The Cunningham Family And Intergenerati
The Cunningham Family and Intergenerational Poverty
Brian Byerly
SW 5010 – Human Behavior and the Social Environment I
The Cunningham Family and Intergenerational Poverty
This review of Rosa Lee Cunningham’s family system utilizes an eclectic point of view and incorporates aspects of object relations theory, behavior theory, and multi systems family theory. From the micro level, an intervention will primarily follow a behavioral model due to the breadth of negative reinforcers, behavioral patterns, and cognitive abilities that are displayed within the household. A circular process flow will be used to prioritize current and ongoing needs for various members of the family. This may help guide the social worker in linking the Cunningham’s to an array of community based services. These services may include social work case management, transitional housing options for trauma survivors, integrative primary healthcare as the family medical home, formal and informal substance abuse treatment, basic vocational rehabilitation skills training, family therapy, and faith based supports.
At a macro level, there is ample evidence of inadequate processes and systemic failure of multiple public agencies (Besharov, 1996). They did not properly address the myriad of social and legal concerns surrounding the Cunningham household through the years. Despite Rosa Lee’s success in securing certain resources for her family with limited education, financial support and transportation; the Cunningham family are unfortunate examples of people and circumstances who have “fallen through the cracks” within the human services network. Both Rosa Lee and Patty dropped out of school at 14 and had babies out of wedlock. Patty never made it past the fourth grade. Her prostitution at age 11 resulted in gonorrhea (1996). Although she spent a number of days in D.C. General Hospital, no report was made to the authorities (1996). For most of the Cunningham children,
Brian Byerly
SW 5010 – Human Behavior and the Social Environment I
The Cunningham Family and Intergenerational Poverty
This review of Rosa Lee Cunningham’s family system utilizes an eclectic point of view and incorporates aspects of object relations theory, behavior theory, and multi systems family theory. From the micro level, an intervention will primarily follow a behavioral model due to the breadth of negative reinforcers, behavioral patterns, and cognitive abilities that are displayed within the household. A circular process flow will be used to prioritize current and ongoing needs for various members of the family. This may help guide the social worker in linking the Cunningham’s to an array of community based services. These services may include social work case management, transitional housing options for trauma survivors, integrative primary healthcare as the family medical home, formal and informal substance abuse treatment, basic vocational rehabilitation skills training, family therapy, and faith based supports.
At a macro level, there is ample evidence of inadequate processes and systemic failure of multiple public agencies (Besharov, 1996). They did not properly address the myriad of social and legal concerns surrounding the Cunningham household through the years. Despite Rosa Lee’s success in securing certain resources for her family with limited education, financial support and transportation; the Cunningham family are unfortunate examples of people and circumstances who have “fallen through the cracks” within the human services network. Both Rosa Lee and Patty dropped out of school at 14 and had babies out of wedlock. Patty never made it past the fourth grade. Her prostitution at age 11 resulted in gonorrhea (1996). Although she spent a number of days in D.C. General Hospital, no report was made to the authorities (1996). For most of the Cunningham children,
References: (2011). In Celebrate Recovery. Retrieved December 2, 2012, from http://www.celebraterecovery.com/ Besharov, D. J. (1996, October 13). Inner city blues. In University of Maryland school of public policy welfare reform academy. Retrieved November 30, 2012, from http://www.welfareacademy.org/pubs/welfare/innercity-1096.shtml Carter, B., & McGoldrick, M. (Eds.). (1989). The changing family life cycle a framework for family therapy (2nd ed., pp. 513-542). Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon Dash, L. (1997). Rosa lee a mother and her family in urban America (pp. 17-253). New York, NY: Plume. Walsh, J. (2010). Theories for direct social work practice (2nd ed., p. 99). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cendage Learning.