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STRATEGIES & TECHNIQUES
Although family development theon, has made significant contributions to the field of family studies, virtually all of the models based on this theory are fraught with two.fundamental conceptual weaknesses: the assumption of universality and the skew toward a single generational focus. The Systemic FamilY Developmental (SFD) Model is presented here as a process-oriented and holistic alternative to existing models of family developmental theory. Following the presentation of a case example that demonstrates how the SFD Model can be used to study an actual family, detailed recommendations are provided for the use of the Model in undergraduate family development and, family studies courses.
Key Words: family development, family lifecycle, Systemic Family Development Model
One of the conceptual foundations in family studies is family development theory. It offers a unique way of thinking about and studying families because of its emphasis on the evolution of families over time, the developmental tasks facing families and their individual members, and the recognition of family stress at critical periods of development (Duvall, 1988). The unique perspective that family development theory provides has contributed to family specialists' understanding of and ability to work effectively with families. For example, family therapists use their knowledge of the family lifecycle to make clinical distinctions between normative and dysfunctional behavior among the families they treat (Carter & McGoldrick, 1980). According to Duvall (1988):
Community programs designed to help family members with their developmental tasks have been quietly at work for years (Hardy, 1965; Hummel & Smith, 1959). Schools increasingly use our conceptual framework in their work with students and teachers (Johnson, 1976), as have religious programs of the various faiths for many years. Family research teams organize their studies by stages of the family lifecycle as Olson and McCubbin (1983) have demonstrated so productively. (p. 132)
Unquestionably, family development theory has made significant positive contributions to family studies and to the work of family specialists. However, the existing body of family development literature and the various models derived from it are plagued by two fundamental conceptual weaknesses. These weaknesses greatly diminish the utility of family development theory as a framework for thinking about and working effectively with families.
A Critique of Family Development Theory
The Assumption of Universality
Historically...