The occupational hazard involved in this line of work can affect relationships and the values each member upholds. Having someone in the family serve in the military often introduces stressors, priorities, perspectives, and culture unique to them. Genograms can also help understand how socio-economic, environmental, and political factors influence family functions and development. Researchers in behavioral studies can use genograms to spot recurring patterns and correlated elements on how individuals from different generations behave. Genograms are often used by professionals for the following purposes: For one, it can invite people to share their perception of their identity in terms of gender, culture, race, and ethnicity, helping social workers understand more about their subject. This tool makes it easier for professionals to identify where issues and concerns come from within the family.Ī genogram is also a very helpful tool in the realm of social work. Genograms help depict the key people in an individual’s life and their relationship with them. People in the field of family therapy, medicine, genetic research, social work, and education use genograms to better understand the family dynamics that affect the actions and behaviors of each entity in the multi-generational diagram. But after mending the relationship, fewer curvy lines and color appear on their genogram. Genograms of families on the brink of breaking off are usually made of squiggly lines as if a child got hold of a pen for the first time.

As they’re designed to describe the current relationship of a member with the rest of the family, they really tend to change after a year or two. Genograms don’t usually look the same for prolonged periods.

They’re connected using lines which help describe the kind of relationship they have with the other entities. Using this system, individuals can be described in the context of their whole family including parents, siblings, parents, grandparents, and spouses.Įach individual in the genogram is represented by a symbol. It was explained in detail in the book they released in 1985. Genograms were developed by Randy Gerson and Monica McGoldrick for their studies in family therapy and clinical psychology. It can span from two to three generations or more, depending on how much information you can gather about your whole family. One member of the family to another, whether it’s by blood,īy marriage, by kinship, or by adoption What is a Genogram?Ī genogram is an expanded version of the family tree which includes behavioral patterns, descriptions on the quality of relationships, individual traits, historical facts, and other family dynamics.

What is a genogram in social work