Martin Family. Identifying the Problem Situation.
Martin family to conduct a Case Analysis:
Review the Martin Family and select one of the identified problems as your primary focus and complete your Case Analysis by addressing the following aspects:
Introduction: Briefly identify major elements (i.e., people, setting) of the identified situation.
Identify Problem Situation: Give a specific and concisely written description of the problem to guide the analysis and problem-solving. Be sure to identify each family member’s role in the identified problem.
Case Analysis: Identify the various micro, meso, and macro contextual factors (describe the contexts that apply to the case: individual, family, school/employment/environment, peer, community) that created and/or sustain the problem. Also describe how these contexts are influenced by additional factors (i.e. cultural, economic, legal, societal/gender roles/expectations). Provide a description of how your contextual analysis is linked to the identified problem. Be sure to use scholarly sources to support your connection of the case analysis to the problem situation.
Theoretical Selection: Choose a theoretical orientation,that will guide your analysis of the case. Tell why you have chosen this orientation and how it best fits the case. Be sure to use and define theory terms.
Alternative Strategies: Using scholarly sources on the problem or area of human behavior in the social environment, identify two or more possible solutions to the problem and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each possible solution. Additionally, explore the possible unintended effects of intervening into the problem and how this may impact the individual/family.
Conclusion: Be sure to draw your paper to a close and highlight the significant elements of your analysis relating to the identified problem and draw out the main points to apply in general terms.
THE MARTINS FAMILY CASE:
Marshall, a 32 year old Caucasian male, and Cynthia, a 30 year old Hispanic female, have been together for over 13 years and married for 9 years. Marshall and Cynthia have three children together: Sylvia, age 11, Jonathan, age 7 and Torrence, age 5. The two met as children as they lived in the same neighborhood. Marshall is an only child and his parents, Judith (age 61) and Randy (age 66) are still married, living in his childhood home. Marshall has a half-brother, Stephen (age 35), the only child from Randy’s previous marriage (name and age of previous partner unknown). Stephen spent weekends with the family until he moved in full time to have a shorter commute to the local community college. After graduation, Stephen moved out of state to begin his career. Judith and Randy allowed Marshall much freedom as a child and often took weekend trips away from home during Marshall’s teenage years, leaving Stephen in charge. Marshall also often spent time at his maternal grandparents’ (Vivian and George, both deceased) home during the summer to visit with his extended family.
Cynthia comes from a very strict Puerto Rican home and is the middle child, having an older sister, Marissa (age 35) and a younger sister, Sophia (age 29). Marissa’s father, William (age 58) is a pastor in the family’s local church and her mother, Patricia (age 56) works with the women’s ministry in the parish. They have been married for 36 years and had moved to the United States shortly after they were married so that William could find better work opportunities. William previously worked as an HVAC laborer and retired at a young age after sustaining an injury on the job.
Cynthia grew up in a household with very traditional gender roles and the expectation that she would be married before living with a partner, given the family’s Christian beliefs and values. Cynthia’s paternal grandmother, Carmen (age 80) still lives with her parents and Patricia has been her primary caretaker for the past several years. Carmen moved in with the family after her husband Julian passed away. Cynthia threw her family for a loop when she announced her pregnancy with Sylvia, considering that she and Marshall were not yet married. There was quite a bit of pressure for Cynthia and Marshall to marry, however, they chose to buy a home before saving for a wedding. As a result, William and Marshall have a very strained relationship because he blames Marshall for challenging Cynthia’s faith and getting his daughter pregnant and not marrying her right away.
Now that Sylvia is approaching her teenage years, Cynthia and Marshall have been disagreeing about their parenting choices. Marshall believes that Sylvia should be allowed to have a cell phone and a later curfew since she is at an age where social connections are most important. Marshall believes that they have instilled moral principles and responsibility in Sylvia and that she can be trusted to make good choices.
Cynthia believes that Sylvia should still be closely monitored and wants to send her away to an all-girls, Christian camp for the entire summer. Cynthia worries that she will make choices that will impact her future. Since Cynthia was only 19 when she had Sylvia, she had dropped out of college to be a stay-at-home mom. Cynthia has worked hard to raise her children in the church and pushes Sylvia to help out with household chores so that she has an understanding of what adult life is like. Cynthia constantly reminds Sylvia that making the choice to engage in behaviors that may result in her becoming a parent at a young age will increase responsibilities on her shoulders. Sylvia has begun to act out since she feels it is unfair that her brothers are not held to the same expectations and do not need to participate in household chores. Sylvia often feels jealous of her brothers and has begun to argue with her mom about her responsibilities around the house.
