Family resiliency

Family Resiliency Distributed in furtherance of the acts of Congress of May 8 andJune30. 1914. North Carolina State University and North Carolina A&T State University commit themselves to positive action to secure equal opportunity regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, religion, sex. age, or disability. In addition, the two Universities welcome all persons without regard to sexual orientation. North Carolina State University. North Carolina AST State University. U.S. Department of Agriculture, and local governments cooperating. Problem child. Deadbeat dad. Welfare mother. Dysfunctional family. Negative labels like these are common, and the disillusionment implied by such labels does little to promote family well-being. Seeing a good side, some0 thing an individual, family, or community is doing right, encourages people to leam, care, and contribute what they can. More than 30 years ago, a family rela° lions professor at Oklahoma State University, Dr. Nick Stinnett, pioneered a movement that focused on family strengths rather than on family weaknesses. He proposed that fami° lies could be better served if they learned what characteristics contribute to strong relation0 ships and if people were taught how to de° velop those characteristics. Today’s empha° sis on family resiliency is an extension of those earlier efforts. The term resiliency means literally “to jump (or bounce) back.” Resilience is the family’s ability to cultivate strengths that will allow them to meet the challenges of life, ac° cording to the National Network for Family Resiliency (1995). This allows the family to return to previous levels of functioning fol° low ing a challenge or crisis. Resiliency is composed oftw'o parts, pro° tective factors and recovery factors (McCubbin, etal., 1997): • Protective factors are the on¬ going development of family strengths so that members are ready w'hen change, challenge, or conflict arises. Protective factors help a family develop flexibility and adaptability. Important family protective STATE UNIVERSITY A&T STATE UNIVERSITY COOPERATIVE EXTENSION Helping People Put Knowledge to Work factors include family celebrations like birthdays and holidays, family hardiness and health, family time and routines, and family traditions. • Recovery factors are especially beneficial in events like coping with a serious illness, an untimely death, the loss of a primary job, or a natural disaster. Family togetherness and a sense that each member is equally important, family and community support, esteem building, participating in family recreation, optimism about life’s situations, and a sense of control help families cope and recover. What characterizes resilient families? Insights from numerous studies suggest sev° eral characteristics: • Commitment is a balance of dedication and accountability. It includes actions that demonstrate loyalty, determination to work things out together, and sacrifice for the benefit of all. • Cohesion indicates the degree of family togetherness with emphasis on respect for each person’s uniqueness, and emotional closeness and practical dependence on each other.