NU 646: Family Systems Project
Analysis Paper on Family Genograms
Dad’s family Mum’s Family
Introduction
The emphasis of this paper will be on a personal genogram. Parents pass on a bit of themselves to the next generation. Things handed down can be attractive or essential, such as stories, culture, knowledge, and possessions. They can also be minor, like green eyes and ear lobes inherited from one’s grandpa. In other instances, more sinister tendencies are passed down from one generation to the other (Corey, 2022, p. 1). There is occasionally a hereditary susceptibility to addiction, such as alcoholism or depression. Other times, harmful habits of thinking and behavior are socially transmitted. We may explore these patterns using genograms. Genograms can bring out a family’s strengths and faults to light. Genograms lay the groundwork for developing generational strengths and overcoming generational flaws.
Therefore, a personal genogram will allow me to tell my family’s history and stories. In our modern world, Genograms are used in marital and counseling programs to assist therapists in determining a family’s history and understanding where a family’s problem originated. This strategy helps achieve patterns and displays information about the impacts of actions and the extent of the relationship, all of which aid in understanding an individual more (Corey, 2022, p. 1).
Families are incredibly complicated and explaining some actions without a thorough grasp of how individuals and families work can be challenging. Genograms usually describe present and previous behavior patterns and interactions spanning at least three or more generations (McGoldrick & Hardy, 2019, p. 3). Symbols have been created to describe further a family’s culture and emotional relationships, ethnicity, financial position, mental illness, and behavioral tendencies. According to scholars such as Coupland, Serovich, and Glenn, genograms are useful during marital and therapy sessions.
It was instantly apparent while developing the genogram which branch of the family had more recurrent habits than the other. My father was born in America, and he and his siblings constitute the country’s first dynasty. His parents are European immigrants. My mother is of Spanish descent, meaning my maternal grandparents were both born in Spain. The two sides of my family identify themselves as catholic followers (McGoldrick & Hardy, 2019, p. 3). However, on this issue, my mother had a more substantial faith commitment to their religion than my father’s side., every Sunday, she and her family went to the Catholic church for Catholic teaching and attended Catholic schools. My father and his family were also churchgoers and received their communion, but as time progressed, they discontinued their relations with their religion.
This assignment required a thorough examination of a three-generational genogram. I’d created a genogram that included my grandparents, parents, and siblings. Looking through the genogram from my father’s side, I made an astounding finding. My father was one of three males in his family, and by analyzing each of his family members’ behavior (Schroder, 2015, p. 45). They have all struggled with alcoholism. For instance, my grandfather, who is still alive, has been in sobriety for close to 35 years, and my grandmother, who died three years ago, had been clean for 32 years alongside her husband.
My eldest uncle died before I was born, but he perished in a horrific vehicle accident and was an alcoholic. My father remains clean to this day, despite having relapsed and struggled with alcoholism following the death of his eldest sibling. Uncle John has deteriorated since my grandmother’s death, but we’re not sure if he’s recovered. A few months ago, my grandmother reported that Uncle John had tried committing suicide and had been placed under suicide watch.
According to my parents, my grandparents have had a very successful marriage and never considered divorce at any point in their lives. Apart from the usual couple flurries, the two had conquered various challenges together. They include the loss of their eldest son to a road accident, the weight of alcoholism, and the fact that most of their children had alcohol addictions. My grandparents had prosperous jobs. My grandpa, for instance, worked as chief in one of the local restaurants, and my grandmother worked very hard as a nurse at a nearby hospital. My uncle and auntie’s divorce occurred just months before he died. Except for my youngest uncle and grandmother, everyone on my father’s side of the family is emotionally detached.
From a very strict Catholic household, my mother had some fascinating discoveries in her family line. When my mother was a young girl, her father was entirely cut off owing to his infatuation with another woman, alcoholism, and brutal mistreatment of his young family. My grandmother separated from him in the late 1970s, leaving her to bring up her two daughters alone. This, I feel, has demonstrated her to be a highly emotionally independent, powerful woman, particularly at the period of My mother was forced to marry at a very young age, which resulted in divorce. Soon after, she married my father and had two children with him. My mother’s side of the family remained incredibly close when my grandma was alive. My mother and aunt are still in touch regularly.
