Family Studies on TV Show Breaking Bad - Research Paper Example

Family Studies on TV Show-Breaking Bad Family Studies on TV Show-Breaking Bad Introduction The family is the basic unit of human existence and represents an association brought together by birth, marriage or co-residence and sharing common values, principles and belongings. The relationship among the members of a family may vary and include people who are siblings, cousins, in-laws and grandchildren. The family is considered as the principle unit and institution of socialization within the society and different families create a bigger and stronger society. A stronger family is believed to be the path to a stronger civilization and thus a stronger and cohesive society. It is the nucleus of civilization and the simplest social unit within the society that is established through marriage between the two couples (Dallos & Draper, 2010). According to Aristotle, the family is the first community, the first society and the simplest form of government that has the power to determine the destiny of its people in the face of challenges and opportunities. Bad breaking, an American TV series explores the elements of a family and the devotion that parents make to their families to enable them live a better life in their presence and absence. The thought of an early death before the financial stability of his family is assured convinces him to begin producing methamphetamine, an illegal drug to maintain the status of his family. As a man, he feels obligated to care for his family and use any means available to secure their present and future, even if the spouse leaves him due to his actions. In this paper, the elements of family as the basic unit of the society will be analyzed in line with the movie bad breaking to demonstrate the principles and elements of a family system. Formation and development of the family unit The development of a family is covered under the family development theory that discuss the process of family development and the systematic changes that families experiences as they move up the development hierarchy. The family cycle theory was conceived by Reuben Hill and Evelyn Duvall in the 19th century to describe the stages of development that a family undergoes till death. Based on the two social researchers, family development underwent stages that began from the early marriages, couples with young children, children beginning independent lives out of home and the empty nest of retirement and death (Dallos & Draper, 2010). Based on this approach, the family development can be studied from three levels of development which include the individual-psychological stage, the interactional-associational and the societal-institutional models of family development and growth (Olson, Russell & Sprenkle, 2014). In the first stage of this cycle, there is need to establish a mutually satisfying marriage based on love, trust and respect which shall act as a foundation for the growth of the family. The establishment of mutual respect and love for a satisfying relationship during this time acts as the ground for a fulfilling future and enables couples to understand each other and their needs. This period is also marked with the potential of pregnancy, a psychological process that requires a strong foundation and basis to prosper and grow in the face of challenges facing new marriages. Different families also have different kin networks whose relationship with the marriage impacts on its success and fulfillment. This period provides the opportunity for the couples to fit into the kin network and make a long lasting and friendly relationship with each other’s relations (Scheinkman, 2008). The second stage based on this model of family development present more challenges and its success is influenced by the foundation established in the first stage. The stage has an introduction of a third party, the young children whose presence can strengthen the family fabric or lessen it depending on the circumstance surrounding the birth. Adjustment to the new member of the family must also be done to increase the success of the unit due to the new responsibilities associated with the presence of the child. The infants and the parents must have a fulfilling and satisfying environment to ensure their stable growth and development. The preschool stage also presents massive challenges to the family due to the need to adapt to the needs of preschool children and cope with the energy taking activities of these children. The initial privacy enjoyed by the couples also diminishes as the children grow into preschool kids whose energy depleting activities creates a lot of interruptions (Dallos & Draper, 2010). During the school age stage, the need to fit the children into the societal system and ways of life increases as the economic demands associated with educating the children increases. Motivational needs also increases as the children continue demanding for more attention; guidance and support to enable them achieve their educational goals and aspiration within the challenging environment. The next stage that involves launching the children into the teenage stage is more challenging due to the youthful demands of the children and the need to offer counseling and support for good character development (Olson, Russell & Sprenkle, 2014). The need for the maintenance of kin ties also increases as teens continue to grow and understand the extensive family ties and their relationship with the family and the society. During the final stage, loneliness crops in as the family is left secluded while the kids begin their independent families and life. During this stage, the family grapples with the need to adapt to the possibility of death, retirement and selling of the home for mortgage debts among other challenges (Scheinkman, 2008). Current family functioning The family is most recognized and fundamental unit of the society and acts as a depiction of a social institution that has various functions within the human society. The functioning of the family has been considered differently from sociological perspectives and studies as most of the researches done on the unit have sought to illustrate the essential position that it plays in the success of the entire family (Olson, Russell & Sprenkle, 2014). The functioning of the family according to pioneer sociologists can be done into different categories as described by Ogburn and Nimkoff. Based on their description, the family performs roles associated with affection, economical needs, and recreation, protective, religious and educational provider for the society members in their authority. However, Davis, a 19th century sociologist provides a different categorization of the functions of the family. According to his classification, the family acts as a reproduction, maintenance, placement and socialization source for youths and children. There are social functions according to Davies and each family must perform them individually as part