PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT WEEK 11

FAMILY STRUCTURES AND LEGACIES

FAMILY STRUCTURES
The simplest definition of what a family is according to Merriam Webster Online Dictionary is “a
group of individual living under one roof and usually under one head,” which may also be the
definition of what a household is, From a sociological point of view, Filipino sociologist Belen T.
G. Medina, PhD(Medina 2001) defined family “two or more persons who share resources, share
responsibility for decisions, share values and goals , and have commitment to each other over
time.” (Gregorio Alfonsin C. Andoyo, The filipino family and filipino Values.)

SEVERAL VARIATIONS OF THE FAMILY

STRUCTURE

1. The Nuclear or traditional family is comprised of a

father, a mother, and their offspring/s. Usually, the father
in the traditional family plays the role of the breadwinner
while the mother stays at home to manage the house and
the children.
2. Single Parent maybe supported by relatives or hired
caregivers to take care of the growing children,
3. Extended Family is the nuclear family plus the parents of either the husband or the wife, or
both their parents, depending on their arrangements they make.
4. Childless family is just the couple without any child or children, and who may be living all by
themselves.

INFLUENCE OF FAMILY STRUCTURE ON THE ADOLESCENT

FAMILY is considered the first place where growing children learn their basic social skills.the
interaction and quality of relationship between parent and child are said to determine and the
childs future relationshipsas he or she matures toward adulthood (Papalia and Feldan 2012;
quoting Overbeek, Stattin, vermulst, Ha, and engels 2007).
Family influence may vary based on the family structure present in the home. For the Nuclear
Family, the values, social skills, and behavior are directly learned from the parents. These are
expressed in their unique parenting styles, the nature of parental authority they practice and
the general atmosphere at home. For a single parent family, the absence of one parent may
create an impact on the growing child who would normally look up to authority as role models.
Extended families have positive and negative influences on the child.

PARENTAL AUTHORITATIVE AND PARENTING STYLES

AUTHORITATIVE PARENTING is a key factor in the

psychosocial development of an adolescent , and it is
believed to foster a healthy and positive impact on the
adolescent’s development(Papalia and Feldman 2012;
quoting Baumrind 1991, 2005). Authoritative Parents are
those who insist on their child learning important values,
norms, and rules, but are also willing to sit do and listen
and negotiate with them should they resist (Papalia and
Feldman 2012)

Authoritative parenting is about exercising control over a child’s behavior but not the child’s
emotions, beliefs, and self-concept. This psychological control imposed by a parent on a child
through emotional manipulations or the withdrawal of love and caring can harm the child’s
psychosocial development and mental health. (Papalia and Feldman 2012; quoting steinberg
and Darling 1994)
Albert Bandura’ theory of social learning hinges in three concepts: Learning takes place through
observation (or modeling);mental states are important to learning which means that a child’s
learning can be self- reinforced or rewarded if there is a satisfaction or pride in what was
learned; and Not all learning can lead to changes in behavior
Parents can serve as the models their adolescents can emulate while supporting their
development toward young adulthood. For example, parenting styles that allow meaningful
dialogs to happen between parent and adolescent encourages self-disclosure for the
adolescent, which may result in learning about intimacy and trust.

FAMILY HEREDITY
There are some characteristics that are influenced by heredity , and even by the environment.
One of them is obesity or leanness. Where the predisposition toward one or the another is
found often throughout the generations from either side of the family.
Hereditary or genetic influence and environmental influence are factors in the personal
development of children. Aside from physical characteristics that are often passed down from
one generation to the next, some personality traits are likewise passed down from generation
to the next , some personality traits are likewise passed on , such as temperament and
intelligence.

GENOGRAM
A Genogram is a graphical map of a family’s history that traces and illustrates patterns in
structures and characteristics using special symbols to describe relationships, major events,
diseases, traditions, social and personal beliefs and rituals, cultural heritage, religious beliefs,
value systems, philosophies about life, and the dynamic of a family over several generations.
How to make a genogram
Here are the steps in creating your family genogram.
Remember that making a genogram can be fun, or it can be something serious too.

Step 1: Ask yourself this first question : What is my purpose of creating a genogram?
if this is clear with you, then you can start creating a list of persons in your family
that

Will be part of the genogram. You may also start collecting relevant in formation
that
Are easily accessible to you like your parents , siblings, close relatives, and
friends.
to serve as an example , let us trace that the height of characteristics of your
family.
determine how to categorize heights , like 4.9 inches and below may be
categorized as
SHORT,5.0 MEDIUM, and 5,7 INCHES and up as tall.

step 2: Next decision that ou have to make is to determine the number of generations
you
You would like to be represented in your genogram. In our example, let us trace
up to
 your maternal and paternal grand parents generation,So now list down all the
persons
who will form your genogram:

1.Grandparents on your mother side

2. Grandparents on your father side
3. Your Parents
4.your parents siblings
5. Your first cousins

STEP 3: You may start your research by asking your parents and grandparents
if they are still living where they took after with their heights

STEP 4: Now you can design your genogram. There are plenty of genogram templates
available online, or you want to do the diagram free hand. If you are using
free hand, there are diagrams you need to use that will represent different
things

Here are some examples of these symbols.

1. Males are represented by a square. If you wish to indicate a marriage
place the squares symbol to the left side. Women are represented by
a circle. If this female is married to male you first represented,
place the circle to the right side of the square.

2. the oldest child is usually placed below and to the left of his or her
family. The oungest, on the other hand, is placed below to the right
side.
 Step 5: connect the symbols with lines. Using the illustration given, you may now
connect
the different symbols you used . Single lines indicate unions or marriages.
Double lines
will indicate separation or divorce.

Step 6: use representative symbols for the different height categories you made. Here is
a
simple representation of these height categories:
a. S- for short
b. M-for medium
c. T- for tall

Step 7: Look at your chart and and identify if there are patterns . Find out if these are
consistent. If not, you might have missed some information regarding a person
or a family. Patterns are helpful in explaining the height differences in your
family.
Here are some helpful tips in making your genogram:

 Remember that there are some people, even if they are your relatives, who may be
sensitive about a certain physical trait, like height. Approach your research by asking
questions with sensitivity.
 Clarify with your family members that genogram that you are making is to help you
understand certain family traits , characteristics, events, marital situations, diseases,
other sensitive topics and explain to them that you are not judging them about the
situations.
 Consider talking to a professional when making a genogram on hereditary problems, for
example.
 Be careful with you conclusions after you have done your genogram. These might offend
some relatives.
Keep your genogram hidden and shown to only a few selected group of relatives
if the conclusions are sensitive or even confidential.