Volume 16.2
Use the links to purchase PDFs of articles and the full issue of Volume 16.2
Articles
FROM THE EDITOR
Robert J. Noone, PhD
THE BACK STORY ON DEVELOPING THE CONCEPT OF DIFFERENTIATION, AS SEEN IN THE MURRAY BOWEN ARCHIVES
Catherine M. Rakow, MSW
This article describes Dr. Murray Bowen’s original research from which the concept of differentiation of self emerged. Bowen’s extension of the concept ultimately developed into the science of human behavior now known as Bowen theory. The descriptions here are taken from materials in the Bowen archives at the National Library of Medicine and from the Bowen family materials in Williamsburg, VA. Late in his life, when Bowen was drafting his 1988 epilogue “An Odyssey Toward Science” for the book Family Evaluation, he did a thorough review of the earliest periods of the development of his theory. These notes, along with his papers going back fifty years, are now in the archival collection at the National Library of Medicine. Bowen’s review, coupled with the actual works from that time, offers a solid opportunity to document his path toward a theory that would extend Freudian theory to integrate more closely with breakthroughs in other sciences. While he maintained a respect for Freud’s efforts, when the data supported an alternative theory, Bowen went with the data. This article describes this process, especially with regard to the origin of his concept of differentiation of self, and illuminates the value of the Bowen archives for understanding how the theory originated.
Key words: anaclitic, differentiation, emotional system, families, Freudian theory, human behavior, Menninger, regression method, research approach, residency, theory development, transference
USING BOWEN FAMILY SYSTEMS THEORY CONCEPTS TO EXPLORE HOW ADULT INTERACTIONS MAY INFLUENCE STUDENT FUNCTIONING
Robin S. Shultz, DSW
Family of origin interaction patterns shape both student functioning and staff perceptions, contributing to each school developing its own “family” interaction patterns. These dynamics can inhibit effective problem solving when schools are not able to shift away from the medicalization of student difficulties towards a systems view of functioning. A shift such as this would open doors through which families may likely enter as they become true partners in their child’s education. Critical discoveries in science and neuroscience on anxiety and stress support the idea that interactions with significant adults, both inside and outside the biological family, greatly influence children’s mental health. This article reviews how living systems function and identifies how individuals’ actions and beliefs can impact the behavior of others. Results from a small study examining correlations between parent constructs of Bowen family systems theory and student social and emotional skills are presented. Results indicate statistically significant associations between parent fusion with others, student tendencies to behave anxiously with others, and emotional cutoff.
Keywords: anxiety, trauma, social/emotional learning, Bowen family systems theory, fusion with others, emotional cutoff, systems functioning
FACULTY CASE CONFERENCE: Presentation of a faculty clinical case, followed by a discussion with faculty members of the Bowen Center.
MARRIAGE AND THE ABILITY TO BE A SELF
Joan Jurkowski, MS, LCPC
This a clinical case of a woman with a history of cancer, whose focus is on managing herself better in the marriage. I am presenting this case because it highlights something I have seen in other women with a serious cancer, who are overfunctioning for others but losing “self” in relationships. The client is motivated to improve her relationship, because she believes it impacts her health. The case describes how the fusion plays out in the marriage and her effort to define a self.
Keywords: Cancer, marriage, differentiation, relationships, emotional cutoff
BOOK REVIEWS: Reviews on books relevant to Bowen theory and its many applications
Purchase both reviews together.
Finding the Mother Tree
by Suzanne Simard
Reviewed by Anne S. McKnight, MSW, EdDThe Science of Family Systems Theory
by Jacob B. Priest
Reviewed by William A. Pickering, PhD