This study starts from the awareness of problems lacking of psychological services in terms of social dimension and access in terms of academic dimension despite the reality where wild geese family that is one of forms in separated living family is in...
This study starts from the awareness of problems lacking of psychological services in terms of social dimension and access in terms of academic dimension despite the reality where wild geese family that is one of forms in separated living family is increasing and problems get serious after IMF. The purpose of this study is to provide the basic data when wild geese family comes to the site for family therapy. To do this, It was intended to conduct the analysis and interpretation on problems of wild geese family by applying structural family therapy model as a family therapy model that represents the more clear and simple concepts of structure of wild geese family.
This study used qualitative case study method that was suitable to have a specific and systematic perspective about family structure of wild geese family. All seven wild geese family members participated in this study and mothers in wild geese family living in Vancouver, Canada were interviewed in depth from March 2010 to May 2010 in order to conduct in-depth analysis of the process of families of wild geese family. Subjects of this study were confined only to mothers living in Canada who had a primary purpose to educate children, and this limitation was based on the purpose of this study to analyze structurally the appearance of family living as wild geese family with purpose to educate children.
Conclusions of this study to deal with problems of wild geese family by applying structural family therapy model are as follows.
First, a wild geese family looked like making a decision to live separately for a long time with educational purposes, but in fact family issues beside children education accounted for most of actual causes. In other words, when the relationship between couples was deteriorated, or estranged, this separately living was selected as alternative ways to defer or avoid divorce. And when there were severe conflicts between parent and children, children got out of their father or when a mother wanted to get out of her husband or his family, she lived separately with her children. This study demonstrated the behind context of wild geese family relationships and the contextual approach affecting current relationships of wild geese family. This study also revealed that various behind reasons were in wild geese family themselves during decision-making process for wild geese family.
Second, when we examined the changes in family relationships from when they started to live as wild geese family, prominent weakness of the spouse subsystem was shown. Especially they didn’t play a role as emotional supporters, but play a role as parent subsystem. Therefore, serious family subsystem was shown as if the family system was thought to be lost or destroyed. In addition, this study revealed the current shape of couples in wild geese family where a husband was existed as a financial supporter and a wife was existed without any roles. This relationships between couples suggested that couples needed more time to be adaptive upon reunion of wild geese family. Additionally, in terms of relationship between parents and children, relationship between father and children got estranged and relationship between mother and children got more closely.
Third, the wild geese family was initially maladjusted, since they couldn’t find an alternative way. They went through a stage of resistance against changes once they found an adaptive alternative one soon. The phenomenon of idealization of father functioned as a symbolic person in the family. As the independence in private system of geese mother also increased, it was shown to be similar pattern of parent in single-parent family. As spouse subsystem got weaker, the couple was loosing interest in other’s life. Finally, this study demonstrated that geese mother-oriented parent subsystem functioned instead of functioning as parent subsystem where parents functioned equally, and relationships between mother and children got much closer.
This study can be very meaningful to provide information to be applied in the field of family therapy in the future, and to be used for assessment. It provided detailed and various information on wild geese family shown in the process of family by examining the process of changes in wild geese family very closely. Finally, this study is also meaningful to provide clues to look at wild geese family with more systematic and analytical aspects by applying structural family therapy model upon the approach to problems of wild geese family.