Applying Various Perspectives to a Real Family

This guide will describe the requirements for your first paper. Students who successfully complete this paper will:

1. Describe a real-world family while protecting their identities,
2. Apply structural-functionalism theory to the family,
3. Apply family systems theory to the family,
4. Consider how these theories are distinct from or similar to your own personal perspective,
5. Paraphrase to communicate an overall message without using direct quotes,
6. Utilize the basic elements of APA Style, and

The paper should have a logical and predictable flow. This is a hallmark of APA Style, and you will notice that most journal articles in our field follow a predictable pattern (abstract, introduction/background, purpose of the study, sample, procedure/methods, etc.). You are writing an essay and not summarizing a research study. However, your paper should still have a logical, predictable flow. This is the organization that is required for this paper (but you should NOT include subtitles):

1. Introduction: Brief (5 sentences) introduction paragraph that explains how families can be viewed from various perspectives and that ends with a goal/thesis/purpose statement detailing the objective of the paper (1/2 of a page)
2. Family Description: Describe the family system. Be sure to explicitly state that the names of family members have been changed to protect their privacy, and be sure to omit any identifying information (like the name of a place of employment or school) (2 pages). Here are a few questions to help you generate ideas for the family description. Please do not repeat these questions in the paper. Instead, use them to create a narrative story about the family.
3. Who is in the family? What are their approximate ages?
4. What are their characteristics individually and as a family unit? What are they like?
5. What is a typical day or week like in this family? What is the familys typical routine like (if they have one)? Does the routine seem to be working well? Why or why not?
6. What roles do family members play? Do they seem to work well for the family? Why or why not?
7. What is the quality of each family members relationships with other family members?
8. What outside pressures are they facing that influence the family?
9. What supports from the environment help the family?
10. What are their interactions like with people outside of the family?
11. Theory Application: In your own words (2 pages):
12. Summarize structural-functionalism theory. Then, explain how a structural-functionalism theorist might view this particular family. Is the familys life consistent or inconsistent with the assumptions of the structural-functionalism theory? Explain why or why not.
13. Summarize family systems theory. Then, explain how a family systems theorist might view the family. Is the familys life consistent or inconsistent with the assumptions of the family systems theory. Explain why or why not.
14. Conclusion: (1/2 page)Explain which theory you believe best aligns with the family, highlighting specific characteristics of each theory. Then, compare and contrast the theories with your opinion. How would you rate the quality of this family, in your opinion? Explain how your opinion is similar to or distinct from the structural-functionalism theory and family systems theory. Explain why it might be helpful for professionals to consider multiple viewpoints when conducting research about or working with families in todays society.

How should the paper be formatted?

Should you pursue advanced coursework in this field (especially if you pursue a graduate program), you will be exposed to the many formatting rules within APA Style. For our purposes in this course, we will focus only on formatting the title page, the in-text citations, and the reference page. To help you, I am providing a template because I want your primary focus to be on learning how to write in a manner that paraphrases appropriately and that clearly distinguishes your opinions/personal experiences from scientific facts or sources. I do not want you to be so distracted by the formatting that you miss the main point of the assignment.

Here are some formatting rules that I will require you to follow:

• 12-point font (Times New Roman, Cambria, or Calibri)
• Double spacing (and only double spacing) throughout the entire document
• Separate paragraphs (your paper should not consist of one long paragraph)
• APA Style title page, reference page, and in-text citations

1. Introduction

• Hook: Grab your reader’s attention with a question, fact, or story.
• Background: Briefly explain the topic so that your reader understands it.
• Thesis Statement: Write one sentence that clearly states the main point of your entire essay.

1. Body Paragraph

• Topic sentence: Write a sentence that states the main idea of this paragraph.
• Evidence: Write down the key facts, examples, or quotes you will use to support this idea.

1. Conclusion

• Restate thesis: Reword your main point in a new way.
• Summary: Briefly remind the reader of your main ideas from the body paragraphs.
• Final thought: End with a strong closing statement.