CHFD445 Week 2 Discussion

Assessment of Family Interaction. Use your family or select a family to interview and complete a family interaction assessment. A Family Interaction Assessment is included below.

For this week’s discussion:

 After completing the assessment write an analysis based on the responses provided. Ensure that you address the following in your response for this week:

Give a brief overview of your results from the assessment.

1. What strengths do you see for this family?
2. What are three positive things this family does to interact with each other.
3. Are there any noted areas of conflict within this family?
4. In terms of fostering positive interactions within the family, are there any areas for needed change?

Family Interaction Assessment

These questions address different aspects of the family process. You will need to respond to at least 15 of these questions.

       ________ When there is a birth or adoption, how do members of the family react?

• ________ When someone has died, how have members of the family reacted?
• ________ If a family member left the family in another way, what was the response of family members?
• ________ What types of jobs do family members choose? Do you see any patterns in this?
• ________ Do you see differences in expectations for family members, based on gender?
• ________ Do you see differences in expectations for family members, based on age?
• ________ Do you see differences in expectations for family members, based on roles?
• ________ Do you see differences in expectations for family members, based on birth order?
• ________ How do/did family members get along? Did/Do some family members get along better than others?
• ________ Is anyone in the family particularly helpful or unhelpful to others? (i.e., Who did/do people turn to for help? Who do/did they know not even bother asking?)
• ________ Are/were there any special talents that anyone has/had in the family?
• ________ Is/was anyone expected to be especially good or bad at anything?
• ________ How did/do family members spend their leisure time? Together? Apart?
• ________ Did/do family members behave differently outside the family? How?
• ________ What is/was the effect of sibling position in the family (e.g., oldest, youngest, middle)?
• ________ What were/are sibling relationships like?
• ________ When a crisis hits, how do family members react? Do you see the response or helpful or hurtful for the family?
• ________ When there was a special success or triumph in the family, how did family members react?
• ________ Are/were family members active in religious or community organizations?
• ________ What is/was the religious and/or spiritual climate of the home?
• ________ Were/are there any family themes you can identify (e.g., "We are a strong family." "Members of this family are honest, even if it hurts.")?
• ________ What do you see as the source of the values in your family?
• ________ What coincidences do you see in the family (e.g., most of the children in this family are born near a Friday the 13th and if they are born on Friday the 13th, they are always boys--an actual coincidence from a student's genogram). Or perhaps you don't see these as coincidences--if this is so, explain.
• ________ How were family members affected by major historical events (e.g., the war in Vietnam, the civil rights movement of the 50's and 60's)?
• ________ Where do you see alliances in the family? What contributed to these alliances?
• ________ What relationships do you see as conflictual? Why do you think they were this way?
• ________ What relationships do you see as cooperative? Why do you think they were this way?
• ________ How were family members characterized (e.g., favorite child, leader, follower, peacemaker, troublemaker, etc.). Why was/is this so?
• ________ Was there any particular moment in the life of a family member when he/she had a dramatic change in how he/she viewed the family?
• ________ Is there a particular aspect of your family that you see as healthy? Explain?