Analysis of Consensual Family Patterns and Romantic Betrayal in Stepbrothers

Analysis of Consensual Family Patterns and Romantic Betrayal in Stepbrothers

        Within the movie, Step brothers, there are many different interpersonal communication strategies.  This movie involves two families coming together during a re-marriage.  The main focus of this paper will be to explore the meaning and importance of consensual family patterns, romantic betrayal, and overall interpersonal communication competence within this movie.

        There are many different types of family communication patterns.  One specifically is a consensual family pattern.  This type of family incorporates both high conformity and conversational orientation.  The family members are expected to share a single viewpoint and communicate with one another to ensure an efficient family relationship.  Qualities of this pattern include attentive listening, expression of concern, and support for one another.  The parents in this pattern tend to exert power and authority over their children.  For example, children’s views and opinions are heard on decisions, but the parent makes the final decision.  Conflict is also seen as unhealthy and is avoided or solved rapidly.

         In one of the first scenes, both families are sitting down at the dinner table for the first time together.  Nancy and Robert are the parents who have been recently married.  Nancy and Robert both have 40 year old sons who still live with them, Brennan, and Dale.  Nancy offers Dale a special sauce she usually makes for her son, Brennan.  Nancy declares that after Brennan is done, Dale may have the sauce; after Dale declines, Robert decides to try the sauce.  Brennan, being uncomfortable with Robert, attempts to stop him from getting sauce and succeeds when Robert expresses that he does not want the sauce any more.  After this dilemma, Nancy starts discussing her day and tries to find a commonality between Dale and Brennan, which is King Fu.  After Dale and Brennan get into a debate about their Kung Fu skills, Nancy strives to switch the topic to Brennan’s singing.  Dale begins singing an inappropriate song about his privates, and his father tries to prohibit his unsuitable song.  Brennan, feeling insulted, begins to bawl; in turn, both parents try to comfort him and diffuse the situation.  

        In this scene, the new family displays many aspects of a consensual family pattern.  For example, Nancy relies on discussing her day to engage a conversation with the rest of the family.  This happens when she incorporates Dale and Brennan in the conversation when discussing their interest in King Fu.  Nancy also demonstrates an authoritative role by controlling her son’s behavior when she commands Brennen that Dale will have the sauce when he is done with it. In this example, Nancy pressures Brennan into having a positive outlook on this new family like she has by including Dale in conversations.  One important quality in consensual families is that they perceive conflict as a threat; multiple times in this scene, conflict is prevented or put to an end quickly.  An example of this can be seen during the dinner scene as Brennan physically stops Robert from getting the sauce.  Robert politely declines the sauce to prevent the possibility of further conflict between the two.  Conflict also occurs when Dale begins singing inappropriately about his privates which leads to Brennan feeling insulted.  This conflict is solved rapidly when both parents come to comfort Brennan and Robert changes the topic therefore continuing the consensual family pattern.  Consensual family patterns in this step family may hold negative relational outcomes.  The child does not see the step parent as the authoritative figure, recognizing only the biological parent as the one with real power.  For a consensual family, the unequal balance of power can be viewed as unhealthy and unacceptable.  

        Through further breakdown of this scene we are able to evaluate the communication competence, or how people communicate using appropriateness, ethics, and effectiveness.  The family did a satisfactory job with appropriateness, the way communication follows norms.  While the parents are beneficial in appropriateness while talking about their day, Dale demonstrates poor appropriateness when he sings his unacceptable song about his privates.  This could be avoided by self-monitoring and observing the norms of the situation.  Brennan is flawed in the ethical category, or how fairly everyone is treated.  Brennan treats Robert with less respect than he does his mother, Nancy.  To improve at ethics, Brennan will need to strive for competence and realize everyone needs an equal say.  Both Nancy and Robert lack in effectiveness, or using communication to achieve a goal.  Two of the three goals in effectiveness are shown in the scene, self-presentation or presenting yourself in a way you want others to see you, and relationship goals, trying to maintain and create a relationship.  Both Nancy and Robert have self-presentation goals to appeal to their new step sons; although Nancy was accepted, Robert was rejected.  Robert’s rejection could have been avoided by asking more about Brennan’s life and hobbies or being more concerned and involved in what he had to say.  Instead of two families coming together, this scene created more distance between them and consequently failed in relational goals.  A very important part in building or maintaining a relationship is sacrifice on both ends.  Only Robert sacrificed his sauce in hopes to develop a stronger relationship, but the entire family must sacrifice in order to grow in a relationship.