> I am investigating if the development of perfectionism as a family trait. At
> present I am arguing, using the symbolic interactionism perspective, that the
> negotiated meaning to an interaction or event is defined by the actors. In
> the family situation, as the parent is in a powerful position, and the child
> in a powerless (maybe I should say less powerful) position, the negotiated
> meaning of the exchange is therefore to a far greater extent determined by the
> imposed parental meaning to the exchange.
Geoff -
You are operating under an erroneous premise. The child is not
"powerless" in the relationship. I suggest you check out the work of
Lorna Smith Bemjamin and her Structured Analysis of Social Behavior
(SASB) model. If you explore your approach in the context of what she
has learned about social interactions, I think you will find it very
enlightening. I can supply you with a specific reference if you need it.
Jack
Jack Gerber, Ph.D.
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