Commentaries On Facts Of Life 2003
Murray Bowen wrote "An Odyssey Toward Science" as the afterword for Michael Kerr's book Family Evaluation. (Bowen, 1980, 385-386) He described the history of his efforts to connect the study of family systems with the natural sciences as follows:
"The odyssey required a comprehensive theory that could preside over all the variables. It was grounded in earliest knowledge about the formation of the universe, before life evolved from the inanimate mass. It followed evolution of all life to the complexity of the human being. In the course of evolution, the human developed a brain to conceptualize events in his environment and eventually to develop civilization. The human is the first form of life that has been able to observe the feeling process with his intellect. There are definite characteristics of those who can do this readily and those who are a few years slower. The name of that is differentiation of self. Everyone can do that when they are more motivated to do it for themselves than they are to depend upon others. There is some evidence that the human can actually determine the function of his own emotional system. It leads me to believe human behavior will become a science by the middle of the next century. The human will be richer if the favorable trend continunes."
Center for the Study of Natural Systems and the Family holds an annual conference that connects research from the natural sciences and the study of family systems. Facts of Life 2003 was held on January 29 and 30 at Texas A & M University Health Sciences System Institute for Biosciences and Technology in Houston, Texas. The focus of this sixth annual conference was on "Relationships: Common Denominators in Illness and Health." The conference speakers and program were described in detail in the last issue of Family Systems Forum. This article is a collection of comments from people who attended, beginning with my own.
This meeting is an exercise in differentiation of self. I invite speakers whose work addresses knowledge important for understanding health and reproduction. Speakers come from different disciplines and simply represent their own work and thinking without the effort to integrate or correct or compete. Bowen theory provides the theoretical framework for respecting differences, leaving each speaker and audience member free to develop his and her own thinking.
Common denominators about the impact of relationships on biology emerge as scientists track facts of functioning in molecules, brains, in biochemistry, in family and in society. The degree to which relationships regulate the functioning of individuals was evident for the congregation of molecules that make up an organ system such as the prostate, for insulin/glucose interaction, for reactivity that produces symptoms such as endometriosis, for the impact of family and society on health.
Differences were evident in the ways people thought about what they observed, between evolutionary psychology and evolutionary study, between sociology of the family and family systems theory, between an individual focus and a systems focus in medicine. It was possible to see the difference that theory makes in how people think about health and illness. It was possible to see the difference that theory makes in how people think about what change can be accomplished and how.
My own goals include building research projects that put Bowen theory to work in defining variables that impact variation in health and reproduction. Speakers from Facts of Life 1999 worked together to design a research project and write a proposal that was submitted for funding in 2000. The project has not yet received funding necessary to conduct hormonal and biochemical assay included to study more about reactivity to relationships in the family. Facts of Life 2003 helped me see how to include variation in response to treatment as an important component in this research project. I had hoped that Facts of Life 2003 would also ignite the interest of people in academic research to collaborate on research projects. I had hoped that speakers and audience would see the value of building Bowen theory into teaching programs, research teams, and medical education. It is not yet clear that Facts of Life 2003 contributed toward those goals.
Although many scientists recognize that reactivity to relationships in the family and in society have an impact on health, it is difficult to connect the disciplines necessary to address the many questions yet to answer. Many of the difficulties involve the relationship system of science, of funding, of time and energy and anxiety, difficulties addressed so well in Bowen theory.
The importance of Bowen theory for integrating knowledge from many disciplines and for guiding research design was all the more clear. The value of the study of family systems for those who are dealing with illness in their family was all the more clear. Work on differentiation of self includes becoming realistic about what one can accomplish and what one cannot accomplish as well as about factors that make the difference. It requires tolerance for learning what one does not already know. One learns to distinguish anxiety reactions, whether excitement or discouragement, from fundamental purposes. What is possible emerges. The series of conferences, Facts of Life, is a learning experience of that kind for the organizer, perhaps for everyone involved.
Conference evaluations, email and correspondence indicate that Facts of Life 2003 was useful for the individuals who attended. Comments such as the ones that follow let me know how people make use of the annual Facts of Life conference series. It is important to know that an effort of this kind is useful to others.
