A tension closely tied to cohesion and closeness in families.
What is autonomy-connection
100
A tension found during the predeployment phase that involves lots of questions and fear.
What is uncertainty-certainty
100
This concept is illustrated by David and Louisa who decide they are not going to reveal information to others about his job loss.
What is a privacy rule
100
Idea that all parts of a system are interrelated - they are dependent on each other for functioning.
What is interdependence
100
Involves coordinating communication rules between post-divorce families and within stepfamilies (e.g., rules, discipline).
What is communicating a united front
200
A dialectic tension in the relationship that occurs when John wants to bring a little "spice" back into his relationship, so he suggests moving into the city. Jane likes the suburbs and doesn't want to make a big shift.
What is predictability-novelty
200
Praxis pattern during deployment for managing role struggles of autonomy and connection.
What is balance (balancing new identity, children, husbands) and/or denial (chose authority/autonomy over connection)
200
A disruption in one's previous rule management system that results when perceptions for appropriate privacy rules are violated.
What is boundary turbulence
200
The demand-withdrawal conflict style exemplifies this idea regarding how cause and effect can be difficult to determine in family communication.
What is interactive complexity (or punctuation)
200
Occur when too much personal information is revealed (inappropriate disclosures).
What are enmeshed privacy boundaries
300
The praxis pattern (strategy to manage tension) used when John and Jane decide to stay in the suburb and ignore John's need for change.
What is selection
300
A praxis pattern found postdeployment where one spouse was willing to be open but the other did not want to listen, or one spouse was willing to hear but the other was closed.
What is antagonistic denial
300
The type of boundary illustrated by Juno's family who allowed her friend to be there for a very personal conversation.
What is open external boundary
300
Coalitions or triangulation in families illustrate this concept related to systems theory.
What are complex relationships
300
Loyalty conflicts that result when coalitions are formed, uniting two family members against another.
What is triangulation
400
A dialectic tension that may be particularly relevant during the stressful time of adolescence in families.
What is autonomy-connection (or open-closed)
400
The three major tensions found pre, during, and post deployment.
What are uncertainty/certainty, autonomy/connection, and openness/closedness.
400
Healthy stepfamilies privilege "selection" of this dialectic pole in order to build solidarity.
What is revealment over concealment
400
Behavior illustrated by Henry who had trouble recognizing that his son may not have as much time to talk after he moved to college and continued calling him every day.
What is maintenance feedback (pattern of self-regulation)
400
Two of the four communication patterns that contribute to children in stepfamilies "feeling caught."
What are enmeshed privacy boundaries, inappropriate disclosures, role reversals, using family member as mediator/messenger
500
Tension management technique (praxis pattern) that involves choosing one pole or the other at varying times.
What is cyclic alteration
500
A pattern that might be crucial (in terms of balancing tensions) to "successful" deployments (hint: ties to a primary function in families).
What is praxis adaptability
500
Two primary tensions (think: dialectics) involved in privacy management in stepfamilies.
What are openness-closedness (reveal/conceal) and loyalty-disloyalty
500
Illustrated by the Hammond family who, together, create the most outgoing family even though each person is quite reserved publicly.
What is wholeness
500
The two types of boundary separation strategies (rather than boundary integration) found when stepfamilies are having trouble forming a family.
What are over-privileging avoidance and cycle of competitive symmetry.