Identifying Data
I interviewed the K.O. family, which comprises four members: the husband, wife, and two children forming a nuclear family form. One child is a 3-year-old, and the other is a newborn. They are an African-American family practicing Christianity and regularly attend a Pentecostal church about a 20-minute drive from home. They moved to the United States approximately two years ago and have smoothly adapted to American culture. The husband works as an auditor at an accounting firm in Sunnyvale, California, while the wife is a Certified Nursing Assistant. During their free time, they enjoy swimming and taking advantage of the beautiful California Bay area where they reside.
Developmental Stage and History of Family
The current developmental stage of this family aligns with “Intimacy vs Isolation” as they are in the early stages of their family journey. They recently married and have just begun their journey as parents. They successfully navigate this stage due to the strong bond between the husband and wife. K.O. and J.A. relocated from Morocco to the United States for better opportunities. In Morocco, K.O. worked as an accountant and was transferred to California to work for one of the company’s branches. K.O. and J.A.’s parents are based in Morocco and enjoying their retirement. K.O.’s parents are also alive and retired, and interestingly, they had previously lived in the United States when setting up the company for which K.O. is now working.
Environmental Data
Due to the expansion of their family, this household transitioned from a one-bedroom apartment to a two-bedroom rented unit. They possess only a single car, which requires them to coordinate their work commute, with one using the vehicle while the other relies on public transportation. Their new apartment is in an appealing neighborhood where most residents belong to the middle class. They maintain harmonious relations with their neighbors, fostering a strong sense of community. The family includes a three-year-old child who attends a nearby preschool, and they recently welcomed a baby girl, who is now three weeks old. Although they are newcomers to the area, their social support system is in the early stages of development, but they have already built positive connections with their neighbors.
Family Structure
The family comprises two children and two parents. Most of their communication is practical, polite, and effective. However, there has been occasional mild tension between the son and the mother. Certain subjects are consistently avoided, and the K.O. family rarely engages in deep, serious conversations. Sometimes, they resort to the silent treatment when conflicts or disagreements arise. Nevertheless, the family maintains healthy communication practices, enabling effective problem-solving and contentment in their relationships. The degree of consistency in the messages between the two partners is notably substantial, as they often share similar ideas.
At times, parental communication is noticed to restrict the involvement and input of the children, while on other occasions, the teenagers seem disengaged from transmission altogether. The family practices a combination of open and closed communication styles. When it comes to matters related to family growth, they typically address them in the presence of their children. In contrast, they opt for closed communication when dealing with interpersonal conflicts. The family exhibits a high degree of conversation orientation, freely and regularly discussing various topics, including activities, thoughts, and emotions.
The father assumes the role of the household’s leader, wielding power and authority over his wife and children. He is the exclusive decision-maker within the family, with the wife providing her support for his choices. The husband maintains the primary power position, with all decisions under his guidance. Resources and authority are equally shared between the partners, ensuring an even distribution (Friedman et al., 2003).
A standard for allocating power and resources to each partner is established based on their contributions to the family unit. In the K.O. family, subsystems are delineated by boundaries that highlight their distinctiveness within the more extensive family system and their interconnectedness with other subsystems. The family adheres to well-defined family roles, such as mother, father, student, and infant, each easily identifiable by their labels. The structure of these roles is influenced by the household’s interpersonal dynamics, reflecting the specific relationships each individual within the home has with others and serving as a descriptor for the familial connections among household members.
The K.O. family values education, hard work, and career success as essential aspects of their American dream. They prioritize faith and regular church attendance as a way to maintain their cultural and religious ties. The family finds congruence with their church community, which shares their religious values. They also find everyday deals with their neighbors, such as community involvement and family support.
The husband and wife have a substantial discount for family unity and providing a better life for their children. They both value cultural preservation while adapting to American culture. Cultural adaptation and assimilation have influenced their values as they moved from Morocco to the United States. New parenthood has emphasized the importance of family values.
Work pressures and career aspirations influence their values, mainly related to financial stability and success. They consciously hold matters related to education, faith, and family. Unconsciously, they have ingrained values from their Moroccan upbringing that influence their daily life.
There are conflicts between career aspirations and family time, especially with two young children. Conflicts arise if one family member places more importance on cultural preservation while another prioritizes assimilation. Value conflicts may lead to stress and strain on the family’s relationships and overall well-being. Congruence in values with their reference groups strengthens their social support system, which can positively impact their health status.
Family Functions
This family exudes happiness and unity, engaging in activities together. The husband actively supports the wife with household chores and child-rearing responsibilities, fostering a strong sense of togetherness. They coexist harmoniously and prioritize their well-being, ensuring their children are up to date with their vaccinations. The wife diligently attended her prenatal and postnatal appointments, resulting in the health of their three-week-old baby. Hailing from Africa, their dietary preferences lean toward high-carbohydrate foods, but this family has made conscious adjustments, opting for reduced carbohydrates and an increased intake of vegetables and fruits.
Before the newborn’s arrival, the husband and wife enjoyed 8-10 hours of uninterrupted sleep, but the baby’s arrival has led to some sleep disturbances, as the baby wakes during the night. Notably, neither the husband nor the wife partakes in smoking or drinking. They maintain a regular schedule of doctor’s visits for routine checkups. The husband mentioned occasionally utilizing complementary therapy. Their usual practice is to brush their teeth twice daily. During the interview with this family, it became evident that they require guidance concerning the developmental stages of newborns and toddlers and support in infant nutrition. I supplied them with an informational pamphlet outlining child development stages and the advantages of breastfeeding for infants to address their needs.
Family Stress and Coping
This family’s primary source of stress currently revolves around their residence in the high-cost Bay Area of California. Despite earning a moderate income, the exorbitant housing expenses leave them with meager funds to cover their monthly payments. Another stress factor arises from the recent addition of their newborn baby. The family felt overwhelmed since the baby’s arrival, primarily due to the disruption of their sleep patterns. To navigate the challenges of residing in the Bay Area, they employ a strategy of being frugal, cutting back on unnecessary expenditures, and utilizing resources judiciously. Furthermore, in response to the arrival of their newborn, the couple takes turns caring for the baby each night to ensure that both parents can have adequate rest.
They manage high living costs by adopting a frugal approach and reducing unnecessary expenses. They are adjusting to their financial constraints by being frugal and prioritizing their spending. The family engages in open and honest conversations about their stressors, allowing family members to express their feelings and concerns as their inner coping strategy. The family’s external coping strategy involves prudent resource utilization, which implies they are seeking to make the most of their available resources to manage financial stress. When stress levels are too high, the family said that they used to resort to dysfunctional coping mechanisms like the husband drinking alcohol and the wife using social disengagement, but nowadays, they always prefer visiting Psychiatrists.
Reference
Friedman, M. M., Bowden, V. R., & Jones, E. G. (2003). Family nursing: Research, Theory and practice (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall/Pearson Education.
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