A pictorial representation of the Bunker Family

Lee-Anne Leverone

CMS 332

Fall 2012

The Bunker Family • Archie: Archie fulfills the traditional gendered role as family

patriarch and breadwinner. He is an ignorant and bigoted loading dock worker disturbed by the changes occurring in American society in the 1970’s. Archie is an undereducated, socially misguided, politically conservative churl who is never at a loss for words.

• Edith: An antidote to Archie's callous demeanor is his sweet but slightly ditsy wife, Edith. Edith also holds a traditional role within the family serving as housewife, mother and all around kinship maintainer. Also known as "dingbat” (an Archie euphemism), Edith does Archie’s bidding, endures his verbal diatribes and meekly attempts to diffuse the tensions within the family through light hearted banter; her objective is to avoid confrontation.

• Gloria: Unlike her mom, Gloria is no wilting lily. Like her father, she is not afraid to voice her opinion. The only child of Edith and Archie, Gloria is a feminist and a liberal thinker who often advocates on behalf of the socially marginalized. Gloria’s role within her marriage is non-traditional; she’s the sole breadwinner while her husband completes his college degree. The couple live with Edith and Archie. Gloria is often caught in the middle when it comes to the verbal sparring matches between her father and husband.

• Mike: Mike Stivic is Archie's live-in son-in-law, a liberal college student and an intellectual who is married to Gloria. Nicknamed “Meathead” by Archie, Mike is a sensitive idealist, a righter of wrongs, a voice for the disenfranchised, and the liberal lightening rod to Archie’s conservative bombast. The confrontations between Archie and Mike serve as the basis for much of the Bunker family conflict.

CohesionThrough their communication, family members

develop, maintain or change their patterns of cohesion.(31)

The Bunker family is a cohesive work in

progress. It could be argued that they border

on being enmeshed. Close living quarters

means everyone is in the others pocket.

This, coupled with horizontal and vertical

stressors, create dialetical tensions that

influence their communication and challenge

their cohesion. Yet, despite their contrasting

principles, opinions and world views, it seems

that the Bunker’s penchant for verbal

wrangling is their dysfunctional way of bridging

the generation gap – an attempt to achieve

relational closeness. They also appear to be a

loyal clan, one in which each member

maintains some semblance of individuality.

Adaptability…for the times they are a changing.

“Rigid: Family members experience very low levels of change, as well as authoritarian leadership and strict roles and rules." (32)

Adaptability in the Bunker family system is a mixed bag.

Change is not Archie’s strong suit; rigid is his middle name. Disturbed by societal changes including the emerging roles of women and minorities, Archie tries in vain to control his world. He clings steadfastly to his rituals, rules and role as leader of the pack. He’s top dog.

Edith accommodates Archie and while she seems more willing to adapt and experience change -to keep the peace - she typically defaults to Archie's leadership role and rules.

Conversely, Gloria and Mike are much more flexible. They are more open and adaptable. They embrace change, are much more willing to share decision making, and to shift rules and roles.

Communication and Family Conflict

“Conflict occurs when one person’s behavior or desire blocks the goals of another” (210)

“A conflict between two members of the family will affect other members.” (211)

Archie abhors change. His blue collar conservative views stand in direct contrast to Mike’s academic, liberal leanings.

Archie’s dogged attempts to maintain control of his family, his rules, his role and his world are thwarted by Mike’s intellectual challenges and belief systems. Mike is a barrier to Archie’s goals.

Diametrically opposed, Archie and Mike create patterns of conflict in the form of endless arguments about the least little thing. This dynamic resonates and impacts the family system.

Family Developmental Stresses“The past and present family stresses, are affected

by all levels of the larger system in which the family

operates. These are the life course concerns –

social, cultural, economic and political contextual

factors.” (245)

Civil rights, women’s liberation, the Vietnam

war, Watergate, political and social unrest; all

the realities of the day and sources of great

stress for the Bunker Family. The trajectory of

each individual’s life course is impacted by

these significant historical changes.

