Family Analysis

Family Analysis research papers are written for sociology or psychology courses and analyze the dynamics of families and the influences on them. Below is an excellent example of taking a novel and analyzing the family within the novel. Psychological theories should be applied and various constructs of sociological theories must also be taken into account. The writers at Paper Masters can analyze any novel, case study or family report and write you a family analysis research project.

The following are some excellent novels to use for doing a family analysis:

1. Ordinary People by Judith Guest
2. The Kite Runner by Hosseine Khaled
3. What's Eating Gilbert Grape? by Peter Hedge
4. Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacob
5. The Whale Rider by Ihimaera Witi

GUIDING QUESTIONS ASSIGNMENT
As you are reading, keep the following questions in mind. There are questions which only apply to particular novels; whereas, there are questions which apply to all the novels. Feel free to add questions that you feel may be relevant for fruitful discussion or writing assignments. Please note that some questions are repeated using different phraseology to approach a response from a different angle. These questions attempt to explore families from a cross-disciplinary point of reference.

For Psychological Consideration.

1. Are there alliances within the family? How do these alliances affect family functioning?
2. How would you rate the communication patterns within this family?
3. What are the spoken or unspoken rules (conscious-unconscious) for each family?
4. How do these rules shape behavior or interactions between family members?
5. Discuss how personality differences play a part in family dynamics, or character conflict?
6. How do parental roles become refined by situation or by the progression of time?
7. Selective memory: how is it possible that 2 or 3 family members witness the same event, they will have completely different versions of that event?
8. How do characters, family members, remain resilient in the face of devastating events, or severe or acute trauma?
9. Why are some family members more resilient than others?
10. How does sibling position shape or influence behavior?
11. How does developmental stage affect behavior?
12. Why is sexuality often a vehicle whereby characters work out their loneliness?

For Sociological Consideration

1. How does social structure, or societal expectation shape family?
2. How does culture define identity?
3. How does cultural difference necessitate conflict?
4. Americans value individualism and emphasize personal achievement, individual rights, and their own space. How do these values influence the structure of the American family? What are some of the negative results of these values?
5. How do grandparents fill the parental role in particular families?
6. Is it possible to pass on dysfunctional behavior patterns from one generation to another?
7. How do gender issues play out in certain families?
8. Who holds the most power in family-males, females?
9. How does this dynamic work itself out in subsequent relationships, outside of the family?
10. How do families relax together; how do they spend leisure time?

For Philosophical /Theological /Existential Consideration

1. How does the family respond to tragic events, loss, accidents, injustices?
2. Is Forgiveness possible in families? How crucial is it?
3. How does faith /belief in higher truths, or the lack of, play a part in these families?
4. What is love?
5. Does tragedy serve to strengthen or weaken family?
6. What do families use as coping mechanisms?-this can be taken in different directions by each novel.
7. How does history shape a family's destiny?
8. How do cultural beliefs, values and attitudes shape conflict or cohesiveness within a family?