What do you see as the major changes that have taken place in the study of family stress, and why do you think these changes have occurred?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Answers may include:
a. Greater geographic mobility
b. Stress in the context of physical science
c. In the twentieth century, Cannon (l932) laid the foundation for systematic research on the effects of stress in observations of bodily changes.
d. In the social sciences, both sociology and psychology have long histories of study related to stress and coping. Sociologists Marx, Weber, and Durkheim wrote extensively about “alienation,” which was conceptualized as synonymous with powerlessness, meaninglessness, and self-estrangement, clearly under the general rubric of stress (Lazarus & Folkman, l984). In psychology, stress was implicit as an organizing framework for thinking about psychopathology, especially in the theorizing of Freud and later psychologically oriented writers. Freudian psychology highlighted the process of coping and established the basis for a developmental approach that considered the effect of life events on later development and gradual acquisition of resources over the life cycle.
e. Advances in technology, industrialization, urbanization, increased population density (including housing, traffic, and demand on the infrastructures), terrorism, and economic issues are frequently identified as making daily life more complicated and impersonal. Family roles are more fluid and diverse than the past, resulting in fewer social norms and supports. Families have become more diverse as a result of changing family structures (e.g., divorce, single-parent families, LGBTQ families, remarriage, cohabitation, and intergenerational reciprocity), immigration, economics (e.g., increased cost of living and two earner families), geographic mobility, and other macro level factors. In addition to natural disasters (e.g., hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes) and everyday stressors (e.g., accidents, discrimination based on race, religious beliefs, gender, and sexual orientation), U.S. families are facing the reality of wars involving American troops overseas. Additionally, contemporary families are experiencing economic insecurity and stress due to the Great Recession and the severe economic downturn in the global economy (see Bartholomae & Fox). Fluctuating unemployment rates, sobering financial losses in pensions, investments, and savings accounts, and the disappearance of benefits contribute to the financial struggle of individuals and families. Consider the accumulation of these events and it quickly becomes apparent that stress is a part of everyday life.