“Stress occurs when the individual’s level of

personal functioning cannot manage the

problems in his or her environment.” (242)

Archie is a man in his 50’s, a veteran of WWII

who longs for the days when “girls were

girls, and men were men.” His individual

, generational and historical time are stuck in a

bygone era. Vertical stressors unique to the

Bunkers, converge with the horizontal stressors of

the 1970’s, creating major disruptions in the

family system.

Unpredictable Stress and Family Coping

Patterns

Unpredictable Stresses: the result of circumstances that disturb

life patterns but cannot be anticipated from a

developmental or life course perspective.” (277)

A man, posing as a police officer knocks on

the Bunker’s kitchen door. Edith is the only one home.

She answers the door.

He asks her assistance.

He says he’s looking for a rapist that was

last seen in her neighborhood.

Edith is trusting and naïve. He’s an

authority figure. She assumes he’s safe.

She lets the man into her home.

Edith finds out too quickly that the police

officer is, in fact, the rapist himself.

He attempts to sexually assault her.

Stressors “Past experiences with crises prepare family members to understand new crises when they occur, but they may also re-traumatize.” (279)

Gloria understands. She is also a victim of a sexual assault. At the time, she was counseled on the difficulties of prosecuting a rape charge in that day and age; re-victimization was rampant, so she opted not to pursue.

Archie uses Gloria’s experience as an example for Edith to move on – to not get involved – it would be too disturbing for her. Gloria says avoidance is wrong, that Edith must face the reality of her experience to help her cope.

True to form, the Bunkers repeat their well worn patterns of communication even in crisis. Archie and Mike Argue, Gloria gets caught in the middle and Edith avoids.

Stages of Family Crisis

Shock/Denial

“Denial is transformed into an intense desire to recapture what was lost.” (285)

• After the assault Edith lives in a state of shock and fear.

• She feels guilty for her part in the assault – after all, she let the intruder into her home, her safe haven.

• Despite being the only victim that can identify the rapist and regardless of Gloria’s urging, she refuses to cooperate with police. She wants to forget that the incident happened.

• She busies herself with mundane tasks in an effort to forget and to recapture what was lost – her sense of well being.

• Just the sight of the assailants tie triggers fear and panic.

Recoil

• Archie is angry and frustrated

by Edith’s inability to cope.

She’s no longer fulfilling her

role.

• Despite Mike’s attempts to

console her, Edith cries out that

she’s to blame. The assault

never would have happened if

she hadn’t let the man into her

home.

Depression

• Edith’s anger, fear and guilt eventually turn inward. She isolates herself, refuses to talk about the assault, to leave the safety of her home and to speak with police.

• Archie attempts to understand and console Edith, to alleviate her fears.

• Archie uses his limited relational currencies to try and comfort Edith. Positive verbal statements “everything’s going to be alright,” and physical intimacies like touching, holding and hugging to support and comfort Edith.

• Gloria uses her known resources – her own attempted rape experience - to inform and educate her mother; to reassure her that it wasn’t her fault.

Reorganization

The Turning Point for Edith

• Gloria is supremely frustrated by her mothers avoidance and her “selfishness” when she refuses to identify the assailant in a police line-up.

• Gloria yells and screams at her mom. She pleads with her that her refusal may put the rapist back on the street -setting the scene for more women to be victimized by him. Gloria cries out in anger that Edith is not the woman she knows and loves - she no longer considers Edith her mother.

• Angry, Edith slaps Gloria’s face. In that moment, she’s freed from her emotional shackles. Edith has an awakening, she finally recognizes what needs to be done. She puts her coat on and asks Archie to drive her to the police station.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Galvin, Kathleen M., Carma Lee

Bylund, and Bernard J. Brommel. Family

communication: cohesion and change.

8th ed. Boston: Pearson Allyn and

Bacon, 2012. Print.