Over the years researchers have found the necessity to develop theories of behavior that are specific to family settings. These theories have been developed by people with a variety of areas of emphasis, from family therapists to gerontologists to child development specialists. In this chapter we will briefly discuss six such theories: Bioecological Model, Family Systems, Functionalism, Conflict Theory, Symbolic Interactionism, and Psychological Perspectives.

Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Theories That Help Us Understand Families
Chapter 2: How Children Learn and Understand Their World
Chapter 3: What is Culture and Why is it Important?
Chapter 4: How Does Gender Influence Children, Families and Communities?
Chapter 5: What is a Family?
Chapter 6: A Closer Look at Parenting
Chapter 7: Building Trusting Collaborative Relationships with Families
Chapter 8: Welcoming & Supporting Families
Chapter 9: Creating Positive Goal-Oriented Relationships with Strengths-Based Attitudes and Relationship-Based Practices

Over the years researchers have found the necessity to develop theories of behavior that are specific to family settings. These theories have been developed by people with a variety of areas of emphasis, from family therapists to gerontologists to child development specialists. In this chapter we will briefly discuss six such theories: Bioecological Model, Family Systems, Functionalism, Conflict Theory, Symbolic Interactionism, and Psychological Perspectives.