Comments on Facts of Life 2003
Ann E. Jones, RN, Ph.D.
I was drawn to attend the Facts of Life 2003 conference after reading several issues of the Family Systems Forum. I was challenged by the theory presented there and the thinking of the contributors.
The conference challenged my brain to think theory and ask new questions throughout the four days I attended. Mike Kerr, Director of the Bowen Center opened the conference with his thinking after reading a book on Isaac Newton. Speaking to the concept of a Systems Model of Disease, Dr. Kerr quoted Murray Bowen, "The emotional system is the force that motivates. The relationship system is the way it is expressed."
The quote that stayed with me the longest was the one attributed to Paul MacLean. "Nothing brings more pain to a mammal than being separated from its own kind." Dr. Kerr spoke of social interdependence and its impact at multiple levels. As I write this I think of the world events including war, poverty and AIDS and wonder about social interdependence at this level.
Dr. Mathias took on endometriosis and its increase worldwide and provided a lesson in GI tract neuro-dysfunction. His presentation reinforced that symptoms are not discrete entities but rather lie on a continuum which, in the GI tract example, ranged from almost no movement to constant movement.
Dr. Suomi reported on his ongoing research on mother infant behavior in Rhesus monkeys. His research has provided fact based information about mother infant behavior. I continue to think about his report of female mother chimps who force dorsal riding too soon and how this results in an increased amount of interaction and intensity with the offspring.
Day two brought a lesson in graduate level molecular chemistry by Dr. McKeehan. Dr. McKeehan presented this highly complex material in a way that made it both accessible and applicable to whatever area of science the audience was studying. He talked about the development of cancer saying, "What we have here is a failure to communicate." He then went on to prove this by delineating how cells need to talk to each other and stay in contact with the community of cells versus engaging only in self-talk. Two-way communication prevented the development of malignant tumors in the research he presented.
Dr. Tarlov then challenged me to think about the functioning of communities in a completely new way. He reviewed research which showed that community pride was a stronger deterrent of disease than efforts to screen for blood pressure, diabetes, etc.
Ms. Harrison's presentation seemed to tie the preceding theory and research ideas together with her clinical tapes and thinking about the physiological and neural reactivity evident in families in which endometriosis occurs. Her strong theory base and questions challenged us all to ask better questions in our clinical work and daily lives.
Dr. Kerr's clinical day on Friday stands out for me. He talked about autism, schizophrenia and symbiosis both personally and professionally. He presented his extensive reading, thinking, and experience at an autism conference. He asked, "Where does symbiosis end and autism begin?" His ability to revisit his own family around issues of distance, fusion and symbiosis demonstrates what a life long pursuit of Bowen theory can produce in terms of thinking about one's own part in the family system. The whole day represented what the world looks like when a person can think systems theory and ask questions and use facts consistently.
Day four brought the chance to see what those in the Houston area were thinking about clinically and in the area of research. The discussion allowed for lots of questions and clarification of ideas.
It has been nearly three months since I attended the Houston conference, Facts of Life 2003 and my head is still working more clearly than it has in a long time. I was treated to four days of theory, questions, thinking and discussion that challenged me, taught me new information and reminded me of all I had forgotten. I came to the conference after a year of reading well-written and researched articles in Family Systems Forum, a publication directed by Lisa Hacker in Houston and edited by Victoria Harrison. The articles reflect the Houston group's focus on theory and facts around human functioning and the conference did not waver from that focus.
I wish to extend my sincere thanks to Victoria Harrison for putting together an outstanding conference populated by numerous thinkers and researchers and setting the stage so that they could talk to each other and discuss theory in a way that enhanced all of our thinking.
I urge those who could not attend the conference to purchase the tapes and listen to the thinking represented at the conference. To hear outstanding researchers in a variety of fields come together and discuss cutting edge ideas represents the vision Dr. Bowen had for challenging and growing Bowen Family Systems theory. World events indicate that this work continues to be crucial to life on earth.
