Published : 2025-01-28

The Patchwork Family as a System: A Case Study

Abstract

This article aims to show the functioning of the patchwork family as a system, referring to the general systems theory, and uses this approach to present issues related to the functioning of this type of family. Partial results of research conducted in a qualitative strategy are presented, and based on data published on an online forum, the narratives of women acting as stepmothers are analysed. For this purpose, one case was selected to answer questions about the experiences of a woman playing the role of a stepmother in a patchwork family. What are the relationships in this family? What about the overall system of the patchwork family, subsystems, boundaries and homeostasis in the case at hand? As an exemplification and example of the functioning of the patchwork family system, an analysis of the narrative of Anna's stepmother is presented. The article discusses the following issues in turn: the patchwork family as a system - overall, subsystems, system boundaries and homeostasis. A fragment of Anna's narrative is also analysed and an attempt is made to show her experiences synthetically in relation to the general systems theory.

Keywords:

general systems theory, stepfamily



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Roczniki Pedagogiczne · ISSN 2080-850X | eISSN 2544-5243 · DOI: 10.18290/rped
© Towarzystwo Naukowe KUL & Katolicki Uniwersytet Lubelski Jana Pawła II

Articles are licensed under a Creative Commons  Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)