of their social obligations and roles. In this paper, the classification of family functioning based on Maclver’s classification which describes the family as an essential and non-essential part of the society will be discussed (Dallos & Draper, 2010). The provision of a home to children enables them to develop and grow in an environment that is both secure and clean which increases their healthy development. Despite the fact that modern children are today given birth to in hospital, their only place of growth and development is the home. All members of the family live together happily in the home and this enables parents to implement strict vigilance and monitoring the development of the children. The comfort, peace and protection of the family can only be achieved through a well-built home, a fact that contributed to the instability in the home of Walt. This is an essential functioning of the family that must be fulfilled for the fabric that holds it together to remain intact. In breaking bad, Walt’s desire to meet the needs of the family through engagement in illegal drug production makes him neglect his essential role of sexual satisfaction to the wife. As a result, the wife plans a divorce due to the feeling of loneliness and neglect created by his escapades in the desert where he processes the methamphetamine illegally. It is the role of the family to satisfy the sexual urge of its members in a manner that is both appreciative and desirable, a process that sociologists attribute to the development of stability (Scheinkman, 2008). Apart from the satisfaction of sexual needs, the family functions as the procreation unit for children, a role that some sociologists categories as reproductive. The perpetuation of the society and the inheritance of the societal ideals and beliefs to ensure immortal inheritance of the society doctrines can only occur if the family is stabilized through reproduction and rearing of the children. The production of children does not mark the end of the family functions but indicates the bringing of a challenging process of rearing and building a strong unit full of love, discipline and responsibility (Olson, 2008). The functions of child rearing can only be performed naturally and appropriately within the family and not within the conventional artificial set ups created in orphanages. The process of rearing involves the provision of facilities such as food, shelter, security and protection which are vital for the normal development of a child in the modern society. The development of socialization abilities and qualities within a child can only be achieved through the initial abilities and focus of the family. A child brought up in a family full of disarray and infightings grows to know no socialization and the fundamental basic unit of the society (Dallos & Draper, 2010). The provision of a home to children enables them to develop and grow in an environment that is both secure and clean which increases their healthy development. Despite the fact that modern children are today given birth to in hospital, their only place of growth and development is the home. During the use of the couple and map model, questions are devised to enable the couples determine their performance in the marriage and the likelihood of success in the marriage as a whole. Partners are thus given the chance to respond to different set of questions which are used to determine their score and demonstrate their commitment to the family map and plan. All members of the family live together happily in the home and this enables parents to implement strict vigilance and monitoring the development of the children. The comfort, peace and protection of the family can only be achieved through a well-built home, a fact that contributed to the instability in the home of Walt. As a result of his sickness and the desire to raise enough money to pay for his condition and raise a stable family, his financial abilities were compromised and this affected his ability to protect his family and provide them with a secure home (Scheinkman, 2008). Apart from the essential roles, the family also have non-essential roles which must be fulfilled by the family heads to enable the house remain healthy and progressive. One of the main non-essential roles of the family is the economic function which protects the members of the family from financial challenges and lack of basic needs. The family in the ancient times was viewed as the common production and consumption unit which remained a vital part of the development of the society (Olson, Russell & Sprenkle, 2014). Due to the ability to produce and consume, the ancient homes were self-sufficient and capable of raising the basic needs while selling the surplus to raise finances for other needs. However, the modern development of our society has affected the production ability of our families and rendered them as mere consumers. Other agencies in the society perform the production function while the family develops ways of improving their financial ability to acquire the needs of the family (Olson, 2008). Due to changes in the society and the impacts of civilization, education has remained a vital component of the family and the society members as a whole. A family must therefore look after the primary and secondary educational needs of the family to enable them develop skills and knowledge essential to remain competitive in the modern society. Education also enables family members to remain disciplined, obedient and develop the right manners essential for their interaction with other members of the society. However, mothers have the primary role as being the first teachers to the children as they develop and become important members of the society (Olson, 2008). A mother guides the development and perceptual abilities of a child, increasing their ability to understanding of the environment and the society as a whole. With the changing religious needs of our society, children must possess adequate religious knowledge and respect the societal religious beliefs to remain relevant in the contemporary setting. The family acts as the provider of religious guider and motivator for the children as they grow to become important members of the society and inherit the religious doctrines of the society (Garland, 2012). Family position in relation to the couple and family map The couple and family map is a tool that is used to assist couples and families understand their relationship and build a stronger and long lasting family. It provides the interactive forces that support the relationship and define its success in respect to the external and environmental factors. The development of the couple and family map was based on the descriptive work of Olson’s Circumplex model that showed the position of the family in relation to the external and internal factors which determines the variability of success and happiness (Scheinkman, 2008). During the early stages of marriage, the purpose of the marriage is not