Family disintegration: what it is and what effects it has

Family disintegration is a phenomenon that has been specially studied since the 1980s; moment in which an important transformation of the social organization of the family occurs.

It is a complex process that is usually analyzed from the negative psychological effects it can have on children. However, it is also a phenomenon that provides a lot of information about the values ​​that organize our societies and about the changes that have occurred in them.

Following the above We will see what family disintegration is, what are some of its psychological effects and how the organization of families has been transformed in recent decades.

• Related article: "The 8 types of family conflicts and how to manage them"

What is family disintegration?

The family, understood as the intermediate social unit between the individual and the community (Ortiz, Louro, Jiménez, et al, 1999) is one of the protagonists in our cultural organization. Its role has traditionally been understood in terms of meeting economic, educational, family and cultural needs;

through which values, beliefs, knowledge, criteria, roles are created, etc.

This occurs through an interactive and systematic relational dynamic between family members (Herrera, 1997), that is, between people who share some form of kinship. In this sense, it is known as "family disintegration" to the process by which the previously established organization of a related group of people is significantly modified.

But, does every modification in the organization of the family imply a disintegration? We could quickly answer in the negative: not every rearrangement in the organization of a family implies its separation. For family disintegration to occur, the kinship or relational dynamics that unite its members must be qualitatively modified. The latter is often posited as caused by the absence of one of the parents or caregivers; which, among other things, means that the traditional family model has been considered as the unit of analysis.

Family disintegration or dysfunctional family?

Family modification or separation is not necessarily negative; that is, in many cases it is an agreement or a situation that ensures the physical or psychological well-being of the members.

In other words, the rearrangement or disruption of a previously established family organization It can be the solution to conflictive situations caused in the family, and as such, it can have positive effects on its members. Depending on the family dynamics, it may happen that its disintegration has more positive effects than its maintenance.

However, the concept of "family disintegration" usually refers specifically to the process conflict of separation or modification, which as such, generates negative effects for one or all parties involved.

Diversity in family models

As a form of organization and social group, the organization and the particular dynamics of the family responds to a series of norms and values ​​that are characteristic of a society and a specific historical moment.

Traditionally, any family member who did not follow the traditional model was considered dysfunctional or disintegrated. Currently, the above coexists with the recognition of single-parent families and families that are structured from diversity of sexual identities (Bárcenas-Barajas, 2010), which among other things makes it possible to rearrange at a structural level the social organization of the family.

Studies on its psychological effects

The negative effects of family disintegration on children have been especially studied. Broadly speaking, research has revealed that family disintegration makes it difficult to meet the needs that a family is expected to meet.

In the medium and long term, and at a psychological level, these studies have proposed, for example, that family disintegration has the effect of a low self-esteem, feelings and behaviors of defenselessness, as well as difficulties in establishing sexual-affective bonds (Portillo and Torres, 2007; Herrera, 1997). In the same way, social behavior and its relationship with family disintegration have been investigated, for example, in the increase of violent behaviors or excessive withdrawal.

In the short term and especially in early childhood, it has been seen that family disintegration (when it occurs as an unforeseen event and a significant change in the daily structure) can cause confusion, distress, guilt, anger, or self-destructive behaviors.

In any case, it is important to take into account that, although studies have found relationships between variables (for example, between a low self-esteem score and a experience of family disintegration in childhood), this does not necessarily imply causation: low self-esteem can be caused by many other variables.

In fact, recent studies contradict traditional hypotheses and suggest that not in all cases the relationship between family disintegration and low self-esteem is verified (Portillo and Torres, 2007). The latter leads us to consider that not all people react in the same way, just as they do not all families and not all adults manage the same or with the same resources a process of disintegration.

4 causes

The causes that have been studied and traditionally established as determining factors in family disintegration are the following:

1. Abandonment

We understand by "abandonment" abandonment, neglect, resignation or withdrawal. This is a situation that has been proposed as one of the main causes of family disintegration. In turn, this neglect, resignation or withdrawal may be caused by different causes.

For example, the absence of care or of one of the primary caregivers is in many cases a consequence of the socioeconomic conditions that do not allow to satisfy at the same time the domestic demands and those of provision. In other cases, it may be due to the inequitable distribution or rearrangement of care or provision responsibilities within the family.

2. Divorce

In this context, a divorce is the legal dissolution of a marriage. As such, it implies significant changes in the family dynamics that support a couple, with and without children. In turn, divorce can have many causes. For example, breaking the marriage fidelity contract, domestic and intrafamily violence, frequent disagreements between the people involved, among others.

3. Death

The death of one of the family members It is another of the main causes of family disintegration. In this case, the death of one of the parents or caregivers does not necessarily cause the rearrangement in the organization of the family. Especially if it is one of the children, a very important disintegration process can be experienced.

4. Migration

On many occasions, the separation or disintegration of a family is a consequence of the migratory processes that one or both caregivers to move from the settlement city to another where they can aspire to improve their quality of care life. In addition the deportation processes that are taking place in many industrialized societies have produced the same effect.

Bibliographic references:

• Barcenas-Barajas, K. (2010). Diverse families: from the institution to the movement. Structures and dynamics in the reconfiguration of order. Master's thesis, Master's Degree in Communication of Science and Culture. Tlaquepaque, Jalisco: ITESO.
• Portillo, C. and Torres, E. (2007). Effects on raising single-parent families: self-esteem.
• Luengo, J. and Luzon, A. (2001). The transformation process of the traditional family and its educational implications. Research in School, 44: 55-68.
• Ortiz, M., Louro, I., Jiménez, L. et al (1999). Family health: characterization in a health area. Cuban Journal of Comprehensive General Medicine. 15(3): 303-309.
• Herrera, P. m. (1997). The functional and dysfunctional family, an indicator of health. Cuban Journal of Comprehensive General Medicine, 13(6). Retrieved July 30, 2018. Available in http://scielo.sld.cu/scielo.php? script=sci_arttext&pid=S0864-21251997000600013
• Samson, R. (1987). Urban Black Violence: The Effect of Male Joblessness and Family Disruption. American Journal of Sociology. 93(2): 348-382.
• McLanahan, S. & Bumpas, L. (1988). Intergenerational Consequences of Family Disruption. American Journal of Sociology. 130-152.