Khorosheva. [Structural and functional family features in difficult life situation: dissertation abstract for a candidate degree of pedagogical sciences]

Abstract:
By analyzing information materials, author established the inconsistency of scientific views on family system structure. In this study, it were studied families in a difficult life situation, namely raising a child with developmental disabilities. Empirically here were identified some factors of positivity and safety for this type family. This is a coping strategy that involves parental psychological resources such as — risk taking and personality. Here, the structural and functional characteristics of family system (cohesion, adaptation, external boundaries) are preserved in relation to child ones. It is characteristic that parents of a "special" child plan for his/her development in detail, creating his/her image in near and distant future, emphasizing his/her achievements, and not — moral qualities. Parents in "special" families, that have retained the full structure in a difficult life situation, have also some main specific personal characteristics: an indicator of a viable position is here above the norm, and an increased level of parental anxiety with a predominance of "emotional distress" component, too.