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Chapter  7—Family Communication Patterns Theory

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Title:
Encanto
Claim:
Families construct a shared social reality via conversation and conformity orientations, and low conversation orientation tends to produce negative well-being outcomes.
Application:
The entire movie serves as an excellent (fictional) case study on family communication patterns theory. Three scenes provide particularly effective demonstrations. In the song "Surface Pressure," Luisa sings about the pressure she feels to conform to her role in the family. The most famous part of the movie is the catchy number "We Don't Talk About Bruno," which describes the family's low conversation orientation regarding their estranged brothers. These songs are readily available on Spotify and YouTube. Finally, although the whole film is relevant, the link offered here occurs late in the film, when Maribel confronts Abuela about the family communication environment she's fostered.
Link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVlahzuWsDw
Discovered  By:
Andrew

Title:
The Crown, S3, E6, "Tywysog Cymru"
Claim:
Families construct a shared social reality via conversation and conformity orientations, and low conversation orientation tends to produce negative well-being outcomes.
Application:
When Prince Charles reveals some of his family frustrations in a speech, his mother scolds him for speaking his mind. What evidence in this clip do you see that the British royal family (at least, as it is portrayed in this fictionalized Netflix show) is characterized by low conversation and high conformity orientations?
Link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VatVMWvz8PE
Discovered  By:
Andrew

Title:
black-ish, S7, E7, "Babes in Boyland"
Claim:
Consensual families feature both pressure to conform to parental expectations and pressure to make decisions through open expression of ideas.
Application:
In this clip, Diane challenges a sexual double-standard in her parents' rules. During the first scene in her bedroom, can you see the tension between her mother's request for conformity versus her appeal to reason? When Diane speaks to her parents later, she clearly believes she has the space to make a reasoned argument, yet her parents' authority remains forceful. From the perspective of FCP, the Johnsons appear to be a consensual family.
Link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DxH5rqKF9I
Discovered  By:
Andrew

Title:
Gilmore Girls, S1, E13, "Concert Interruptus"
Claim:
Pluralistic families exhibit low conformity orientation and high conversation orientation.
Application:
Rory is studying with three of her friends. In the section starting at 3:15 in the linked video, they learn that Rory is going to a concert with her mother Lorelai that night. In the language of FCP theory, they perceive that Rory's family is pluralistic. See if you can explain why.
Link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaMTMRJBfgg
Discovered  By:
Andrew

Title:
"The Best Day", Taylor Swift, Fearless
Claim:
Conversation orientation is a family communication pattern that creates a shared social reality by emphasizing open talk and discussion.
Application:
In this ode to her family, and specifically her mother, Taylor celebrates her ability to talk openly with them. Note particularly the second verse where her mother serves as a source of emotional support, as well as how throughout the song the open talk translates into communication that builds children up. It's an effective picture of positive outcomes arising from conversation orientation.
Link:
https://open.spotify.com/track/6ON9UuIq49xXY9GPmHIYRp?si=4592d15bc5db42e2
Discovered  By:
Andrew

Title:
"Free Range Children", ABC News
Claim:
Laissez-faire families exhibit low conformity orientation and low conversation orientation.
Application:
This news report from ABC covers Dayna Martin, an advocate for free range parenting. Much of the video focuses on education, but viewed from the perspective of FCP theory, it seems that Dayna's approach deemphasizes a shared social reality. She adamantly opposes coorientation through parental authority (i.e., conformity), and also is reluctant to engage in coorientation via deliberation. Instead, children are free to do what they want to do, and thus the free range parenting approach seems like one example of a laissez-faire family.
Link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFgVgRvmSeM&t=165s
Discovered  By:
Andrew

Title:
Captain Fantastic
Claim:
The typology of four family types.
Application:
In this scene, two families are meeting for dinner. What evidence suggests that the host family is a protective family? How about the visiting family: would you classify them as a consensual or pluralistic family?
Link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YG_zd2PQ9bc
Discovered  By:
Dr. Darin Garard, Santa Barbara City College

Title:
Survey measuring the respondent's family type
Claim:
The four family types
Application:
Andrew created this brief survey for his class, using the 26-item Revised Family Communication Patterns measure developed by Koerner and Fitzpatrick: Koerner, A. F., & Fitzpatrick, M. A. (2002). Understanding family communication patterns and family functioning: The roles of conversation orientation and conformity orientation. Annals of the International Communication Association, 26(1), 37-69. Note that the survey calculates high/low cutoffs using the midpoint of the scale rather than the large, random sample means reported in the manuscript (p. 58, Table 2).
Link:
https://tcu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_2mnXpwI5Yq3K1xQ
Discovered  By:
Andrew

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