Family disintegration: what is it and what effects does it have?

A phenomenon related to abrupt changes in family dynamics.

Family disintegration is a phenomenon that has been especially studied since the 80's; a moment in which an important transformation of the social organization of the family takes place.

It is a complex process that is usually analyzed in terms of the negative psychological effects it can have on the children. However, it is also a phenomenon that provides much information on the values that organize our societies and on the changes that have occurred in them.

Following on from the above we will see what family disintegration isWhat are some of its psychological effects and how the organization of families has been transformed in the last decades.

What is family disintegration?

The family, understood as the intermediate social unit between the individual and the community (Ortiz, Louro, Jiménez, et al, 1999) is one of the protagonists in our cultural organization. Its function has traditionally been understood in terms of satisfying economic, educational, filial and cultural needs; through which values, beliefs, knowledge, criteria, roles, etc., are created.etc.

This occurs through an interactive and systematic relational dynamic between the members of a family (Herrera, 1997), that is, between people who share some form of kinship. In this sense, "family disintegration" is known as the process by which the previously established organization of the family is significantly modified (Herrera, 1997). the previously established organization of a related group of people is significantly modified..

But does every modification in the organization of the family imply disintegration? We could quickly respond in the negative: not every rearrangement in the organization of a family implies its separation. For family disintegration to occur, the kinship or relational dynamics linking its members must be qualitatively modified. Often, the latter is posited as caused by the absence of one of the parents or caretakersThis means, among other things, that the traditional family model is no longer considered as the unit of analysis.

Family disintegration or dysfunctional family?

Family modification or separation is not necessarily negative; that is, in many cases it is an arrangement or a situation that ensures the physical or psychological well-being of the members.

In other words, the rearrangement or disruption of a previously established family organization may be the solution to conflictive situations. may be the solution to conflictive situations within the family.As such, it can have positive effects on its members. Depending on the family dynamics, its disintegration may have more positive effects than its maintenance.

However, the concept of "family disintegration" usually refers specifically to the conflictive process of separation or modification, which as such, generates negative effects for one or all of the parties involved.

Diversity in family models

As a form of organization and social group, the particular organization and dynamics of the family responds to a series of norms and values. responds to a series of norms and values that are characteristic of a particular society and historical moment. and a particular historical moment.

Traditionally, any family that did not follow the traditional model was considered dysfunctional or disintegrated. Currently, this coexists with the recognition of single-parent families and families that are structured from the diversity of sexual identities (Bárcenas-Barajas, 2010), which, among other things, allows the social organization of the family to be rearranged at a structural level.

Studies on its psychological effects

The negative effects of family disintegration on children have been studied in particular. Broadly speaking, research has revealed that family disintegration makes it difficult to meet the needs that a family is expected to fulfill..

In the medium and long term, and at the psychological level, these studies have proposed, for example, that family disintegration has the effect of low self-esteem, feelings and behaviors of helplessness, as well as difficulties in establishing sex-affective bonds (Portillo and Torres, 2007; Herrera, 1997). Similarly, social behavior and its relationship with family disintegration has been investigated, for example, in the increase of violent behaviors or excessive withdrawal, for example..

In the short term and especially in early childhood, it has been seen that family disintegration (when presented as an unforeseen event and a significant change in the daily structure) may cause confusion, anguish, guilt, anger or self-destructive behaviors..

In any case, it is important to take into account that, although studies have found relationships between variables (for example, between a low self-esteem score and an experience of family disintegration in childhood), this does not necessarily imply causality: low self-esteem can be caused by many other variables.

In fact, recent studies contradict traditional hypotheses and suggest that the relationship between family disintegration and low self-esteem is not proven in all cases (Portillo and Torres, 2007). (Portillo and Torres, 2007). The latter leads us to consider that not all people react in the same way, just as not all families and not all adults manage a process of disintegration in the same way or with the same resources.

4 causes

The causes that have been studied and traditionally established as determinant factors in family disintegration are the following:

1. Abandonment

We understand "abandonment" to mean abandonment, neglect, renunciation or estrangement.. This situation has been proposed as one of the main causes of family disintegration. In turn, this neglect, abandonment or estrangement can be caused by different factors.

For example, the absence of caregiving or of one of the primary caregivers is in many cases a consequence of socioeconomic conditions that do not allow both domestic and provisioning demands to be met at the same time. In other cases, it may be due to the inequitable distribution or rearrangement of care or provision responsibilities within the family.

2. Divorce

In this context a divorce is the legal dissolution of a marriage. As such, it implies significant changes in the family dynamics that sustain a couple, with and without children.. Divorce in turn can have many causes. For example, breach of the marriage fidelity contract, domestic and intra-family violence, frequent disagreements between the people involved, among others.

Death

The death of one of the members of the family is another of the main causes of family disintegration. In this case, the death of one of the parents or caregivers does not necessarily cause a rearrangement in the family organization. Especially if it is one of the children, a very important process of disintegration can be experienced.

4. Migration

On many occasions the separation or disintegration of a family is a consequence of migratory processes that lead one or both caregivers to move from the city of settlement to another where they can aspire to improve their quality of life. Likewise, the deportation processes the deportation processes taking place in many industrialized societies have had the same effect. have generated the same effect.

Bibliographical references:

• Bárcenas-Barajas, K. (2010). Diverse families: from institution to movement. Structures and dynamics in the reconfiguration of order. Master's thesis, Master in Communication of Science and Culture. Tlaquepaque, Jalisco: ITESO.
• Portillo, C. and Torres, E. (2007). Effects on parenting in single-parent families: self-esteem.
• Luengo, J. and Luzón, A. (2001). The process of transformation of the traditional family and its educational implications. Investigación en la escuela, 44: 55-68.
• Ortiz, M., Louro, I., Jiménez, L. et al (1999). Family health: characterization in a health area. Cuban Journal of General Comprehensive Medicine. 15(3): 303-309.
• Herrera, P. M. (1997). The functional and dysfunctional family, a health indicator. Cuban Journal of General Comprehensive Medicine, 13(6). Retrieved July 30, 2018. Disponible en http://scielo.sld.cu/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0864-21251997000600013
• Sampson, R. (1987). Urban Black Violence: The Effect of Male Joblessness and Family Disruption. American Journal of Sociology. 93(2): 348-382.
• McLanahan, S. & Bumpas, L. (1988). Intergenerational Consequences of Family Disruption. American Journal of Sociology. 130-152.