Family Cohesion Research Paper

Introduction

FACES is a scale that is used to evaluate families and the structure of it. “This model bridges family theory, research, and practice” (Braithwaite, Bylund, Galvin p 32). There are two categories that make up this scale; cohesion and adaptability. This test can be used as a tool to help families see where their strengths and weaknesses are. It could be a good tool to use before getting married to see where the two families are different or similar. The purpose of this paper is to discuss in more detail what FACES is and the results of my family. I will talk about our results and why I think they ended up like that.

FACES There are two parts to the test. There is a cohesion or “togetherness” part and an adaptability part. You
Honestly, I thought the results would be really different but they weren’t. The score for cohesion was 48 and adaptability was 29. I was glad that the score was the same for cohesion because, again, we really are a close family. Family is very important and that is something my parents have instilled in us. Although the score for adaptability was just a few numbers away, there was a difference. The words used to describe the numbers for my family now were “structured” and “enmeshed”. The words that were provided for my ideal family were “flexible” and “enmeshed”. The only difference in the two is words “structured” and “flexible”. This could not be more accurate. I think my home life was very structured and there was a whole lot of boundaries. We were not free to do anything. My parents had to approve of everything we did and wanted to know what we were doing at all times. I would have really liked a little less structure and boundaries. I think my parents did a great job at teaching me what was right and wrong. They instilled in me from an early age good character and morals. I think once I reached a certain age, they could have let go of the reigns a little and let me make my own
It is a useful resource to see where a family lies in their relationship. It is ok to not be a tight nit family. Like we learned in the last chapter, there are all kinds of families and they are parented differently. There is no right or wrong way to raise a family. I think it all depends on the kids and how how they respond to certain things. As parents, you have to be ready to adapt to different obstacles that come your way. “When positive or negative stresses arise, involving such issues as money, illness, or divorce, families must adapt”. I think it is important for parents to know that there are times to be more structured and other times to let go a little. It is crucial for kids to have boundaries all through their childhood and especially in middle school. Then, once they reach high school, kids should have a little more freedom and the chance to make some decisions on their own. I think it is important for children to know their parents trust them and will support them. High school is a time for them to grow and learn how things work. The only way people learn is through trying and there is going to be failure, but that is