Decision-Making In The Grape Family

The Decision-Making Process

According to Hepworth, Rooney and Larsen (2002), issues of decision-making are closely linked to the power dynamics within a family in that the responsibility of decision-making is often held by parents or modeled after parents' approaches to decision-making. You see this dynamic being played out in the Grape family as Gilbert and the rest of the family look to Mama for the final "say-so" on decisions having to do with the family. Along with Mama's authority, comes the unspoken power of their deceased father. Even though there father is not around to partake in decision-making, the idea of him and the way he had previously run the family still has a great influence on the way each member makes decisions. Having
Gilbert clearly has no regard for himself when decisions are made surrounding his responsibilities to the family. He complies with the family's needs realizing that that is the only way for the family to "survive and thrive within an American community" (Hepworth et al, 2002). Ellen, the youngest sibling counts everyone but herself "out" when making decisions. She is looking out for her well being and has decided that she will do everything she can to make sure decisions are made in her best
This goes along with both the third and the fifth component, which states, "effective decision-making also requires the system to allow for negotiation and adjustment of earlier decisions" (Hepworth et al, 2002, p. 286). All three of these factors involve the family's ability to assess needs and make changes accordingly. The sixth component involves recognizing each family member and their strengths and weaknesses as a whole (Hepworth et al, 2002). The family's ability to stick together and adhere to their individual responsibilities shows a major strength. However, the unresolved tension and resentment between members, due to these responsibilities, causes them to lack a stable support system. The seventh and final component to consider when assessing a family's decision-making process is to realize that some families do not value a sort of shared governance (Hepworth et al, 2002). Many families place worth in having one or two people who make all the decisions. If this is not recognized and alternative ideals are forced into the family functioning, the possibility of disruption in patterns arises (Hepworth et al, 2002). Until Mama died, it was important for her to hold the position of "final decision maker" as her last piece of worth and