Students will construct a Genogram of their family, and write a 3 page reflection paper on what they learned from this exercise.

A Genogram is a graphical representation of several generations of a family that presents detailed information on relationships among individuals.  A Genogram includes basic family information, including names of family members, gender, year of birth, year of death.  It also includes nature of family relationships, emotional relationships, and social relationships.  It is a way of mapping family patterns and relationships across at least three generations.  A Genogram creates a visual demonstrating the nature and degree of intensity of the emotional responses that are passed down from generation to generation. 

Begin by writing down what you know about your family and those relationships.  Then interview five members of your family, including at least two members of your extended family.  Ask questions about family relationships and significant events. Be mindful that these discussions may be difficult for some family members.  Your conversations with family are designed to help you understand how family members relate to each other.  Information gathered should include, but is not limited to:

Names, ages (or year of death is deceased), of family members in each generation, including parents, step-parents, significant others, siblings, step-siblings, etc.

What are (or were) relationships like between different family members (emotional relationships)?

Use standard genogram symbols to represent family members & their relationships, both normal and dysfunctional. 

Once youve made your genogram, write a 3 page reflection paper.  This paper should include (but is not limited to):

What was your experience like in interviewing family members?

As you look carefully at your Genogram, what patterns can be identified?

Describe those patterns, and whether they represent strengths, resiliencies, or dysfunctional patterns.

It is said that Genograms are a way of looking backward in order to make sense of the current so that one can have choices about what is passed on to the future.  Describe how this applies to you and what you discovered through this process.