Looking at my Dad side of the family, it is evident that they grew up in an emotionally isolated family, which continued into adulthood. My mother’s side was lucky to be free of alcoholism. I feel that I will reconsider my prescription and social activity choices frequently because I am aware that alcoholism runs in my family and that I am not immune to it. Except for my two siblings, all my close relatives had decent careers that needed a higher degree.
Family systems theories support the dynamics of the genogram.
The Family Ethno culture
The notion of family ethnocultural represents how various qualities appear in a particular household. According to scholars, when a family is assessed, the idea of family ethno-culture elaborates the tendencies in the family (Schroder, 2015, p. 45). Intermarriages, marriage life, parent-child interactions, child association, and attachments are all patterns. In addition, family ethnocultural may refer to the family’s ethnicity, origin, faith, and sexual initiation.
For instance, looking at the three-generation family genogram, specific ethnocultural characteristics stand out. For example, my dad and Mum were of different races yet went ahead and married one another. Tracing these characteristics into my family is that my paternal grandparents are white Europeans from Europe and my maternal are of Spanish descent, originally from Spain (Haefner, 2014, p. 840). Ethnocultural factors determine the source of components that may be predominant in a specific family. For example, a preference for distinct cultural origins would have come from the lifestyle differences between my mother’s and father’s sides of the family.
An excellent example of this is the alcohol culture that is quite widespread in European culture, which may have had a significant impact on my father’s side of the family’s drunken behavior (Joyce, 2012, p. 258). The culture of European Americans differs significantly from that of the Spanish. My family’s ethnocultural practice stems from cultural distinctions amongst ethnic groups.
Maslow’s hierarchy theory of needs
The usage of alcohol in my father’s family was something I found intriguing in this study. I assumed it was a natural element before the genogram until I began detecting patterns of emotional separation through the whole family (Hamon & Smith, 2016, p. 5). Among Maslow’s most important wants are feelings of love and belonging. According to Maslow’s hierarchy of requirements, human motivation may be divided into many levels. According to the theory, people are compelled to fulfil their desires in sequential order.
Starting with the most basic requirements, we work our way up to more complicated ones. The five phases of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs are outlined here. They vary from the most fundamental to the most complex. Initially, Maslow believed that a person had to accomplish one level before progressing to the next (Haefner, 2014, p. 836). According to a newer perspective, these levels are interconnected. A person’s motivation increases as they advance through the stages, and these levels become more important. They’ll still go after lower-level employees but do it with less vigor since they’re more focused on the top.
My father’s side of the family lacked a sense of belonging and affection, which was the most appropriate requirement in this circumstance. According to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, the third most crucial need is the desire to feel loved and included. Humans are social creatures that need a sense of belonging to a group. At this rung of the social order, people’s longings for companionship, intimacy, and love may be seen (Hamon & Smith, 2016, p. 1). To belong to a group, people need to offer and receive love. Those who are deprived of these necessities may feel alone or depressed. If a person does not feel loved or has a feeling of belonging and comes from a family history of addiction, the chances of slipping into the trap of addiction are great (Haefner, 2014, p. 835). My uncles, like their parents, had self-diagnosed with alcohol as a result of a lack of parental warmth and affection. I find it amazing that despite the enormous loss my uncle caused my father’s family, the family showed tenacity in remaining clean, and my grandfather’s relationship did not crumble (Corey, 2022, p. 1).
To add to this is the theory of emotional cut-off. This theory elaborates on how people deal with emotional and contentious difficulties within a family lineage, such as between parents, uncles, siblings, aunties, and other relatives. My father’s side of the family has had an emotional schism since they were tiny children. According to the notion of emotional cut-off, unresolved emotional difficulties are supposed to lead to psychological disorders such as despair and stress, which can lead to alcoholism in a family (Corey, 2022, p. 11). Because solid links between family systems need each member to work in a certain way, disengagement influences family functioning. It also discusses the history of genetic interaction resulting from the tangled root system.
