The way a person’s background and relationships shape their identity can tell or determine how he/she interacts with the world in general via his perceptions and actions. There are difficulties and complexity of these relationships that sometimes discourage from analyzing them; however, one glimpses into the dynamics is something incredibly rich since it provides significant personal growth. This reflective paper reveals great knowledge that I have acquired from crafting my genogram and better critical thinking abilities.
Family Genograms Construction and Illustration
Tracing, constructing and illustrating my family genogram enabled me to trace at least three generations in our families history that emerged with repeated or patterned outcomes. This process reveals not only the facts regarding our family structures and demography but also sheds a light on interactions, relationship structure, emotional patterns (Storlie et al., 2018). One significant discovery is the sustained resilience and academic success through generations for which I take pride in my ancestry. Nevertheless, I witnessed a challenge of progress towards the more gender-equal conceptions that stimulated me to doubt stereotypical mindsets and evaluate alternative arguments with caution.
Another application of genogram that is highlighted by Shi et al. (2021) refers to the use of this tool for understanding how parents who are making decisions regarding children undergoing HSCT see and define events happening around them. In this qualitative study, seven pairs of parents completed genograms and were involved in semi-structured interviews. Secondly, two related donor interviews reveal the process of choice-making regarding conducting bone marrow transplantation on their son. Shown genograms were family members, relationships, and conflicts that arose due to these medical selections. The analysis revealed two main themes: motivations for transplantation choices and tensions within the process. These results also reveal the complex dynamics between motives and disagreements in families that face crucial medical decisions. My entire family genogram creation and interpretation has practically deepened my understanding of dynamics as well as the cultural influence of families. It has also encouraged me to analyze the impact that gender stereotypes have had on my career objectives. Such individual development has made me more aware of the aspects that are informed by familial relations and cultural heritage in a person’s choice, reinforcing an opportunity to find oneself en route into one future or another.
Implications in Assessment and Critical Thinking
Information acquired through the family genogram has been beneficial in my understanding of how families are related and patterns that contribute to our health as well as functionality. This image presented by Storlie et al. (2018) highlights parental influence on career decisions and broader family dynamics, showing how my familial values have influenced both myself and family members’ desired careers they wanted me to pursue in life through the example of these two siblings who are at crossroads with regards to choosing which pathway should be taken under the guidance or influence from parents.
Aside from studying family dynamics, the construction and analysis of a genogram have improved my critical thinking skills. As Alexander et al. (2018) asserts, genograms provide high-quality qualitative data and work to benefit participants therapeutically. It matches my life, as the mere reflective process of reconstructing a family history has produced more effective self-reflection and consciousness about identity topics and communication. Furthermore, Shi et al. (2021) highlight the importance of genograms in understanding decisional processes among families facing medical challenges which sounds familiar to me as I am recognizing the applicability of such insights not only in my family’s health patterns but also in their implications concerning our healthcare choices. Overall, the family genogram has been an important resource to assessing interpersonal relationships within a family unit and understanding multigenerational factors and influence on future generations as well as becoming more critical in thought. It has offered a better understanding of my family background and dynamics, contributing to both personal and professional growth.
Conclusion
The making and analysis of my family genogram have been enlightening, revealing aspects of the dynamics in my household that caused well-thought reflections regarding how gender roles have traditionally affected my career aspirations. This encounter has developed my understanding of the family patterns and cultural norms that inform personal choices, resulting in a wider perspective as I prepare for the future. The genogram has not only provided valuable insights into my family’s behavior but also developed skills in critical thinking, which has contributed to my personal and professional growth.
References
Alexander, J. H., Callaghan, J. E. M., & Fellin, L. C. (2018). Genograms in research: participants’ reflections of the genogram process. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 19(1), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1080/14780887.2018.1545066
Shi, Y., Zhao, X., & Wang, Y. (2022). Exploring parents’ experience in the decision-making process for children with hematological diseases receiving hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in China based on genograms. Journal of Pediatric Nursing, 63, e18–e26. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pedn.2021.11.005
Storlie, C. A., Lara Hilton, T. M., McKinney, R., & Unger, D. (2018). Family career genograms: Beginning life design with exploratory students. The Family Journal, 27(1), 84–91. https://doi.org/10.1177/1066480718819866
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