The Puerto Rican family: cultural factors and family intervention strategies.

We have presented what are considered to be the salient features characteristic of the Puerto Rican family. The composition of the family, the important role of the extended family, the impact of machismo, the authoritarian pattern of child rearing, and the religious practices of the Puerto Rican family have been documented through the findings reported by other researchers. It was noted that the high rate of back-and-forth migration between Puerto Rico and the Mainland as well as the colonial status of the society, creates a situation of accelerated change and shifting cultural patterns. We have felt it important to point out the normative patterns on the island. Quite often a well-intentioned clinician, when confronted with issues such as exaggerated machismo or certain responses to stress, may tend to dismiss them as purely cultural and not address the real issues leading to dysfunction or utilize the most appropriate treatment modality. Structural family therapy as a particularly useful treatment modality has been discussed at length, and its applicability and the justification for its utilization in families under stress were elaborated. Treatment strategies and their relationship to Puerto Rican family structure have been delineated.