SOCIOLOGY AND SOCIAL WORK
Sociology and Social Work: Case Study Paper- Models of Family Therapy
Identification of Family System
Demographics
Family name: The Grape Family from the movie Whats Eating Gilbert Grape?
Family ethnicity: Caucasian
Family SESS: Low socioeconomic status since they live in a small town in Iowa, facing the repercussions of a restructured American economy (Denton, 2018).
Number of family members: 5
Family member names and ages: Bonnie (the mother- age 54 years), Ellen (the elder sister- age 16 years), Gilbert (elder brother- age 24 years), Amy (younger sister- age 34 years), and Arnie (younger brother- age 18 years).
Reason for Social Work Involvement
From the familys perspective, they seek treatment for physical, psychological, and social burdens that they face from the chronic illness of one family member, Arnie. The circumstances show that the physical burden has increased upon the shoulders of Gilbert and Amy while taking care of Arnie.
They seem to show a willingness to work on the increased stigma. Stress and depression that is associated with their family members illness. Self-stigma is due to the perception that a chronic illness is societal stereotyping. They feel uncomfortable that they would be looked down upon by others who have to look after a family member with mental illness. Also, Gilbert is the only person earning for the family. He feels helpless that he cannot leave such circumstances or become independent. Consequently, they want to cope with their risk of depression, which could be referred to as caregiver burnout or compassion fatigue. The stability of the family is in danger, and they feel the vulnerability that needs social work involvement.
Family Background and Situation
The background of the family is quite intricate. The father, Mr. Grape, tried to commit suicide as he found himself helpless in coping with stress. The entire family had to face the deaths consequences and the already poor financial state. Again, Gilbert is now the only breadwinner for the family in such tight financial conditions where one of the family members is a chronic illness patient who himself needs treatment. Arnie is mentally unwell and seems to be obsessed with the idea of climbing the water-tower present in the vicinity. Gilbert feels he cannot own his independence ever.
Bonnie, the mother, suffers from stress and depression as well as she thinks she cannot earn money after her husbands death. This physical and psychological complication has taken her over in the form of social isolation. She does not take care of herself and is obese. It leads to another risk to physical health too.
Amy is in a critical state as well as she thinks she cannot get married due to her current family situation and financial limitations. She believes that no apt proposals could come to the small town where they live. Amy has become a mother-like figure in the house as she has to help her mother and look after home chores.
Ellen is a student and works as well. She wants to be an adult and has her worries regarding her thoughts on this side. Despite all the individual and distinct challenges each member has to face, they still help each other and show care. However, living in such a house is a stressful job and will create depression and anxiety for all of them.
The family dynamics are faced with the challenge of changing roles and never-ending pressures of feelings and outbursts, making it inevitable to get affected. The interaction of changing roles, such as maternal and paternal, are to be fulfilled by the children themselves since one has to do household work and the other has to earn for the family. It seems as if...
…such as Gilbert as the breadwinner and Amy for looking after the house duties. The negative mood effects created by these unseemly roles should be addressed.Objective 2 for second treatment goal: Reiterating the need to revise the roles by explaining the traditional roles of the siblings and the mother so that family stressors can be minimized and eventually eradicated.
Communication of Knowledge of Content Evaluation
It was discovered that the Grape familys readiness and willingness to bring a change in their family settings. However, a major resistance was observed from Bonnie, the mother. She had already closed herself into a shell and did not want to talk about anything related to her husbands death. Her self-isolation is a key barrier to her willpower to accept the change through social work intervention. Still, the familys strength is their support for each other. The family members tried to open up about their troubles and showed signs of evolution. They seemed to realize that learning about mitigating their stress would be beneficial for their physical and psychological health, which was hard in Bonnies case. Her physical health has already deteriorated; she had to be manipulated in several ways, such as changing her diet, thoughts, family roles, etc.
Saint Leo Core Values
The Saint Leo core values of responsible stewardship are integrated into the work with the Grape family via maintaining respect towards them and sustaining dignity during the treatment. The patients wellness is prioritized by keeping the ethical code in mind. The main focus is always kept on the patients recovery.
References
Calatrava, M., Martins, M.V., Schweer-Collins, M., Duch-Ceballos, C., & Rodriguez-Gonzalez, M. (2022). Differentiation of self: A scoping review of Bowen family systems theorys core construct. Clinical Psychology Review, 91. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2021.102101
Denton, S. (2018). After the farm crisis: The critique of neoliberal society in Whats Eating Gilbert Grape? Film…
References
Calatrava, M., Martins, M.V., Schweer-Collins, M., Duch-Ceballos, C., & Rodriguez-Gonzalez, M. (2022). Differentiation of self: A scoping review of Bowen family systems theory’s core construct. Clinical Psychology Review, 91. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2021.102101
Denton, S. (2018). After the farm crisis: The critique of neoliberal society in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape? Film Criticism, 42(1). https://doi.org/10.3998/fc.13761232.0042.103
Dolz-Del-Castellar, B., & Oliver, J. (2021). Relationship between family functioning, differentiation of self and anxiety in Spanish young adults. PloS One, 16(3), e0246875. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0246875
Goldenberg, I., Stanton, M. & Goldenberg, H. (2017). Family therapy: An overview (9th Edition). Cengage Learning.
Haefner, J. (2014). An application of Bowen family systems theory. Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 35, 835-841. https://doi.org/10.3109/01612840.2014.921257Johnson, B.E. & Ray, W. (2016). Family systems theory. John Wiley & Sons.
Kaplan, S. G., Arnold, E. M., Irby, M. B., Boles, K. A., & Skelton, J. A. (2014). Family systems theory and obesity treatment: Applications for clinicians. Infant, Child & Adolescent Nutrition, 6(1), 24–29. https://doi.org/10.1177/1941406413516001
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