A Nov. 21 article in the New York Times about family reunions, titled "Don't Be The Turkey At A Family Reunion," includes a quote from Larry Basirico, professor of sociology. Details...
The article, written by staff reporter Deborah Baldwin, focuses on narrative therapy, a relatively new approach to working out differences between family members. Those disagreements frequently surface during the holidays, when embarrassing moments from childhood are brought up around the dinner table. Some families use the holidays as a chance to meet with narrative therapists to discuss their differences.
From the story:
“And keep in mind that family reunions have their own rhythm, said Dr. Laurence A. Basirico, a sociologist at Elon University, in Elon, N.C., whose surveys for Reunions Magazine, a how-to for families, suggest that most get-togethers last three to four days. The first day can mean a wave of good behavior, he has found, but grown siblings begin to act like children pretty quickly — in about 72 hours.
“Dr. Basirico recalls the year he and his six adult siblings fell prey to Day 3 syndrome while ordering pizza. As their children looked on, the grown-ups reverted back to their childhood struggle over who would be boss, focusing on a highly emotional decision: pepperoni or no pepperoni. ‘It got smoothed over,’ Dr. Basirico said, laughing, ‘but it was not a pleasant scene.'”
The entire article is available online by clicking here. Readers who are not registered members of the Times Web site must fill out a brief, free registration form before reading the article.