Submit A 2- To 3-Page Family Analysis Paper ✓ Solved

Submit a 2- to 3-page paper in which you analyze a family th

Submit a 2- to 3-page paper in which you analyze a family that is familiar to you. Support your analysis by using the Kirst-Ashman and Hull text and at least 2 to 3 additional peer-reviewed articles to do the following:

Describe the structure of a family that is familiar to you.

Identify the strengths in the family.

Explain where in the life cycle this family is located and how that may influence family dynamics.

Analyze one form of communication used by this family and how this communication style influences family dynamics.

Describe the specific roles of two family members and explain if the various roles work well together for the benefit of this family.

Explain how understanding cultural values will help a social worker working with this family.

Analyze this family using systems theory or the ecological perspective.

Support your paper with references to Kirst-Ashman and Hull, in addition to other resources used to complete this assignment. Paper should include appropriate APA citations and a reference list. You are expected to demonstrate your understanding and ability to apply concepts from the course by paraphrasing resources and providing specific examples of how a concept is evident in the family system you identified for this paper.

STRUCTURE OF THE FAMILY

The family I selected for this assignment is the Alston family. The family consists of Claude Alston (Husband) 45, Marylou Alston (Wife) 46, Colette Alston (Daughter) 23, Claude Alston Jr. (Son) 17, and Rhonda Alston and Wanda Alston (Twin daughters) 15. The family currently resides in Washington, DC in Ward 8. The Alston family identifies themselves as African American and practices Christianity.

IDENTIFYING FAMILY STRENGTHS

As a future clinician I understand that using a strength-based perspective differentiates social workers from other social science disciplines. After carefully assessing the family, some strengths are: spending quality time together, having faith, the ability to cope with crises, being supportive, and musical talent to sing and play instruments.

WHERE IN THE LIFE CYCLE IS THE FAMILY LOCATED AND HOW DOES IT INFLUENCE DYNAMICS

The family life cycle includes stages such as independence, coupling, parenting (infants through adolescents), launching adult children, and retirement/senior years (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2018, p. 360). The Alston family is currently in the parenting stage of adolescence, where parents devote time, energy, and resources to nurture and support their children.

ANALYZING COMMUNICATION

Describe one form of communication used by the Alston family and how this communication style influences family dynamics.

ROLES AND FAMILY INTERACTION

Describe the specific roles of two family members and explain whether the roles work well together for the family’s benefit.

CULTURAL VALUES

Explain how understanding cultural values will help a social worker working with this family.

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

Analyze this family using systems theory or the ecological perspective.

REFERENCES

Include Kirst-Ashman, Hull, and at least 2-3 additional peer-reviewed articles.

Paper For Above Instructions

Introduction and Context

The Alston family, residing in Ward 8 of Washington, DC, presents a compelling case for applying social work theory and practice concepts to a real-world family system. This analysis adopts an ecological perspective (Bronfenbrenner, 1979; Bronfenbrenner & Morris, 2006) to situate the family within multiple nested contexts—microsystem (family dynamics), mesosystem (church, school, neighborhood), exosystem (work policies, community resources), and macrosystem (cultural values, structural inequality). Grounded in the strengths-based approach (Saleebey, 2013) and generalist practice frameworks (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2018), the paper also considers how cultural values and identity influence interactions and access to supports. The analysis integrates peer-reviewed literature to Appraise the family’s structure, strengths, life-course stage, communication patterns, roles, cultural values, and applicability of systems theory or ecological theory to the Alstons’ experience.

Family Structure and Context

The Alston household comprises Claude (husband, 45) and Marylou (wife, 46), their daughter Colette (23), son Claude Jr. (17), and twin daughters Rhonda and Wanda (15). They identify as African American and practice Christianity. The family’s location in Ward 8 places them in a context characterized by vibrant culture but also persistent neighborhood disparities, which shape access to resources, safety, and opportunities for adolescents. The presence of an adult child (Colette, 23) alongside a teenage son (Claude Jr.) and teenage twins adds complexity to the family’s developmental tasks, balancing support for emerging independence with ongoing parental guidance. Applying the ecological lens (Bronfenbrenner & Morris, 2006) highlights how structural and cultural factors permeate daily interactions, shaping stress, coping, and resilience within the family unit. In social work practice, recognizing these multilayered influences is critical to identifying leverage points and appropriate interventions (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2018).

Strengths of the Family

Key strengths identified in the Alston family include quality time spent together, religious faith as a source of meaning and coping, cohesive family support, and musical talents that provide shared activities and positive outlets. Strengths-based practice emphasizes acknowledging and building upon these assets as catalysts for growth and problem-solving (Saleebey, 2013). The family’s cohesion and faith can buffer against external stressors related to community conditions and systemic inequities, aligning with the theoretical emphasis on resilience within family systems and ecological contexts (Walsh, 2016; Ungar, 2011).

Life-Cycle Position and Dynamics

According to Kirst-Ashman and Hull (2018), the family appears to be navigating the parenting stage with adolescent and young adult children, a period requiring balance between autonomy-support and continued guidance. The 23-year-old Colette is transitioning into young adulthood, while 17-year-old Claude Jr. remains in adolescence with school and developmental tasks. The presence of teenage twins at 15 introduces parallel but distinct developmental needs around identity, independence, and family roles. This life-cycle placement can influence family dynamics by increasing the need for clear boundaries, open communication, and adaptive flexibility as children mature and responsibilities shift (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2018).