for getting a partner but getting someone that can provide the family glue and attachment. Thus, every one of the couples must understand the implications that the external environment and the past experiences have on their ability to perform in the relationship and marriage. Through the use of the couple and family map, the couples are presented with an opportunity to not only make decisions on the quality of life they want to live but also the legacy they intend to live behind once they are gone (Garland, 2012). The use of the couple and family model provides a proactive behavior pattern that encourages members of the family to remain fixed to their goals and objectives in life and develop a legacy for the family as a whole. Through the model, couples are enabling to visualize the changes that their collective responsibility has created and the map that they should follow to achieve their goals in future. During the use of the couple and map model, questions are devised to enable the couples determine their performance in the marriage and the likelihood of success in the marriage as a whole. Partners are thus given the chance to respond to different set of questions which are used to determine their score and demonstrate their commitment to the family map and plan. The teenage years of marriage is essential in the determination of the performance of the relationship because of the stressful encounters that parents go through during the teenage and adolescent life of their sons and daughters (Scheinkman, 2008). By asking questions on the family of origin and the teenage years, the stability of each couple during this stage of development is acquired and this is used to determine their individual abilities to perform their roles in the relationship. Teenage and adolescent stage is considered as the most stressful yet memorable stage in an individual development that has significant impacts on their ability to succeed in their marriage and bring up a successful and motivated family (Garland, 2012). By using the map, the two dimensions of closeness and flexibility are used in the description of relationships which are group into balanced, mid-range and unbalanced couples and families. Balanced families exhibit equal levels of closeness and flexibility and this enables them to manage the normative stressors that are common in marriages. As a result, the needs for togetherness and separateness are effectively balanced and do not act as a source of friction among the couples and their children. Despite the presence of unbalanced system, the couples are able to function well though the stressors and the issues that normally affect couples create tension on the family. Unbalanced couple based on the map, on the other hand, results into a situation where both the closeness and the flexibility is unbalanced and this results into a family with strenuous extremes that cannot be successfully fulfilled based on the needs of the couples and the collective responsibility to the relationship (Scheinkman, 2008). However, the couple’s position on the map can change with time and this depends on the changes on the stressors and the normative issues responsible for its success. In bad breaking, the relationship between Walt and his wife is mid-range as he struggles as a high school chemistry teacher to bring up his family. Though the flexibility and the closeness are not balanced, the couples maintain a steady environment as the stressors are limited and their chances to succeed remain high. Based on the couple and family map, this situation can change once the stressors and the normative issues facing the family increases or decreases (Olson, 2008). While Walt was stable with his low salary as a chemistry teacher, the family was able to sustain itself and meet all the needs. However, this changes and the family adopts an unbalanced position in the couple and family map when Walt is diagnosed with a lung cancer condition. The family undergoes a number of changes in regard to their closeness and flexibility as the family resources are focused towards eliminating and caring for the father. However, the actions of Walt to take the initiative of maintaining for the family do not work to improve the position of the family on the map (Garland, 2012). As he spends time producing an illegal drug that compromises his life, legal position and that of the family, the closeness diminishes and this produces a similar implication on the flexibility. The family slides into the unbalanced state as it is unable to adequately provide for itself and remain self-supportive in the face of the current challenges, a situation that plunges the family into anarchy (Scheinkman, 2008). In the case of bad breaking, a number of stressors and normative issues common in other families is witnessed which complicates their position on their map and the internal stability of the family. The first stressor that affects the performance of the family is the low income of Walt as a mere high school teacher who cannot afford to give the family the best life. Though their flexibility remains evident, the closeness between the two couples remain compromised by the current situation. The second stressor, however, affects the flexibility of the family as well due to the increased strain that it adds to their finances. Cancer is a terminal condition whose treatment is far the most expensive and involving as compared to any drug in the world. The diagnosis of Walt with lung cancer condition increases the stressors in the family and upsets the balance that was felt due to the flexibility. The involvement of Walt in illegal production of methamphetamine complicates the normative and stressor issues as it places the family in the legal radar of the law enforcement agencies (Garland, 2012). Conclusion The family remains an essential component of the society due to the essential role that it plays in the perpetuation and development of a community as a whole. the benefits of the family in the society has been depicted in a number of movies including bad breaking, a film developed to show the essential element of the family and the developmental processes that families undergo. This paper has analyzed the movie in line with the theories and approaches of study on families developed by sociologists and scholars. References Dallos, R., & Draper, R. (2010). An Introduction to Family Therapy: Systemic Theory and Practice. Maidenhead, Berkshire, England: Open University Press. Garland, D. R. (2012). A Process Model of Family Formation and Development. Journal of Family Social Work, 15(3), 235-250. Olson, D. (2008). The couple Check-up: Find your relationship strengths. London: Thomas Nelson Inc. Olson, D., Russell, C. S., & Sprenkle, D. H. (2014). Circumplex model: Systemic assessment and treatment of families. New York: Routledge. Scheinkman, M. (2008). The Multi-level Approach: A Road Map for Couples Therapy. Family Process, 47(2), 197-213. doi:10.1111/j.1545-5300.2008.00248.x Read More