, they have entered the labor force demonstrating the ability to be both a loving and caring mother as well as a successful professional (Class, 10/11/11) . According to Hays (2007), the roles of women in motherhood are expressed through the ideology of intensive mothering and supermoms. However, Hays (2007), expresses that economic status and political and social ideologies are extremely significant factors that still limit the advances achieved by women. Traditionally [mid 19th century] women have always been perceived as inferior to men without any rights. Similarly, regardless of the improvements, women find themselves forced to struggle the same political and economic inequalities from before. As marriage turns into divorce, children experience life in single parent homes, and the economy changes (Class, 11/08/11), the struggles faced by families today have worsened. . Of the struggles faced, financial necessity forces women to become not only

mothers but also breadwinners (Class, 10/11/11) Varying from the personal fulfillment or necessity, the issue of the mommy wars, women have displayed the same goal of the ideal intensive mother. Yet, still another issue affects females and their gender roles. For example, white-middle-class

Lorraine Flores Family Psych. 328 Dr. Eileen C. Treacy November 15, 2011 women, have chosen to remain home to commit the role of intensive mothering. The psychological of children is of great concern resulting from the struggles faced between professional and motherly roles of women. Social and political, public views of women has functioned to reject women from the workplace and has forced them back home. Understanding the roles of women and the reasons they have not accomplished complete equality, raises attention as to why not? Clearly, the role of women, the decline of gender inequality in present day society amongst the many revolutions, improved female conditions and their gender rles. However, women still experience the private life struggles that resulted from external forces as are the social and traditional, public ideologies. Hence, the self-fulfilling prophecy of women to believe they can be both intensive mothers and independent women. As women continue to progress as part of the society, the gender roles of women change, contextually, as society changes. The economy, politics, ideas, values, amongst other social or cultural factors will continue to persist affecting female gender roles at every angle. However, unless the labor force enhances work conditions, politics passes legislation to allow such changes, or the economy provides sufficient means of survival for families to accommodate to these changes, the thought that gender inequality no longer exists, may be considered a myth. Women simply do not get it right, as mothers, workers, or supermoms. From self- identifying as lazy, irresponsible, unfit, good or bad views of women, women remain inferior. Social, cultural, economic, and political views, beliefs, and ideologies, maintain, still, the line of separation between individual right and institutional authority (Class, 10/11/11).

Lorraine Flores Family Psych. 328 Dr. Eileen C. Treacy November 15, 2011 REFERENCES Bailey, B. (2007). Sexual Revolution(s). In A. S. Skolnick, & J. H. Skolnick, Family in Transition (pp. 134-150). Boston: Pearson Education, Inc. Hays, S. (2007). The Mommy Wars: Ambivalence, Ideological Work, and the Cultural Contradictions of Motherhood. In A. S. Skolnick, & J. H. Skolnick, Family in Transition (pp. 59-75). Boston: Pearson Education, Inc.