Communication Patterns

One plausible communication pattern in this family is a combination of direct, affectionate dialogue alongside collaborative decision-making that involves input from multiple members. Direct communication aligns with Minuchin’s structural-therapeutic emphasis on clear boundaries and supportive interactions within the family (Minuchin, 1974). The combination of warmth, faith-informed discourse, and collaborative problem-solving can foster trust and reduce defensiveness, supporting positive shifts in family dynamics (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2018). In a broader sense, the ecological approach would view communication as embedded within microsystem and mesosystem interactions (Bronfenbrenner & Morris, 2006), and cultural values may shape how openly families discuss sensitive topics (Purnell, 2002).

Roles Within the Family

Two notable roles in the Alston family are Claude as provider and decision-maker within the partnership, and Marylou as caregiver and spiritual anchor who guides family routines and supports emotional needs. The teen years for Claude Jr. and adolescent twins require ongoing parental supervision, mentorship, and opportunities for increasing independence. When roles are well-aligned—parental guidance combined with shared faith and communal activities—the family benefits through coherence and shared purpose. However, role strain can arise if work demands limit parental availability or if expectations for traditional gender roles conflict with each member’s developmental needs or cultural values. The family’s strengths and faith tradition can support adherence to roles while remaining adaptable to change (Minuchin, 1974; McGoldrick, Giordano, & Garcia-Preto, 2005).

Cultural Values and Social Work Implications

The Alston family’s cultural values—African American identity and Christianity—are crucial for understanding family processes and engagement in social work. Culturally responsive practice requires humility, respect for family norms, and collaboration with faith communities and culturally congruent supports. The Purnell Model for Cultural Competence emphasizes awareness, knowledge, and skills for working within diverse cultural contexts, guiding social workers to honor clients’ beliefs while promoting well-being (Purnell, 2002). Cultural humility (Tervalon & Murray-García, 1998) further supports ethical practice by acknowledging limits of cultural knowledge and prioritizing client-led goals and strengths (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2018).

Theoretical Framework: Systems or Ecological Perspective

The analysis primarily adopts Bronfenbrenner’s ecological model, which situates the family within nested systems that interact to shape outcomes. The microsystem includes daily family interactions; the mesosystem encompasses school, church, and neighborhood networks; the exosystem involves parental workplaces and community resources; the macrosystem reflects cultural values, race, and structural factors such as inequality experienced by families in Ward 8. The model helps explain how stressors (e.g., community disparities, access to services) influence family dynamics and coping strategies, while also highlighting opportunities for intervention at multiple levels (Bronfenbrenner, 1979; Bronfenbrenner & Morris, 2006). The Strengths Perspective complements this view by focusing on assets the family can leverage to foster resilience (Saleebey, 2013). Additionally, integrating family resilience concepts (Walsh, 2016) emphasizes protective processes that sustain family functioning amid adversity.

Implications for Social Work Practice

For practitioners, working with the Alston family involves respectful engagement with cultural values, leveraging strengths, and creating supports across ecological layers. Interventions could include coordinating faith-informed community resources, facilitating communication skills training, promoting adolescent developmental autonomy within supportive boundaries, and connecting the family with educational and neighborhood supports to buffer against environmental stressors. Collaborative planning with Colette and the older teen to facilitate healthy transitions into adulthood aligns with generalist practice principles (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2018) and is consistent with ecological and resilience-based approaches (Bronfenbrenner & Morris, 2006; Ungar, 2011).

Conclusion

The Alston family offers a rich case for applying systems theory and ecological perspectives to assess structure, strengths, life-cycle positioning, communication, roles, and cultural values. By foregrounding the family’s assets and contextual factors, social workers can design culturally competent, multilevel interventions that support healthy development for adolescents while honoring faith and community ties. This approach aligns with core social work competencies and the evidence base outlined in Kirst-Ashman and Hull (2018), Bronfenbrenner (1979, 2006), Minuchin (1974), Saleebey (2013), Purnell (2002), and Walsh (2016).

References

  • Kirst-Ashman, K. K., & Hull, G. H., Jr. (2018). Understanding generalist practice (8th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.
  • Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The ecology of human development: Experiments by nature and design. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
  • Bronfenbrenner, U., & Morris, P. A. (2006). The bioecological model of human development. In D. Lerner & R. M. Lerner (Eds.), Handbook of child psychology: Theoretical models of human development (6th ed., pp. 793–828). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
  • Minuchin, S. (1974). Families and family therapy. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
  • McGoldrick, M., Giordano, P., & Garcia-Preto, N. (2005). Ethnicity and family therapy (3rd ed.). New York, NY: Guilford Press.
  • Purnell, L. (2002). The Purnell Model for Cultural Competence. Journal of Transcultural Nursing, 13(3), 193–198.
  • Saleebey, D. (2013). The strengths perspective in social work practice (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.
  • Walsh, F. (2013/2016). Family resilience: A framework for clinical practice. In F. Walsh (Ed.), Strengthening family resilience (pp. 3–58). New York, NY: Guilford Press.
  • Tervalon, M., & Murray-García, I. (1998). Cultural humility in clinical practice. Journal of Social Work Education, 32(2), 117–125.
  • Ungar, M. (2011). The social ecology of resilience: A handbook of theory and practice. New York, NY: Springer.

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