Family ReResiliency Assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Family ReResiliency Assessment - Essay Example Strong families solve problems with cooperation, creative brainstorming, and openness to others. (Walsh, 2006) A family's ability to recover from crisis is influenced by life stressors and by family perceptions. A family's goals, values, problem solving skills, and support networks impact its adaptation to long-term stress and crisis. Family resiliency includes characteristics, dimensions, and properties which help families to be resistant to disruption in the face of change and adaptive in the fact of crisis situations. (Walsh, 2006) Children and adults who learn the values and skills of resiliency will cope with stress, manage relationships, and contribute to others' lives more consistently than those without such strengths. This assignment asks me to explore my own family resiliency and to analyze our strengths and weaknesses. The question, at the end of this paper is "Are we resilient" I cannot say that the research I have completed on my family actually answers the question. I imagine that I am subconsciously biased in my presentation and accordingly, may not be capable of completing an untainted assessment. However, I can say that in the grand scheme of research our coping skills are appropriate. The father of my family is the one seated with power. He ultimately makes the rules and my mother conforms to it. While this does not fit in well with the American culture, it is a backboard of the Haitian Culture. (McGoldrick, 2005). I would consider my family to be over protective. I include myself in this label. We monitor each other as concerns what we feel are crucial life choices. This includes selecting friends, and intimate relationships. We also watch out for each other financially. My ability to help my family financially is a tremendous source of pride for me. (McGoldrick, 2005) Those who assist their family members with finances are highly respected in the Haitian culture. (McGoldrick, 2005). Indeed, when one family member cannot contribute financially to the family, it can see as a reason to break ties. (McGoldrick, 2005). Thankfully, I have not found myself in that situation. When each of us makes a life choice, it is discussed with the entire family. For example, taking this course as part of my education is something that was part of my family discussion. This is not to say that had they advised me, not to take this class that I would have followed their advice. Although we are protective with one another, we respect each other and respect the decisions, made by one another. Thus, if one of us made the wrong decision, my family would not throw it in one another's face and create conflict. Rather, they would say, "yes, you made a mistake, and you learned from it, now move on". I suppose I would liken my family to the Haitian proverb "During times of hunger, sweet potatoes have no skin". This proverb is meant to convey how my culture remains strong during times of adversity. (McGoldrick, 2005). We feel that as a family, we stick together and thus feed off of each