Background

           In the movie, Jumping the Broom  Sabrina and Jason is an engaged, soon to be married

couple who come from two different socioeconomic backgrounds. Sabrina is from an upper-class

affluent family, while Jason is from a working-class family. The two families come together for

the wedding and must learn to get along despite their differences in lifestyle. There are many

obstacles the two families must overcome to get along for the sake of Jason and Sabrina. 

Theoretical Foundations

Wholeness

                       The family systems theory is a conceptual framework that states that everything

that happens to anyone in the family affects everyone else in the family. This is because the

family system theory states that everyone is interconnected and operates as a group. Within this

family system, there are multiple system levels. Wholeness is the concept that the whole is more

than the sum of its parts, meaning the family is more than its individuals. (Olson et al,. 2019)

Each family member operates differently outside of the family, so one cannot know each person

as an individual because each person will act differently outside of their family environments. In

the movie Jumping the Broom, the main characters Sabrina and Jason come from different walks

of life. When Sabrina and Jason are together they have different identities, as a couple, then

when they are with their families they are children, nephews, and nieces. When Jason is with his

family he is more “casual” than when he is with Sabrina’s family. On the other hand, when

Sabrina is with Jason’s family she attempts to assimilate by emulating their behaviors, versus

when she is with her family she acts more like them. Likewise, the two families act differently

when they are around each other, versus when they are alone. The difference of behavior can be

explained by our text, “the family’s behavior cannot be predicted from knowing only the
individual persons… conversely it is difficult to predict the behavior of the individual by

knowing the family as a whole” (Olson, et al,. 2019)

Interdependence 

                       The concept of interdependence simply means that each family member is

interconnected, if something happens to one family member it subsequently affects everyone.

This can be applied in Jason and Sabrina’s relationship, for example when Jason’s mother

reveals that Sabrina’s parents are not her biological parents it sets off a chain reaction: Jason and

his mother are now in discord, the wedding almost gets called off, and much more.

Boundaries 

            The concept of boundaries is the idea that systems are both connected and separated from

one another. In a family, there is a boundary between parents and children. In regards to the

movie, there is a boundary between parents and children, but they are very weak boundaries.

Throughout the movie, the parents on both sides, constantly involve themselves in their

children’s relationship, whether if it’s by inquiring about their sex lives or divulging the couple's

personal information to the rest of the family. 

Roles 

                  A role is the expected behavior of a person or group in a social category. For

example, a young man can be a student, a son, and a writer. A person learns their role in society

by practicing and getting feedback from other people. (Olson et al., 2019) In this movie, Sabrina

plays a variety of different roles. She is a fiancée, daughter, friend, ect. Sabrina like all of us has

learned how to play these roles, she has learned how to be a companion from watching her

mother and others around her. Jason is a fiancée, son, and friend ect. In this film, they go through

a process called role making, where new roles will be created. After they are married they take
new roles as husband and wife, and will have to change how the way they interact with each

other. 

Hierarchy 

                       Hierarchy is the notion of interconnected systems, with some parts of the system

being higher or lower than others. For example, the family would be a larger system, and the

smaller systems underneath the family would be the couple, then the individual. In this movie,

there is a nuclear family and the couple is the system. The hierarchy would consist of the

extended family, each couple's family, and then the couple themselves. 

Relationship Status

           The relationship status of Sabrina and Jason at the beginning of the movie are single,

engaged, and by the end of the movie, they are married. Their relationship dynamic and how

they interact with each other drastically changes through each stage of their relationship. When

they are single at the start of the movie, they are nonchalant when it pertains to each other’s

emotions. They are flirty, but asocial to each other. As the movie progresses after the

engagement their relationship drastically changes, they are closer and disclose more things to one

another. Although they are closer, they have more conflict between each other. This may be

because they have become more vocal with their true feelings and because of that they encounter

conflict more often. Once they are married, the relationship changes once again, and their

relationship becomes more intimate and they encounter less conflict as they learn to

communicate more effectively. 

Communication Styles

            Communication is vital in an intimate relationship. Studies show that marriage

satisfaction is heavily determined by how well couples feel they communicate. (Olson et al.,
2008) Good communication between couples consists of factors that include, understanding,

active listening, and expressing true feelings. There are cultural and gender differences in how

people communicate. Axtell (2007) states that in Western cultures direct eye contact is important

as it is a sign of respect, the importance of eye contact when communication is demonstrated

throughout this movie. According to Wood (2009), women tend to view communication as a way

to build and sustain relationships, while men typically view communication as a way to settle a

problem, or develop a plan. In this film, it is evident that there is truth behind gender differences

in communication. Sabrina, as well as other female characters in the movie, tend to communicate

to express their feelings; good or bad. For example, when Jason’s mother and her friend often

communicate their feelings to one another, to sustain their relationship. While Jason and the men

in this film divulge their feeling less than the women in the film, and it is usually to solve a

problem. For instance, in this movie, Jason often steps in to solve the problems caused by his

mother.

Stressors and Strengths

           Many stressors can arise in a relationship, stressors can include, job, income, feeling

emotional upset, and even your partner can be a stressor in a relationship. The main stressors in

Jason and Sabrina’s relationship are conflict between their family, and conflict between each

other. The root of these stressors can be attributed to their inefficient communication, Sabrina

tends to run away whenever conflict arises and Jason always has to find her and solve their

issues. Although, their relationship had many stressors they had more strengths. Their

commitment to each other and their value, in God and family, are their biggest strengths. In

times of trouble, they both turn to God for guidance. Also, both Sabrina and Jason are deeply

rooted in their family values, and they both strive to please their family. Although they face
many challenges through the course of this movie, they overcome each obstacle with

communication, and they found a communication style that suits both of them. In our text,

Reuben Hill (2016) states that relationships are like a roller coaster with many ups, downs, and

adjustments. The roller coaster analogy directly applies to Jason and Sabrina’s relationship as

they adjust to life with each other, but by the end of the film, once they have resolved their issues

at their low points, they came out stronger when they reach their high point once again. 
 References

Akil, S. (Director), Jakes, T. D., Wallace, C., Edmonds, T. E., Hunter, E., & Mahoney, M.

(Producers), & Hunter, E., & Gibbs, A. (Writers). (2011). Jumping the broom [Motion

picture]. United States: TriStar Pictures.

Olson, D. H., DeFrain, J., & Skogrand, L. (2019). Marriages and families: Intimacy, diversity

and strengths  (9th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.