Family Communication Model

A Few years back I was asked to do a seminar on the importance of family communication to peoples whose families have struggled in the past to do so effectively.  In doing so I came up with a small model which shows how important it is and how the family itself can dissimulate over time because of lack of communication. This model which came to me is a perfect illustration of how both groups and families can fall apart because a rift in communication. We all know the importance of family and how it is the building block of society a beautiful saying I once heard was "It is hard to find an un-cracked egg in a broken nest."  which I thinks exemplifies it as well as anything I have ever heard. 

In this model it illustrates the steps in which these rifts occur over time and because of hardship there are 3 phases in this model. 

Phase 1

Phase one is family/group cohesion which is what each of us should strive for.  As you see in the diagram we have six individuals in this group signified by the red circles/jewels.  Each is a little different from the other but it is evident that they are each sparks hammered from the same anvil.  Each are connected by lines which one could imagine as strings connecting and supporting the group as a whole, these strings are symbolic of communication between each individuals in the group or family.  You can see that each is supported and gains strength from the others making it look almost like a beautifully cut diamond.  

Phase 2

In Phase two we see a diagram in which one of the sets of individuals has ceased to communicate for whatever reason whether it be a disagreement or simply that they don't get along with the other family member.  Imagine that one of the lines or threads talked about earlier has been cut and then because these two points or no longer anchored to each other and therefore they have been pulled apart and the only thing keeping them together is the other points attacked to them.  In this as threw science we see more stress is placed on the individuals not involved because they become mediums in the family for the two that or having the disagreement.  Because of how groups/families are we see that now inside the family there are two groups because naturally some or closer too the other individuals than the other so that the even if they haven't taken sides in the argument it is the same as if they had.   

In Phase three we see that everyone that was once in the group is now on there own signified by the difference in colors.  This happens over a long period of time being in phase two because the stress which is placed on the other individuals in the group they decide that it isn't worth the hassle. This age tends to take place in older individuals who have there own children and grandchildren as well because the amount of relationships in there life has become so great in prioritizing they no longer have the time or energy for the original group/family unit.  Because of the one relationship going sour it becomes inevitable  that phase three is reached.  I have had people ask me when I was teaching this concept if after phase three if they can ever make it back to phase one and my answer is most generally "no".  This is because once phase three is reached there is no communication between the different individuals and nothing would ever bring it back to the terms it would have been in the first because the communication just is not there.

In short and after reviewing this model I would say make sure if you are the individuals who is in the disagreement it is your responsibility to make it right and at least come back to agreeable terms with the individuals.  For as you have seen if you don't you will be punishing the other members in your group whether it be your family or a group of friends this group will dissipate and you will be the one to blame for it. 

Symbolic Interactionalism

Symbolic Interactionalism is a sociological term coined by and popularized by George Mead and Charles Cooley.  I have mentioned it in other blogs of mine it basically says that people speak, act, and interact with each other  through symbols and through interpreting these symbols one can know their inner most desires and thoughts.  To give some examples the clothes one chooses to wear is a symbol of how they want to be perceived by others.  When one starts to view the actions of individuals as symbols of how they want to be perceived and who they are at very deep level without actually knowing the individual well.
This then opens the door for arch symbols which are symbols which envelop many different meanings which are similar but have commonality.  To give a simple example of these you could read my Blogs entitles Pardon the Flame and Bottling Lightning which show how many deep meanings can be connected to seemingly small symbols. To better illustrate this concept one can look at the  "Apologize" music video from One Republic; It is great because it tells a whole story just using symbols. So if you read what these symbols can mean and then watch the music video you can understand the story which all the symbolism tell.  I will list a few of the symbols and their meanings and if you see what they do and how they interact in both placement and what happens to them you can understand the whole story.
Flower: Is often used as a symbol of love.
Water: Purity, innocence.
Doves: peace and freedom
Phone: Communication
Mask: Lies Deception
Heartshaped box: Right side up it is a heart waiting to recieve love: On its side it is an empty heart.
Vase: in the music video shows the relationship of the individuals because a vase holds flowers
One Upside Down Flower Falling into the vase: One of the individuals in the relationship didn't enter the relationship with the right intentions.
Wedding Ring also Wedding Figuring: Marriage.
Candles: Life cycle, (in this case the life of the relationship)
Glass Slipper: Fairy Tail ending.
Flower Blooming: allure, sex (the flowers depicted are not in the vase hint hint)
Mirror: Reflection (I would hope anyone who read my blog would know most of these)
Ink: the ink itself is black which is often dirtying or marking something in some way that cannot be undone.
pocket watch: time
Fire: destruction and cleansing
The rest of the symbolism come with how they interact with each others.

So after having watch it you should have been able to see a story of two people in a relationship in which one wasn't as committed as the other  and ended up cheating on them.  then the couple tries to get back together because they are still in love and then the person who was cheated on cant forget whats happened so this time the relationship break up because of them.
I hope you enjoyed my little teaching sections and I hope it helped you learn about how symbolic interactionalism works, though most symbols of what people do are implied by thinking logically it is a great example.

Meant For More

In our beginning we come to this world with limitless potential, as we grow and learn it is the world itself that binds our potential and hold us back.  I feel this everyday in my life, how bogged down do we become because of the rigorous menial task we ourselves undertake each and every day.  Not to be a broken record but we live in a time like no other with more time to spend doing something other than as in old times living life from meal to meal, yet what do we do with our time, how do we spend our time which others in other times so treasured? We are caught in a world full of puzzles which we have created for ourselves.  Our government has become so bureaucratic in nature that it does not function the way it was intended, Our society spends millions upon millions of dollars and hours just creating ways to use the excess time technologies have given it. I am a huge supporter of arts and all of the things man has created because It is this ability to create that is the spark of divinity in all of us, but were't we meant for more? What more could have we accomplished as an society and as individuals if we didn't have all these distractions many of which are simply products of someone else's greatness, and from suckling on it many times all we do is squelch our own. How much more meaning would each of our lives have if we had the drive and desire to share our own dreams in reality to others.  These times in which people had time to sit back and think historically gave rise to some of the most revolutionary times like for instance the Renascence.  How long has it been since a major discovery was made that would totally change how life was lived and experience I would dare wager not since the internet and the computer have we had but that has been a very long time when one considers how much has changed since the revolution.
In many ways it seems the world has gotten to distracted on the distractions, the pursuit of money, entertainment,  the easy way of doing things that we have lost sense and the meaning of what it is to be alive, and to live.  We all stand on the shoulders of greatness and grow fat and lazy not wanting to get outside of that comfort zone the world has made to find something greater something deeper, something to give a meaning to our own collective and individual existence.  We are all kings, yet we take the privileges of it and none of the responsibilities of it.  Wake up, Arise and take up arms, We each were meant for so much more than what the illusions of the world have placed before us.  We are Kings and Queens it is time we try to live up to that greatness which is within each of us. As Atlas we hold the weight of our worlds on our backs it is no time to pretend our worlds are in the hands of any one else but our own.