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.