My family’s genogram assisted in narrating a larger picture of emotional suffering, alcoholism, and perseverance. I unearth exciting information about my family, particularly alcoholism in men and emotional strength and economic security in women in our family. The genogram also made me realize how important it is to be aware of the force of addiction while being committed to my objectives and dreams (Joyce, 2012, p. 258). In that, I have to keep off excess drinking, or else I might find myself in the deep hole of alcoholism like my uncles and grandfather.
References
Corey, G. (2022). Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy, 9th Edition (9e Ed.). Cengage Learning
Haefner, J. (2014). An Application of Bowen Family Systems Theory. Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 35(11), 835–841. https://doi.org/10.3109/01612840.2014.921257
Hamon, R., & Smith, S. (2016). Exploring family theories. Oxford University Press.
Joyce, M. (2012). Bringing Systems Thinking to Life-Expanding the Horizons for Bowen Family Systems Theory Eds. Bregman & White, Pub. Routledge, N.Y., 2011 Soft Cover, 392 pages. ISBN-13: 978–0415800464. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy, 33(03), 258–260. https://doi.org/10.1017/aft.2012.31
McGoldrick, M., & Hardy, K. V. (Eds.). (2019). Re-visioning family therapy. Guilford Publications.
Schroder, D. (2015). Exploring and Developing the Use of Art-based Genograms in Family of Origin Therapy: Sharing the Potential for Understanding and Healing Through the Art Process. Charles C Thomas Publisher.
NU 646: Family Systems Project
Instructions
The Family Systems Assignment
Review the following resources before beginning the assignment:
For this assignment:
- Create a family genogram (three generations), including:
- All the members of your family, identifying significant alliances among the various members.
- The relationship you had as a child with each person.
- Your relationship with each member now.
- Cite and discuss at least two family systems theories to support the dynamics of the family genogram.
- Ensure the genogram is neatly diagrammed and labeled.
- See Family Therapy applied to the Case of Stan, Corey 9th ed., p p. 452–455, (7th ed., pp. 435–438) for an explanation of diagrammatic legends
A. Genogram: Provide a three-generation genogram of your family of origin ( with a copy of your paper), based on McGoldrick et al. (2008) (PDF) guidelines. ALSO, incorporate aspects of the Cultural Genogram (Hardy & Lasloffy, 1995)(PDF) by color-coding specific ethnic/cultural factors noted in your family. Cultural aspects can also be provided on a separate genogram, if you prefer.
B. In a separate document, provide a brief description of significant relationships and patterns among family members noted on your g enogram. ALSO, describe some of the connections you have made of patterns noted in your family of origin (as depicted on your g enogram) and your current significant relationships and behaviors with others. For example, are there patterns you observe in your current relationships that are connected to the background/context presented in your genogram?
C. Given some of the relational patterns, events, stressors, and descriptors noted in your genogram, please describe any potential “blinders” or “blind spots” that may get in the way of your practice with clients. In other words, are there certain issues (healthy or unhealthy, resolved or unresolved, functional or dysfunctional) that would impact your work with clients in ways that you need to be aware of?
D. No family is perfect or problem-free. All families struggle with issues, concerns, and transitions through time. Given what you have presented in your genogram and how you have described your family, discuss one area of concern that could be (or could have been) addressed in therapy. How would a Bowenian Natural Family Systems therapist go about addressing this issue in therapy? Make use of theoretical principles and interventions consistent with transgenerational thinking and practice.
E. Now that you have a broader understanding of your family by way of your genogram and your place within it, do you see yourself doing anything differently in relation to one or more members in your family? Would you like to interact differently or change your behavior in any way? What impact might this change in your behavior have on your family system?
NOTE: It is important to undertake this assignment with a degree of openness to learning about the subject matter and about yourself as a person in context. This paper will be graded on your degree of openness to learning about yourself in relation to your family, the accuracy of course concepts used in your genogram and paper, writing style, and systemic orientation. The instructor will be the only one to read your paper, and its contents will be held in strict confidence.
The attached Grading Rubric will be used to assess this assignment. Your paper should be with appropriate grammar and spelling, and cited in APA format and be completed in a Word document.
