Tag Archives: response to crises

Families in Society, Family Resource Management, Internal Dynamics of Families

The Queen of Versailles

Title: The Queen of Versailles

Date: 2012

Media type: Documentary

Category: Families in Society, Internal Dynamics of Families, Family Resource Management

Keywords: work and family, family demographics, response to crises, financial management

Rating: PG

Audience(s): High School Age, College Age, Adults

Language: English

Film/Episode Summary: This documentary follows a once extravigantly wealthy family that has lost the lifestyle they could once afford. It focuses on the dynamic changes as the family has to live with less and less. The father and husband works constantly to try and salvage as much as he can from his once booming time-share business at the expense of time with his wife and children, not that he was very involved before they lost money though. The family struggles to understand the world that they have to start living in, a simpler and less entitled one.

Comments or Recommendations for Teaching: What roles does wealth play in the family system in this documentary? What do you think these individuals are struggling with the most? How can you relate to them and their situation? What role does the father’s job and business play in the individual family members’ lives? What about in the family system?

Places to view: Amazon Video, Vudu, Itunes, Hulu, Netflix

Contributor: Ian Brunzell-Looney

Ethical Issues and Dilemmas, Family Law and Policies, Internal Dynamics of Families

This American Life

Title: This American Life

Date: 2008

Media type: Podcast

Format: Complete

TV Season-Episode: Switched-at-Birth

Category: Internal Dynamics of Families, Family Law and Policies, Ethical Issues and Delimmas

Keywords: response to crises, legal conflict, dilemmas

Rating: NR

Audience(s): Children Under 12, High School Age, College Age, Adults

Language: English

Film/Episode Summary: 2 Babies are switched at birth in a hospital in Wisconsin in 1951 and are not made aware of it for 43 years. The mother of one of the switched babies knew the day she brought the baby home that she had the wrong baby but kept it secret for all those years. An interview and analysis of the incident follows, raising many ethical and emotional dilemmas.

Comments or Recommendations for Teaching: What do you feel about the mother who kept it secret for 43 years? What conclusions do you draw about her actions? How does this make you perceive her? What are your feelings on the ethics of this situation? What role do you think genetics played in the lives of these girls and their development?

Places to view: Hulu

Contributor: Ian Brunzell-Looney

Ethical Issues and Dilemmas, Internal Dynamics of Families

This is Where I Leave You

Title: This is Where I Leave You

Date: 2014

Media type: Movie

Category: Internal Dynamics of Families, Ethical Issues and Dilemmas

Keywords: stress and coping, family relationship, response to crises, dilemmas

Rating: R

Audience(s): College Age, Adults

Language: English

Film/Episode Summary: A family is brought back to their hometown by the death of their father. In his will their father wanted all 4 of his adult children to sit shiva in the Jewish mourning tradition where families sit in their home and host guests for 7 days. As the movie progresses the family faces a multitude of issues like infidelity, divorce, infertility, coming out of the closet, break ups and starts of new relationships, and unemployment all while mourning the loss of their father.

Comments or Recommendations for Teaching: In what ways do the characters in this movie cope with their individual issues while trying to regain equilibrium?

Places to view: Youtube, Amazon Video, Vudu, Google Play, Itunes, HBO NOW

Contributor: Ian Brunzell-Looney