Dr. Bowen Family Systems Theory
system is defined as “a connected set of things or parts forming a complex whole” (Webster). This definition has application to many things, even families. A family is considered a system because families are made up of interconnected components (people), they exhibit similar behaviors, they have regular interactions which may be positive or negative, and they are interdependent on one another whether realized or not. The basic premise behind Dr. Bowen’s Family Systems Theory is that the family is an emotional unit that is so emotionally integrated that the effects they can have on each other are enormous. Throughout this paper, we will explore the components of this theory and then compare and contrast how it does or does not apply to the story of Antwone Fisher as told in the 2002 film starring Derek Luke and Denzel Washington (cite).
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According to Bowen’s theory, changes in just one person’s attitude or their action can release a cascade of changes affecting the other members of the family.
According to Herbert and Irene Goldenberg, “the underlying assumption of premise in this theory is that chronic anxiety is and inevitable, omnipresent part of life and is the underlying basis for dysfunction” and it’s only antidote is resolution through differentiation” (Goldenberg and Goldenberg, from the book). Chronic stress and anxiety can take a very significant physical and emotional toll on membrs of the family unit, particularly those who tend to absorb the most tension. In order to address this Bowen created eight interlocking concepts. Each concept will be briefly explained and then applied to the story of Antwone Fisher. The concepts are as follows: triangling, differentiation of self, nuclear family emotional system, family projection process, multigenerational transmission process, sibling position, emotional cutoff and societal regression (Friedman text, pg
80). Triangling describes a three-person relationship system and serve as the building blocks of the larger system. The concept of triangling stresses that three people can take on more tension than just two people. Although this sounds beneficial, the ability to bear more of the tension does not make it better. In triangling, someone is typically left out and/or more of the tension is projected on to them. In many cases, the tension in a single triangle spreads to the surrounding triangles, eventually affecting the whole system. In the story of Antwone Fisher triangling is seen several times. First, is within the relationship between Antwone, his mother and his father. From what could be gleaned from the movie, Antwone’s parents led very turbulent lives; as evidenced by the death of his father at the hand of an angry girlfriend, two months prior to his birth and then the subsequent incarceration of his mother. Antwone was then born in a correctional facility, taken from his mother and placed into foster care. His parents never learned how to form a healthy relationship and the consequences of this hit Antwone hardest of all and set the tone for the entire movie. This was the began the continuous cycle of Antwone feeling abandoned and unloved.
The second instance of triangling can be seen with the treatment of Antwone by his foster mother, Mrs. Tate and his “cousin” Nadine. Antwone was mentally, physically and sexually abused by them, leading him to feel abandoned and unloved, which again placed an even heavier burden on his shoulders which led to many of the choices he made down the road. Many of these choices led to strains on future relationships in Antwone’s life.
The third instance of triangling was a positive one. It involves the triangle of Antwone, his girlfriend Cheryl and his psychiatrist Dr. Davenport. This triangle struggled at the beginning as Antwone never learned how build a healthy relationship due to the situations he was confroned with prior to enlisting in the Navy. However, with a lot of help from Dr. Davenport, Antwone learned that he didn’t have to continue to be who his past experiences had made him. This in turn led to the positive and healthy relationship he built with Cheryl. There were a number of other instances where triangling occurred throughout the movie, but these were the three that stood out the most.
The concept of differentiation of self refers to a persons ability to distinguish themselves from their family of origin both emotionally and intellectually (Fitzgerald, 80). Antwone struggled with this throughout the entire movie. His difficult past led him to the point where he felt continuously felt abandoned and unloved to such a degree that it affected every relationship he encountered. Antwone at first was very resistant to look at the emotional baggage he has carried with him throughout his life, leading him to continuously repeat the behaviors, in particular anger, that had been instilled in him by the the experiences of the turbulent relationships in his past. Once he was able to open this baggage, see that what he experienced was not his fault and realized that he had the choice to be different and chose his path, he was able to and distance himself from his past and differentiate himself from his family of origin.
According to Bowen’s theory, changes in just one person’s attitude or their action can release a cascade of changes affecting the other members of the family.
According to Herbert and Irene Goldenberg, “the underlying assumption of premise in this theory is that chronic anxiety is and inevitable, omnipresent part of life and is the underlying basis for dysfunction” and it’s only antidote is resolution through differentiation” (Goldenberg and Goldenberg, from the book). Chronic stress and anxiety can take a very significant physical and emotional toll on membrs of the family unit, particularly those who tend to absorb the most tension. In order to address this Bowen created eight interlocking concepts. Each concept will be briefly explained and then applied to the story of Antwone Fisher. The concepts are as follows: triangling, differentiation of self, nuclear family emotional system, family projection process, multigenerational transmission process, sibling position, emotional cutoff and societal regression (Friedman text, pg
80). Triangling describes a three-person relationship system and serve as the building blocks of the larger system. The concept of triangling stresses that three people can take on more tension than just two people. Although this sounds beneficial, the ability to bear more of the tension does not make it better. In triangling, someone is typically left out and/or more of the tension is projected on to them. In many cases, the tension in a single triangle spreads to the surrounding triangles, eventually affecting the whole system. In the story of Antwone Fisher triangling is seen several times. First, is within the relationship between Antwone, his mother and his father. From what could be gleaned from the movie, Antwone’s parents led very turbulent lives; as evidenced by the death of his father at the hand of an angry girlfriend, two months prior to his birth and then the subsequent incarceration of his mother. Antwone was then born in a correctional facility, taken from his mother and placed into foster care. His parents never learned how to form a healthy relationship and the consequences of this hit Antwone hardest of all and set the tone for the entire movie. This was the began the continuous cycle of Antwone feeling abandoned and unloved.
The second instance of triangling can be seen with the treatment of Antwone by his foster mother, Mrs. Tate and his “cousin” Nadine. Antwone was mentally, physically and sexually abused by them, leading him to feel abandoned and unloved, which again placed an even heavier burden on his shoulders which led to many of the choices he made down the road. Many of these choices led to strains on future relationships in Antwone’s life.
The third instance of triangling was a positive one. It involves the triangle of Antwone, his girlfriend Cheryl and his psychiatrist Dr. Davenport. This triangle struggled at the beginning as Antwone never learned how build a healthy relationship due to the situations he was confroned with prior to enlisting in the Navy. However, with a lot of help from Dr. Davenport, Antwone learned that he didn’t have to continue to be who his past experiences had made him. This in turn led to the positive and healthy relationship he built with Cheryl. There were a number of other instances where triangling occurred throughout the movie, but these were the three that stood out the most.
The concept of differentiation of self refers to a persons ability to distinguish themselves from their family of origin both emotionally and intellectually (Fitzgerald, 80). Antwone struggled with this throughout the entire movie. His difficult past led him to the point where he felt continuously felt abandoned and unloved to such a degree that it affected every relationship he encountered. Antwone at first was very resistant to look at the emotional baggage he has carried with him throughout his life, leading him to continuously repeat the behaviors, in particular anger, that had been instilled in him by the the experiences of the turbulent relationships in his past. Once he was able to open this baggage, see that what he experienced was not his fault and realized that he had the choice to be different and chose his path, he was able to and distance himself from his past and differentiate himself from his family of origin.