The nuclear family shows a slow and steady increase in Romania, being represented by 68.2% of families in 1992, and 79.55% in 2002 ( NRIS, 1992, 2002). Multigenerational families are still more frequent than in the rest of European countries because of economical factors and traditions ( Ghebrea, 2003). In 1960, 21.5% of families had grandparents living with them ( Bachman, 1989), in 19 the number of extended families remained constant ( NRIS, 1992, 2002). There is also the nuclear family, which includes the husband and wife and their children, and extended family with other relatives: grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc., living together. There are two types of families: family of origin, and family of procreation (created after marriage). This union has biological, psychological and social elements ( Dunareanu, 2000a).Īlthough the family was identified as the fundamental unit of socialist society, and it heavily influenced the values of the younger generation, its primary role became reproductive ( Bachman, 1989 Dunareanu, 2000b). For example: even if one parent lives abroad for working for a long time (years), she or he will still be considered a family member.Ī marriage is a union between a man and a woman, in a sense that the children born are recognized as offspring by both partners. In these cases the definition of family is the third one.įor Romanians, among the relationship between the family members, relationships resulting from marriage or procreation seem more important than the amount of time of living together or the location of the family members. In the case of an extended family, in therapy we can work with all the people who live together. Some sociologists also consider that family includes at least two individuals united by marriage or paternal relation family therapists can work with a family that consists of one member who lives alone: single, divorced or widowed ( Mitrofan & Ciuperca, 2002, Nichols & Schwartz, 2005 Stanciulescu, 2002). The third definition has its origin in the Latin word ‘familia’ and this definition was used in the Roman Empire. Policy-makers should be aware of the difficulties concerning availability and access to this therapeutic approach.įamily could be defined as 1) a social group based on marriage, formed by the couple and their descendents – nuclear family, 2) a human community composed of a group of individuals related by consanguinity and kinship – extended family, and 3) all the individuals who live as a group in the same house under the authority of the ‘pater familias’, juridical leader ( Romanian Academy, 2007). Family therapists should keep in mind the structure, function, role and values of the Romanian family for better understanding the issues and resources and use these accordingly in therapy. The difficulties for children with parents working in different countries raise problems and have implications for the extended family, educators and psychotherapists as well as mental health service providers. Relations with family of origin remain close. The model of a single child appears increasingly common due to an improvement in financial resources and better living conditions. The role of marriage and childbirth within the marital setting is still important. The nuclear family remains dominant instead of other alternatives, the age of marriage is earlier than in western European countries and celibate and consensual living are exceptions or only for the transitional period before marriage. We illustrate basic needs using demographic data and research available from Romania. In this paper we describe the Romanian family and the family therapies which are available in Romania. The study of family structures, functioning, roles and values is fundamental in family therapist's activities for better understanding the psychological, cultural and social specificity of different clients and interventions.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |