For this assignment, choose a family subsystem (see examples below) from the extended family depicted in the movie Parenthood, and create a three-generation genogram for the extended family.
Possible Systems
You could choose a cohabiting family as a whole, such as Helen, her children, and Tod; or a system such as Frank, Marilyn, Larry, and Cool. You could also select a more traditional cohabiting family unit such as Gil, Karen and their children. If you are up to the challenge, you are also welcome to assess some less obvious inter-generational or inter-familial subsystems, such as: Gil and his brother Larry; Gil and his father; Gil, Larry, and their father; Gil, his siblings, and their parents; Frank, Larry, and Cool; Marilyn, Helen, and Julie; and so on. As you may discover, a thorough analysis of any conglomeration will have some degree of overlap with other familial systems as other relationships and patterns in the extended family may need to be analyzed to understand the dynamics occurring within the relationships in focus.
Write a 6–8 page paper discussing the family subsystem you have chosen in the context of their extended inter-generational family. You may want to begin by engaging similar concepts and analyses that you carried out in your Unit 4 discussion posts and peer responses. Analyze the chosen subsystem with consideration for the effects of the whole extended family system.
Your paper should:
•Analyze the chosen family unit or family members in relation to the larger family system, examining inter-generational themes, relationship patterns, and life-cycle transitions.
•Discuss strengths and weaknesses or red flags that have been passed along.
•Discuss two different family therapy models you are interested in learning more about, which might be useful in helping this family subsystem, and briefly describe each one (no more than a paragraph each). ◾Refer to your instructor for a list of appropriate marriage and family therapy models.