When forming my family genogram consisting of four generations of an African American family, there were a few trends that were expressed and demonstrated in my genogram. There was the consistent health trend of cancer being significant in my family. There are several known cancers that has the “highest death rate and shortest survival” for African Americans that took the lives of those in my family (DeSantis et al., 2016, pg 290). As viewed in my genogram diagram, most of the older generation in my family lived a longer life span passed 70 years of age. As Richardus & Kinst (2001) stated, “Higher mortality rates have been observed in the Black population,” and that can be based on a several known causes of deaths (p. 1251). Many of my family …show more content…
Each generation and/or individual in my family has some form of education that lead up to 10th grade and higher. The generation above me, and including my generation either completed high school, and/or further their education. However, for the top two generations on the genogram, some family member had too stop attending school at a certain grade level to start working in the workforce to help take care of their family. Then, there is the type of working field that is shown in my family genogram. As seen on the diagram, the women pursued/are pursuing jobs assisting others. They worked positions, such as teachers, teacher’s assistance, nurse, housekeeper, and etc. As for the men, they pursued hands on, somewhat type of hard labor, such as factory workers, bus drivers, postal services, and other jobs. What is shown in my genogram tells that my family line consist of hardworking individuals working to take care of their family, and helping others. Another trend that was expressed and is shown in the genogram is my family member’s use of alcohol and smoking. Some of my family member passed away due to alcohol and/or smoking related abuse. I also have some family members that were former alcoholics and smokers, whereas I have some that are either currently smoking and/or drinking from my mother and father’s generation to my
All nurses, no matter where they practice, need to have proper training in genomics and genetics to provide the best information to clients regarding recognition, prevention, and/or treatment of diseases (Thompson & Brooks, 2011). A genetic family history can help clients discover the unique patterns of health and illness within their family. In this paper, I will complete a Genetic/Genomic Nursing Assessment using the information found in Kaakinen, Coehlo, Steele, Tabacco, & Hanson’s text (2015) in Box 7-7 (p. 198), identify three generations of a family, analyze the genetic health risks, and consider nursing strategies for this family.
Nowadays, DNA is a crucial component of a crime scene investigation, used to both to identify perpetrators from crime scenes and to determine a suspect’s guilt or innocence (Butler, 2005). The method of constructing a distinctive “fingerprint” from an individual’s DNA was first described by Alec Jeffreys in 1985. He discovered regions of repetitions of nucleotides inherent in DNA strands that differed from person to person (now known as variable number of tandem repeats, or VNTRs), and developed a technique to adjust the length variation into a definitive identity marker (Butler, 2005). Since then, DNA fingerprinting has been refined to be an indispensible source of evidence, expanded into multiple methods befitting different types of DNA samples. One of the more controversial practices of DNA forensics is familial DNA searching, which takes partial, rather than exact, matches between crime scene DNA and DNA stored in a public database as possible leads for further examination and information about the suspect. Using familial DNA searching for investigative purposes is a reliable and advantageous method to convict criminals.
A high school education is no longer sufficient to succeed in America’s increasingly complex economy. However, because of the high price point of a college education, far too many Americans are unable to afford education beyond high school. As shown in the graph below, the higher level of education received greatly increases the chances for employment and also dramatically increases the average salary potential of an individual.
Volkows, N. D., & Muenke, M. (2012). Human Genetics. The genetics of addiction, Vol 131(6), 773-777. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00439-012-1173-3
In this week four assignment, my focus is directed to the Hernandez family. I will present a genogram of the Hernandez family and subsequently identify an element that influences the manner in which Juan and Elena address their presenting concern with their social worker. Additionally, I will explain how the presented genogram may help me as a social work professional to successfully address the needs of the Hernandez family.
Family history possesses valuable information about a person’s past and future life. It can be used as a powerful screening tool to help conduct decisions about genetic testing for you and family members at risk. Family history can identify potential health problems that an individual has an increased risk for in their lifetime. With early identification, you can begin taking steps to reduce the risk with things such as lifestyle changes of diet and exercise. In many cases, just by adopting a healthier lifestyle can reduce your risk for diseases that run in your family.
