FAMILY RELATIONS

BEHAVIOR DIFFERENCES - We often hear gender stereotypes of what girls and boys like to do. Boys like trucks, and girls like dolls. At the time, it seemed clear to Diane Halpern, Ph.D., past president of the American Psychological Association, that any between-sex differences in thinking abilities were caused by socialization practices, bias, prejudice, and mistakes in the research,,, but after reviewing a pile of journal articles and books, she changed her mind" (Halpern). Additionally, in her preeminent academic text,  Sex Differences in Cognitive Abilities, it was found that research done on rhesus monkeys was too diverse with sex-based differences in comparison to humans. The boys strongly preferred toys with wheels over plush toys, whereas the girls preferred soft and plush toys to play with. She further states, "It would be tough to argue that the monkeys’ parents bought them sex-typed toys or that simian society encourages its male offspring to play more with trucks. A...

A family is not commonly thought about as being or having a "culture". Culture is defined as "the customs, arts, social institutions, and achievements of a particular nation, people, or social group; a lifestyle." According to the definition, a family is just that.      According to Council on Foundations , "Children are molded by the family culture into which they are born. Growing up, their assumptions about what is right and wrong often reflect the beliefs, values, and traditions of their family culture." The Council on Foundations states that certain cultural attitudes and responses are so ingrained in family members that they continue to affect their thinking and behavior, whether those individuals are aware of such influence. As I ponder how this has represented itself in my own life, I'd like to use a real-life example-- Growing up, my parents always had us wash our own dishes right after using them. There were times when I forgot to wash my own...

How can each of the four theories help us make sense of the relationships we have with others?   To begin, I would like to define what the general term “theory” can mean. In the simplest terms, it is an attempt to explain why something happens.    Conflict theory - a theory that society is in a state of perpetual conflict because of competition for limited resources. Power/Influence (man having power over the woman or the woman feeling like the man is overpowering)  Simplistically, conflict is an interactive process occurring when conscious beings (individuals or groups) have opposing opinions, beliefs obligations, motives, needs, objectives, obligations resources, and/or values. ( Chapter 9: Conflict in Relationships – Interpersonal Communication (geneseo.edu))   According to Psychology Today, “Conflict management strategies based on mutual respect and understanding which foster intimacy and security lead to healthy and e...