Dr. Ann Jones earned her doctorate from The Ohio State University in 1993 where she conducted research on brain changes in Alzheimer's disease. She is currently Principal Investigator of a study looking at falls in older adults and accompanying brain changes. Dr. Jones is a consultant for HealthCare Perspective, LLC, a health care information system and management company. Currently she is engaged in HIPAA consulting for the District of Columbia Department of Mental Health and the State of Ohio Department of Mental Health. She has provided HIPAA consulting in Hawaii, New Mexico and New Hampshire.
Dr. Jones entered the Special Postgraduate program at the Georgetown Family Center in 1981 and continued in the program until 1991. She then joined a research seminar for several years. She writes: "I entered the Special Postgraduate program at the Georgetown Family Center in 1981, several months after Dr. Bowen's surgery during which his vocal cords were damaged. As a nurse, I wanted to hear about the surgery and his recovery. He just kept talking about theory and challenging us to think. He never wavered from this stance. Even during the last several months of his life when we went to his house for our training meetings, he challenged us to think, to apply theory. "What is patriotism?" "What does it mean to live in a democracy?" "What do you owe your neighbor?"
Scholarship Letter
Joan Engebretson, DrPH, RN
"Dear Board of Directors,
Thank you so much for a scholarship to attend Facts of Life 2003, held in Houston, Texas on January 29 and 30, 2003. I found it to be an excellent conference and I have been talking to my colleagues about many of the ideas discussed. As a former public health nurse, for whom the family is the unit of service, I could relate to the content very well. I am currently on the faculty at UTHSC-Houston, School of Nursing and teach at various levels in the school as well as in the School of Public Health. I find this content extremely relevant to my roles in these areas, especially in my interest in health ecology.
I also teach systems theory, which is one of the major philosophical underpinnings for the nursing profession. The speakers who brought systems patterns from the molecular, genetic, organ, organism, family and community were of great interest to a clinical profession grounded in systems theory. The speakers and discussions were all though provoking and stimulating. I have shared my thoughts on this conference enthusiastically with colleagues and several want to be notified when you have another conference.
Again, thanks so much for organizing such an excellent conference and for expediting a way for me to attend.
Sincerely,
Joan Engebretson, DrPH, RN
University of Texas Health Science Center
School of Nursing and School of Public Health
Coming Home
By Christopher K. Travis
I have often mused about the fact that the information and experience I need to grow and develop in my life seems to appear out of nowhere when I am ready to understand and utilize it. Three weeks before the 2003 Facts of Life conference, I had never heard of Murray Bowen and his family systems theory.
A psychologist friend who is aware of my interests had received a mailing from the Center for the Study of Natural Systems and the Family, and suggested I consider attending the Conference in order to make connections with persons who were working on similar ideas to those I had shared with her. I live in a small rural town in Texas with a population of 77. She was well aware of the fact that I was feeling isolated in terms of my field of study, that I needed input, review and critique for the ideas I was developing.
After reading the brochure, I had concerns about whether my participation in the event was appropriate. It was obvious from the list of speakers and panel members that the presentations scheduled would be technical and at a high level. I called Ms. Victoria Harrison and expressed my concerns, explaining my area of study, and asked whether she thought it would be appropriate for me to attend.
I told her that I was not a scientist, a health professional, or a person with credentials or training in psychology or medicine. I explained that I owned an architecture firm, was a residential builder, and owned a small newspaper. I explained that I had a long-standing interest in many of the subjects towards which the conference appeared to be directed, but that at best, I was a relatively well informed lay student of such disciplines - not an expert of any sort. I explained that I was working to develop a theory for architecture based in the context of human family and societal relationships, a method that would use a "systems theory" approach that was informed by what I saw as the "profoundly dominating social connectivity" between individuals and social groups, especially families.
I told her that in my architecture firm I had been working with my clients for some time to uncover what I called their "emotional architecture," a phrase I used to describe the internal emotional and psychic associations, or "connections" through which they related to their physical environment. As I identified these connections, I used them to establish and inform the criteria for their designs.