If you graduate from college, and want to start a family one day. Your choice in going will amplify your children’s interest in going as well. If you expect your children to go to college but you did not, then who is to blame for their poor decision? Going to college now can start a tradition in your family that could live on for decades. Research shows that someone with a bachelor’s degree makes almost two times more than one who does not have one. High school graduates make an average of $28,000 and college graduates with a four-year degree make $45,500. It is also proven that the unemployment rate is lower for people who have a bachelor’s degree. As a result high school graduates are more prone to living in poverty once out of high school. College should be a requirement because many college graduates earn more than high school graduates. Bill Gates is the most successful man in the world and he went to college. Carlos Slim is the second richest man in the world and he too went to college. What I am trying to say is that the top two wealthiest and successful people in the world have gone to some degree of secondary education. This is not complicated math. If you go to college you will increase your probability of becoming successful or becoming even more
A genogram is a pictorial display of a person's family relationships and medical history. According to (Hawley,D.R. & Geske,S.2000) a genogram goes beyond a traditional family tree by allowing the user to visualize hereditary patterns and psychological factors that punctuate relationships. It can be used to identify repetitive patterns of behavior and to recognize hereditary tendencies. According to (Working together in children’s services, 2008) Having some awareness and knowledge of a dysfunctional family links in closely with understanding the impact of the relationships within it, if we consider Bowens theory around the family, I found information regarding his thoughts and views and how they can be useful in social work
Interview & Reflection I have interviewed my Father through email over a week period, he was very helpful to me and even knew the answers to the questions I had on my Mother side of the family. I felt he was the best to interview as he is one of the smartest people I know. Of course I talked to him in our native language (Arabic) even though his English was perfect, but I wanted him to feel more comfortable when answering, so I translated everything to English. Below is a list of the questions I asked him and his replies: (Answers are bolded). The first question I have is, why is it that I feel that our family is much bigger than the regular western family?
U.S. Dept. of Energy. Understanding our Genetic Inheritance the U.S. Human Genome Project. "The first Five Years: Fiscal Years 1991-1995", Obtained from WWW 10/19/99:1/13/99: http://www.ornl.gov/hgmis/project/5yrplan/intro.html.
Creating my personal genogram was a valuable experience for me. By mapping out my family’s structure, and considering the dynamics of the relationships therein, I am able to see how each member of my immediate family took on specific roles and that addictions are present on both sides of my family. My paternal grandmother, Ginny, was an alcoholic and passed this trait to my father. My mother demonstrated signs of substance abuse through smoking and drinking, and both parents passed these to my sister and me: Whitney struggled with various addictions, the most severe of which was methamphetamine and I have had an ongoing struggle with smoking and past experiences with anorexia.
Researchers have placed more emphasis on nature because of addictions (Agin).. For this reason, there is the same amount of chances to be an alcoholic as there is to have a mental disorder if someone in the family has had or was either because of genes. Newspaper reports, “scientists are on the verge of discovering the gene for alcoholism.” (McLeod). Gaten himself in 1883 suggested that human society could be improved by “better breeding” (McLeod). What Gaten is trying to say is that the children of two adults would not have any mental disorders or be an alcoholic if there was better breeding. The behavioral genes are the genes that gives inheritance of alcoholism, or addiction. So, behavioral genes can give inheritance of alcoholism or other addictions by the wrong breeding. In summation, if one's grandparent or even an ancestor has an addiction, there will be a good chance that the breeds will have the same type of
Family history is very important to an individual. By knowing where you come from, you can have a better perspective of your life. Having a clear understanding of your family background allows you to better appreciate the things that you would normally take for granted. The house, the car, and the average clothing may look better when one sees the sacrifices their family has made. They will see that their family has worked very hard just so their family can experience the better things in life. A persons roots and origin is one of the most important things to explore. It alone can bring you closer to self-discovery.
Individuals in my generation that decide to go away for college may graduate with a degree but they also graduate with debt and have a hard time finding work in their area of study. College graduates are young and many may not have much experience in their field. It is a bittersweet option to go to college and further your education, I am all for it, but I am not for getting yourself in tons of debt, that will cause you to live your whole life paying off student loans and such. Which is one of the reasons why I chose to stay at home and go to community college, I’m saving money while still getting a great education. In earlier generations, people may not have felt that college was important because they needed a job to support themselves and their families. That is understandable because in the early years becoming an adult meant turning of age, 18, getting a job, moving out and starting your own family, but now turning 18 doesn’t mean you automatically are an adult and can move out and start your own life, I have friends that went to college, have a job but still are not able to move out on their own even in their
Above is my immediate family, which is graphed by simple facts into this genogram. All of the information that was included into this genogram was known information. Since all of these family members are still alive, it made it easier to compile this information. Each specific family has its own dynamic. With my parents and brother, we are not that tight-knit; I don’t share every inch of my life and haven’t for many years, but equally they do not ask. Whereas, my mother and her brother along with her parents are very tight knit. They share everything and do a lot of things together, while being more conservative with their actions and behavior. They are always on their best behavior. On the flip side, my father and his parents and