ABSTRACT
Communication in intact families is a fraught topic because of its connotations of normalcy and normative functioning. Families can be defined based on their structure, the accomplishment of specific tasks, or their transactional patterns. In this chapter, we make a distinction between structural intactness and the functional intactness implied by definitions of family based on the accomplishment of psychosocial tasks as well as those definitions based on transactional approaches. Because families are usually defined from all three perspectives simultaneously, structurally intact and well-functioning are often conflated, which leads to the unstated assumption that structurally intact families are also highly functional. We discuss how structural intactness might affect families’ habitual ways of communicating in their mundane, day-to-day interactions, that is, their family communication patterns. We conclude with suggestions for future research.
