Family Genogram Analysis

“In every conceivable manner, the family is link to our past, and bridge to our future” (Haley*). In the genogram presented, I was able to identify many characteristics, traits, behaviors, individual psychological features and even secrets about my family. My genogram is composed of 4 generations, beginning with grandparents from both sides, the middle sections of the genogram include my mother and father’s brothers and sisters, the second to last layer is their children, which is me and my cousins, and ending the genogram are the newborn babies that my cousins Talibah Alfred, and Mashay Hackshaw will be having February 2017 . To commence, in the beginning stages of initiating my genogram I started with individual conversations with

There are plenty family issues, and two major family secrets, and I also observed deeper conflicts. In order to truly analyze individual communication styles, I first went to the basic of what communication means to individuals. Communication is an interactive process, using symbols like words, and gestures to send and receive messages(Seccombe). In communication, each person brings to the process his/her own life history, assumptions, and interpretations(Seccombe). Once I understood this important information, because of the majority of my mother’s family being from the Caribbean, there is a cultural difference in communication style with my father’s American side of the family causing the two families to not interact as heavily. Family issues, such as my mother not speaking to my father’s side of the family are rarely addressed and avoided. The Passive- Aggressive communication style, or the style in which people seem to be passive but are actually acting out of their anger in indirect behind the scenes, is most common among the older generations. There are presences of family secrets that the family has one in which my granduncle Tony Hackshaw committed suicide but based on lack of communication, other family members believe that Great-Uncle Tony was murdered because he disagreed with the views of other family members. In efforts of trying to reveal the truth, I questioned but my Tanty Norma’s lips were seal as tight as an oyster shell protecting its pearl. Both families on my mother’s side and fathers side don’t share much, because what happens is they believe that sharing your weakness or vulnerabilities with your family is a sign of overall weakness as an individual. There are a couple of patterns of conflict and negative communication pattern, I observed that my mother had a very distant hostile relationship with her biological