Premium
Dependence or Independence: Which Is the Dirty Word?
Author(s) -
Furlong Mark
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
australian and new zealand journal of family therapy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.297
H-Index - 19
eISSN - 1467-8438
pISSN - 0814-723X
DOI - 10.1002/anzf.1358
Subject(s) - independence (probability theory) , theme (computing) , psychology , subjectivity , social psychology , vignette , epistemology , sociology , media studies , computer science , philosophy , statistics , mathematics , operating system
We are suspicious of the mob, the gang, the enmeshed relationship. We also know no one can be an island. Our heroes tend to be loners – the solo detective, those who live free under the stars – but we esteem individuals who devote themselves to others. We want to belong, but we don't want to be owned. Like a game of Snakes and Ladders, there are trap‐doors and escalators in the theme Dependence or independence: Which is the dirty word? This paper explores the frisson and the conflicts in the complex relationships between dependence and independence. Following an introductory vignette, a schematic account is presented of the diverse ways ‘dependence’ and ‘independence’ can be theoretically interpreted including by systems theory. A deeper attention is then paid to honouring the importance of ‘dependence’ and ‘independence’ as key referents in everyday subjectivity. A first‐person account of mental illness is drawn on to illustrate this theme. A final section examines the implications for family therapy practice that arise from the above analysis.