The only problem, I explained, was that after years of working with my intelligent, up-scale clients, I had come to understand that there was a major disconnect between how they represented their values and priorities to me, and what they actually were. In other words, they explained themselves in one way, but in actual practice their behavior told another story.
I sent Ms. Harrison a couple of articles I had written on the subject, and she encouraged me to attend the conference.
For those two days, I was like a kid in a candy store. Not only were the information and ideas shared by the speakers highly directed towards my area of inquiry, but as I began to understand the context of Bowen Theory itself, I came to suspect that I had discovered a theoretical foundation for my own work that was far more developed than my own paltry speculations. It was like coming home.
The experience of attending the conference has focused and clarified my work in ways I am just now beginning to understand. Concepts like "differentiation of self" also relate to the aspects of ourselves that are connected to the artifacts, textures, spaces and relationships within our architectural environment. In ways that I am just beginning to discover, our family systems and our connections to our broader cultural, political and economic "families," are expressed in our homes and public architecture. Dr. Bowen's fifty-year-old insight that any effective understanding of human behavior must be consistent with the natural behavior of the rest of the animal kingdom is directly applicable. I suspect that who we "are," both as individuals and especially as social groups, expresses itself precisely in our built environment.
Architecture, like psychology, suffers from a lack of precision - especially in the arena that matters most - the "fit" or "tailoring" of architectural spaces to the well-being and nurture of individual human beings and their families.
I believe that it is possible to create architecture that is truly "therapeutic" or healing in nature - that our environment can be consciously designed to empower and focus our attention and energy on our personal and developmental goals. I assert that a systematic method can be developed that will provide criteria for such architecture, and that such a method will one day be of profound use to real human families.
The "language" of architecture is expressed as an aspect of self. Our "selves" exist in the context of our social behavior. I suggest that "relationships" exists between each of us and our homes and built environment, that directly correlate to the concepts of Dr. Bowen, and those who follow his lead. Time will tell if these speculations have value, but at the least, my personal experience has been greatly enhanced by a rich infusion of ideas and information. I am the better for it.
I am deeply grateful that I had the opportunity to attend the Facts of Life conference. If I am able to accomplish any part of the possibility I see in my work, it will be in good measure because of the insights - the good thinking - of the many bright minds who attended that event and those like Dr. Bowen, who nurtured and informed those bright minds.
Christopher K. Travis is an award-winning residential designer and home builder, and the managing partner of Round Top Architecture, a high-end residential design firm in Central Texas. He is also the editor and publisher of the Round Top Register, a regional humor and social commentary publication, and the co-founder of the Round Top Children's Library.
He has been called the "Garrison Keillor of the lone star state" by the Arts at Large columnist of the New York Times on the Internet. The content of his newspaper, founded in Round Top, Texas - a tiny town with a population of 77 - has been favorably reviewed by Editor & Publisher magazine, Texas Monthly and several other publications. It's editor has been interviewed on the BBC and was a prominent subject of the PBS documentary Digital Nation.
Commentary Upon Facts of Life 2003
Upon my return from Facts of Life 2003, several colleagues politely
inquired about it. When I began talking animatedly about Rhesus
monkeys and insulin levels, I got quizzical looks, some of which
seemed to betray the question, "And this has what to do with
pastoral care and counseling?" At times my explanations met with
some understanding; other times, heads just shook.
I think there are at least three benefits from attending such a
gathering as Facts of Life:
- the opportunity it offers for change in the individuals who attend,
- the widened perspective it offers for work in a professional capacity, and
- the value of gaining knowledge, period.
Michael Kerr's presentation on "A Systems Theory of Health and Illness," reviewing how each of us deals with needs, expectations, distress, preoccupation, and distance in self and in others, helped me look once more at my family. What a helpful lens for reviewing how we have been adapting as a family over the past few months to a significant death and the addition of a new generation, with the birth of a son to my daughter. My notes sketch movements in many of my family's triangles.
In parts entertaining, in parts sobering, Stephen Suomi's presentation on Rhesus monkeys offered the opportunity to look in some detail at another species' adaptive system. Doing so always helps me become a little more objective about the human system I'm part of and the ones that enter my office. The parallels between Rhesus monkey families - matriarchal organization, gangs of adolescent males - and many inner city human systems was striking.
