Scarf
1. The first case study Maggie Scarf presents is of the Anderson family where the identified patient is 15 year old Dave. Using the concepts mentioned by Scarf and in the Learning Module, describe the family dynamics of the Andersons. Where is there some progress made, and where does the family remain stuck or even regress? What do the psychological dynamics of the Anderson family tell us about the nature of families?
2. Every family Scarf declares is concerned with issues of power, intimacy, conflict and individuality. Discuss and evaluate W. Robert Beavers’ five levels of family functioning. Describe each level, and why they are ranked in the order they are. How well do the Beavers levels account for family dynamics and the four issues all families face?
Required reading
Scarf, M. (1997). Intimate Worlds: How Families Thrive and Why They Fail. Scarf, Introduction, Chapters 1-7, Chapters 8-16, Chapters 17-26. Ballantine Books. ISBN-13: 978- 0345406675