Summary
In Come to America (1988), the McDowell family is a traditional American family with African roots. Lisa and her father, Cleo, live in a large, beautifully furnished house, and Cleo owns the McDowell chain of restaurants. Since the death of Lisa’s mother, Cleo has been taking primary care of their adult daughter, whose age can be determined as 18-20 years. Lisa is likely to have graduated from a university or college since the girl’s speech is well-developed, and she has a prominent political position.
Lisa has a refined manner, which indicates that she grew up in good conditions. Judging by her behavior, the mother had enough time and knowledge to raise the girl (Rigazio-DiGilio & Kang, 2015). The family has no occurrences of breaking the law, or drug or alcohol abuse. Family members also do not show any symptoms of severe mental, psychological, or health problems. The only issue is the misunderstanding between Cleo and Lisa, as the father wants to choose a groom for his daughter, while she believes that her opinion should be taken into account. The difference in their views could be considered to strive from the generational gap and lack of communication.
Family Structure
Cleo and Lisa have a developed social support system, including friends and coworkers. Lisa does not lead an active sex life and is looking for a strong long-term relationship. Her desire to start a family contributes to developing a strong romantic bond with Akeem (Bonsu & Godefroit-Winkel, 2021). Lisa has lost her mother, reflecting her emotional state, which is somewhat rigid. Cleo is also burdened by his wife’s death, and perhaps his search for Lisa’s suitor is compensation for the feeling of loss. His own sexual behavior is discreet, and he decides not to remarry. The McDowell family generally demonstrates healthy behavior patterns based on mutual respect.
Presenting Problem
The McDowell family may have visited a family therapist for a solution to grief and lack of communication. Since the mother’s passage, Cleo and Lisa have gotten used to feeling lost, alone, and disconnected. These feelings have led them to develop such emotional problems as hypersensitivity, conflict tendencies, and hyper-emotionality. The family should agree on working towards learning to accept their grief, allow the emotional pain to come out, as well as understand and listen to each other.
Bio-Psycho-Social Evaluation
As mentioned above, the family has emotional problems due to grief. This family has a healthy relationship in other aspects of functioning, although the father tends to act dominantly. Emotional hypersensitivity can cause concern, and the family may receive therapy to deal with feelings of grief that indirectly affect their emotional state. Cleo and Lisa’s communication is affected by the differences in their education and political views; however, their community is what unites them. The family is socially active, providing them with a strong support system and communal ties.
Narrative Summary
The McDowell family makes a good impression; their positive mindset and complacent attitude toward others are striking. Emotional emptiness due to grief can be resolved if Cleo and Lisa acknowledge their pain and allow it to come out. They fulfill their family and social roles responsibly and lovingly, promoting healthy ideas about intimate and romantic relationships for Lisa. Barriers to growth and coping skills include difficulty expressing and communicating their genuine emotions. Protective factors and signs of resilience include good social engagement and optimism. The etiology of family issues is associated with trauma due to the death of a loved one. The behavior of Cleo and Lisa has a supportive function, as it is based on mutual respect.
Systemic Diagnosis
Based on Erikson’s stages of cognitive development, Cleo is in the final stage, which is characteristic of self-actualization, and Lisa is in the middle stage of developing close bonds. Family members have a healthy psyche and demonstrate satisfactory standards of behavior and perception, characteristic of their age groups. Lisa may feel anxious about not having time to form strong relationships. At the same time, Cleo may worry about how he is perceived in society.
References
Bonsu, S. K., & Godefroit-Winkel, D. (2021). Representing Africa in the ‘Coming to America’ films. Markets, Globalization & Development Review, 6(1).
Rigazio-DiGilio, S. A., & Kang, H. (2015). Using community genograms to position culture and context in family therapy. Foundations of Couples, Marriage, and Family Counseling, 25.