Genograms and African American Families: Employing Family Strengths of Spirituality, Religion, and Extended Family Network

Abstract

The genogram is a valuable assessment tool used by social workers, therapists, counselors, and practitioners (Hartman & Laird, 1983; Hartman, 1995; McGoldrick & Gerson, 1985). Diagrammatically, the genogram is an intergenerational map of three or more generations of a family and a primary assessment tool that focuses on intergenerational patterns and relationships among family members (Goldenberg & Goldenberg, 2000; Hartman, 1995; McGoldrick, Gerson, & Shellenberger, 1999). It represents a large quantity of complex family information (Stanion & Papadopoulos, 1997) and can effectively illustrate family data, family history, family systems, and intergenerational transmission (Hardy & Laszloffy, 1995; Hartman & Laird, 1983; Kilpatrick & Holland, 2003; McGoldrick, Gerson, & Shellenberger, 1999). The genogram can be especially useful when working with diverse cultural groups--especially African American families--to promote cultural knowledge (Bean, Perry, & Bedell, 2002; Thomas, 1998).With families from diverse backgrounds, practitioners must be culturally competent to avoid culturally oppressive practices with clients (Chin, De La Cancela, & Jenkins, 1993; Montague, 1996; Sue & Sue, 1990). Effective practice with African American families requires understanding family strengths, resources, and dimensions of African American past and present family life. Such a perspective also involves the ability of practitioners to recognize and employ resources and strengths of African American families.This article describes and promotes the use of the family genogram with African American families as a means of adapting identified family strengths and family resources of spirituality, religion, and extended family networks. They are identified as some of the major strengths of African American families (Billingsley, 1992, 1999; Hill, 1997; Hines & Boyd-Franklin, 1996; Pipes, 1997). These family strengths have been applied to a Family Integrated Genogram (FIG) as an effective approach for understanding African American families.Review of LiteratureGenogramsA genogram is a graphic representation of family members and their relationships over at least three generations. As a visual assessment tool, the genogram can be used to trace family influences in various contexts as well as in the broader system (McGoldrick & Gerson, 1985). Genograms have been used to help practitioners understand the family context, to trace behavior and problems of family members, and to identify patterns and issues within families. While understanding dysfunctional patterns is essential to treatment, identifying strengths is also the foundation that directs intervention. Genograms present a mechanism of identifying strengths and resources of individuals and families within a life cycle framework.Genograms provide an exceptional mechanism to encourage insight and awareness by focusing on strengths, beliefs, and traditions in families. For example, genograms often provide a useful means of exploring religious and spiritual issues and their impact on clients' lives. Spiritually focused genograms have been suggested as an effective means for tapping the spiritual resources of families as well as cultural factors in the context of family dynamics (Dunn & Dawes, 1999; Hodge, 2001). For example, Dunn and Dawes (1999) have illustrated how spiritual genograms with African American families are used to provide graphic representation of complex expressions of spirituality over three generations for assessment and intervention. A spiritually focused genogram allows therapists to understand clients' worldviews and the meaning they make of the world from a spiritual perspective. It also provides an excellent tool for exploring dimensions of human experiences and the spiritual dimensions of those experiences intergenerationally.Genograms have been used successfully in assessment, counseling, marriage and family therapy, college teaching, and as mechanisms for increasing awareness in individuals and families concerning family history and family events. …