PROMOTING FAMILY AWARENESS AND INTER-GENERATIONAL EXCHANGE: AN INFORMAL LIFE-HISTORY PROGRAM

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Abstract
The life‐history method is well suited for promoting awareness about family history and facilitating intergenerational exchange. This technique enables individuals to discover and examine the people, values, experiences, and patterns that comprise their family heritage. Life‐history investigation is an inexpensive, practical, and positive approach to exploring family processes and history. The method is appropriate for a variety of situations and people, including senior citizen groups, church groups, classrooms, families, and community groups of all ages. Intergenerational exchange is promoted when younger and older people engage in self‐disclosure. Revealing personally meaningful information to an interested listener has many beneficial results. Older people review their lives with a sympathetic audience, and younger people discover facts and fictions about their families of origin. Generational stereotypes are lessened as well. Life‐history research is grounded in the oral tradition of folklore and the qualitative methodologies of social science. Two exercises are provided for practitioners and families interested in genealogy and oral history: The Family Genealogy Exercise and The Family Recollections Exercise. Discussion questions and suggestions for gathering further information about family history are also provided.

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