Dependence or Independence: Which Is the Dirty Word?. Issue 2 (11th May 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Furlong, Mark
• Is Part Of: Australian and New Zealand journal of family therapy. Volume 40:Issue 2(2019:Jun.)
• Page Start: 255
• Page End: 271
• Publication Date: 2019-05-11
• Subjects: interdependence -- dependence -- independence -- subjective experience -- autonomy -- mental illness -- personal boundaries -- family therapy practice; Family psychotherapy -- Periodicals; Family psychotherapy -- Australia -- Periodicals; Family psychotherapy -- New Zealand -- Periodicals; Family counseling -- Periodicals; 616.89156
• DOI: 10.1002/anzf.1358
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0814-723X

Abstract

Abstract : 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.