ABSTRACT
Social support coming from outside the family was discussed in the previous chapter. A major source of support discussed in this chapter is that which comes from within the family itself. Family unity, or sense of itself in relation to the external world, affects how families cope with the strains discussed in Chapter 4. Three of these – separation and loneliness, partners not adjusting well, and encountering different values – are discussed in this chapter. Case histories of the ‘organisation’ families introduced in Chapter 2 discuss how a strongly bonded family (the Davidsons) helped its members deal with highly stressful situations precipitated by the move, and how a lack of a sense that ‘we are all in this together’ increased another family’s stress (the Madisons). First, however, some basic concepts of family togetherness.