Marshall was also in school at the time of Sylvia’s birth and continued his schooling with his parents’ help. Marshall completed his degree and has been working in a very successful accounting firm for 10 years. Cynthia did not return to complete her Associates Degree to become an RN (registered nurse) until she was 25 and has been working in the local hospital for 3 years. With Cynthia’s contribution to the household, the family has been doing quite well financially and is considering moving to a smaller town, about 25 minutes away from where they currently live in their childhood hometown. Marshall and Cynthia have decided that they want to make this move before Sylvia transitions into high school.
After learning of the move, William and Patricia are very upset and have asked that Marshall and Cynthia reconsider and stay close by the rest of the family. Marshall has become very angry and feels like William will never let go of his daughter and that Cynthia makes her decisions based on her father’s approval. As a result, Cynthia and Marshall have been arguing even more. Marshall has also blamed much of their arguing about parenting choices on William since he knows that Cynthia always asks for her father’s input. At this point, Marshall has given Cynthia an ultimatum to choose between their family or her own family. Cynthia is beside herself and cannot understand why Marshall would put her in this position.
Martin’s Family Case Analysis
Name
Institution
Martin’s Family Case Analysis
Introduction
The Martin’s family is an example of the cross-cultural integration through marriage headed by Marshall, a Caucasian male, and his Hispanic wife, Cynthia. The 32-year-old Marshal and his wife Cynthia, 30, are have three children, the teenage daughter Sylvia and her two younger brothers Jonathan and Torrence. Both the paternal and maternal grandparents of the children still live in the same neighborhood as Marshall and Cynthia’s nuclear family. The grandparents from each side of the marriage are still married and have distinct influences on the married lives of their children. Marshall’s parents embrace individualism and believe in the autonomy of their son’s married life, an approach they took even while raising him. Cynthia’s parents, on the other hand, are collectivists and influence the decisions she makes concerning her family. The differences play out in their disagreement on how best to raise their first-born daughter who is approaching her teenage-hood, which threatens to end the marriage. The cross-cultural differences existing between the couple is slowly cracking up the marriage as the manifest in both the individual and communal values and beliefs based on their distinct cultural backgrounds. Besides the cultural traditions, economic, religious, and social expectations play a major role in escalating the problems within Marshall’s and Cynthia’s marriage. The Martin’s family case study provides a platform for analyzing the fundamental issue affecting the marriage and the contributing or factors influencing and escalating the issue to such great extent of breaking the marriage. Additionally, the analysis will provide a theoretical framework for addressing the challenges facing the marriage while also providing the merits and demerits regarding their efficacy as interventional measures.
Identifying the Problem Situation
The cross-cultural marriage is bound to have differences owing to the distinct nature of both family’s grandparents values, beliefs, and traditions embraced in bringing up both Marshal and Cynthia. In developing or rather identifying the fundamental problem of the marriage it is important to trace the origin of the parenting differences in the marriage back to the parental approach taken by both the paternal and maternal grandparents of Marshall and Cynthia’s children. The case study reveals that Marshall’s parents, Randy and Judith, were more liberal in raising their son and often allowed him the freedom to become explore the society and become a responsible person. Judith and Randy believe in individualism, which they instilled in their son and seconded by his half-brother’s, Stephen, moving out of the state to start and build his own life. Additionally, the paternal grandparents do not interfere with their son’s marriage in any way, they respect the independence of the nuclear family but that does not necessarily mean lack of contact with their son and the grandchildren.
Cynthia’s parents William and Patricia are highly religious with a collectivist attitude and approach to parenting. The maternal grandparents advocate for the strict adherence to the Christian or religious values upon which they raised their daughter and her two siblings, Maria and Sophia. Cynthia’s family is more of patrilineal and with the demise of her grandfather, it is William who assumes all the responsibilities of providing for the family and making all the key decisions concerning members of his extended family. The constant interference with marital matters of Marshall’s family by William is the source of discontent with the situation by the former.
Case Analysis
A comprehensive analysis of the family’s case or situation can be achieved through the application of the ecological systems theory (Bhugun, 2016). According to the theory, the development of an individual to a fully functioning being build on a network of systems that are interconnected for effective performance or execution of duties and responsibilities (Bhugun, 2016). Similarly, the choice of parenting is a product of the interconnection of a system of networks arising from the individual, peers, schools, neighborhood, the extended family influences, and socio-cultural factors such as religion and the legal structures concerning such matters. The ecological systems theory provides an effective framework for analyzing all the factors contributing to the problem and its escalation.
Marshall’s embraces the cultural orientation of his parents and wants to incorporate the same values of individualism in bringing up his children, especially his daughter who is coming of age. He believes in the autonomy of the nuclear family and is angered by the constant interference of his father-in-law in their marital affairs. Marshall’s connection to his paternal grandparents during his childhood indicates that he has no problem with Cynthia’s close ties to her father but only his influence on her parenting choices and family decisions. Marshall’s influence on his stance and giving his wife an ultimatum is solely the product of his belief in individualism and the autonomy of the nuclear family from the influence...