Victoria Harrison raised the difficulty of evaluating how one set of factors in an illness relates to other sets of factors, both in a disease process itself and in people's efforts to move toward health. This is a challenge for study and research since one must consider not only such variables as diet, exercise, neuro- or biofeedback training, family work, physiological factors, societal and environmental factors, and perhaps others, but also how each of these factors interacts with the others. This raises, I think, the question of what a systems model of research might look like, since research, scientific and otherwise, seems previously to have restricted itself to a linear cause-effect model or at most to multiple variables.
This potential impediment to research may paradoxically offer hope to those of us who simply struggle to "give nature a better chance." Since the many variables in our functioning are connected and interact with each other, any one of them can be a point for beginning or augmenting a process of improvement. Facts of Life itself offered such a possibility, with presentations from many different disciplines and directions, providing varied entry points to personal change.
During John Mathias' presentation on "Impact of Diet, Environment, and Stress on Metabolic Disorders," I watched my health profile described with stunning accuracy. I began a dietary shift that has resulted in a notable lowering of blood pressure, a rise in energy and a ripple of other changes. Increased energy has meant more exercise, which along with a stable blood sugar, seems to have improved my ability, at least a little, to be more thoughtful and intentional in my responses and actions toward others in my work and in my family. In turn, anything I do to improve my functioning in my family also bodes well for improved health.
A systems approach suggests to me that all factual knowledge is related to all other factual knowledge. Whether we learn about another species of mammal, a collection of cells, or how a particular human population operates, we are, ultimately, learning about ourselves. That perspective was fostered by observing presenters who knew so much about narrow topics, yet were so interested in each other's work. It is often said that as one moves from bachelor's degree to master's to doctorate, one knows more and more about less and less. Yet the value of knowledge is how it relates widely to offer opportunities to improve life.
The many personal benefits of Facts of Life beg the question of whether it is fair to count as professional continuing education a conference that offers so much to the individual attendee. That is only a dilemma if one separates improved personal functioning from improved professional performance, seeing the first as personal enrichment and the second in terms of added skills. Particularly for those of us who work with others as they seek to grow in maturity, our own improved personal functioning far outweighs the value of any skill set. The more we engage in the journey to become more of a self, the more we can appreciate and support the journeys of others.
The Rev. Katie Long is Associate Pastor for Prayer, Caring and Adult
Discipleship at First United Methodist Church in Grapevine, Texas. She
has been involved in the study of Bowen theory and family systems in
Texas. Prayers she wrote "in the event of war" can be found on the
national Methodist Church website
Letter from Dan Joslyn, PhD
"Thank you for organizing such a conference, think tank, with such a wide scope. In my entire career as a psychologist, research and clinical, I have never attended such a high powered conference. As difficult as it is, we need to reach across boundaries.
I recently read E.O. Wilson's book Consilience: The Unity of Knowledge, in which he attempts to integrate knowledge from biology all the way to religion. Of course, nobody could create a genuine theory of that scope but it was a valiant attempt and fascinating and challenging reading.
I was so proud of what Steve Suomi has done with the research program I left even before he came. He did me proud. I'm getting to be an old dog.
I've been noticing the role our dog plays in our family. When a topic is too hot for my wife and I to discuss, we can always focus our attention on the dog. So I wonder if a dog can form one-third of a triangle, the other 2/3's being humans!"
Dan Joslyn, PhD is a retired psychologist from Iowa who has studied Bowen theory and family systems for many years.
Quote From Michael Kerr, MD
"This meeting was extremely valuable for those interested in Bowen theory. The consistency of the scientific research with the concepts in the theory shows that the theory is on track. I think it was also valuable for the scientists to be exposed to a theory about human emotional functioning that has an obvious potential for links with the accepted sciences."
Michael Kerr, MD is Director of The Bowen Center for the Study of the Family, author of Family Evaluation, and distinguished guest speaker at Facts of Life.
