Reflection Essay On Families

Basic Assignment: You will complete a “Reflection Essay” on FIVE of of the Family Interviews. 10 points each)
The first reflection essay is due September 24 (I will provide feedback that should help inform your preparation of the remaining 4 essays)
The second two are due October 8
The final 2 are due October 25.

Background/Context
At the time of “publishing” this page, I continue to conduct interviews, so there will be additional families shared.
This module contains video-recorded interviews with individuals and family units discussing their personal experiences of parent-child relationships across the lifespan Each recording is on a separate “page,” labled as a named family (ex: Martha’s Family; Casey’s Family, etc)
All of the interviews are with adults (in compliance with ethical guidelines, minor children were excluded from interviews (unless their parent[s] were present).
Each respondent was “recruited” via personal networks of the instructor. I was acquainted with most, but not all, prior to the interview. Networks span family, friend, work, and civic relationships.
We sought to avoid any “identifying information” in our interview process with the exception of “Krissy’s Family” wherein we discussed her connection to the JMU social work department. However, the recording technology revealed some full names.
Similarly, these interviews are to be viewed and used solely in the context of this class. You are prohibited from sharing the links or viewing access to persons not enrolled in the class.
The purpose and focus of these interviews is stated in the opening/introductory comments of each interview.
Situations include:
Parents of young and growing families; Blended families; Lesbian mothers of blended families; Childfree women; Adoptive parents; mothers of teens; Grandparents; Parents of launching adult children; and more.

Assignment Description, Template, & Sample:
Detailed description of assignment, Essay Template, and Sample are provided in the following document:
Reflection Essay with Template and Sample.docx Download Reflection Essay with Template and Sample.docx

REFLECTION ESSAYS:
Students will view 5 of the parent-child interviews posted on Canvas. For each
interview, please prepare a reflection to include the sections indicated below. A
“sample” is included for your reference/guidance.
Title/Reference Point (ex: “Krissy’s family” or “Casey’s family”)
Part I: Affective Processing
Reflect on the interview and your emotional responses/gut reactions to what you heard
and saw.
What surprised you? Disturbed you? Caught you off-guard? Delighted you? Made you
cringe? Concerned you? Assured you?
From these reactions, choose 2 and link each response to the interview content that
elicited that response (if you have reaction[s] not listed above, you may certainly
include those in your three!
Part II: Cognitive Processing / Concept Application
Step back from your “affective responses” to the interview and approach it with an
analytical perspective, using course concepts and theories. Using the same 2 excerpts
from the interview that evoked emotional responses, present what was expressed and
link that content to course content (theories, ideas, frameworks, concepts). One way of
setting up this exercise is:
Part III: Conclusion
A statement (1-2 paragraphs) stating your general “take away” about parent-child
relationships that you will remember from this family.
A follow-up question that you would ask this interviewee if you had the chance.
Template on Following Page
Reflection Template
Interviewee Name/Names:
Interview Excerpt #1
Affective Processing:
Your Emotional Response/Gut Reaction:
Observation that elicited that response: (summarize and/or describe what came up in the
interview)
Cognitive Processing / Concept Application:
Interview segment: Present verbatim account of interview segment.
Link this portion of the interview to course content / concepts.
Interview Excerpt #2
Affective Processing:
Your Emotional Response/Gut Reaction:
Observation that elicited that response: (summarize and/or describe what came up in the
interview)
Cognitive Processing / Concept Application:
Interview segment: Present verbatim account of interview segment.
Link this portion of the interview to course content / concepts.
Conclusion: Your “Take-Away” & Follow-Up Question
A statement (1-2 paragraphs) stating your general “take away” about parent-child
relationships that you will remember from this family.
Conclude with a follow-up question that you would ask this interviewee if you had the chance.
(End of Template)
SAMPLE ENTRIES on next page
SAMPLE ENTRIES for the REFLECTION RESPONSES
PART ONE: Affective Processing:
Your Emotional Response/Gut Reaction: Anger and sympathy. (just identify and
name the “feelings”)
Observation that elicited that response: (summarize and/or describe what came up
in the interview)
Randall and Latrice were describing how they feel hurt and concern for their oldest
daughter, Tyra, who is Latrice’s biological daughter from a former relationship.
Randall and Latrice have been together since Tyra was 4 years old (she is now 9)
and he has been her “Daddy” more than her bio father who is largely uninvolved in
the child’s life. Randall and Latrice have 2 other children together (Antwone and
Marcus). Randall’s parents and siblings do not regard Tyra as “one of the family” and
give preferential treatment to the two younger children. Randall wanted to adopt her
once he and Latrice got married, but Tyra’s bio father refused to surrender rights.
They are worried she is feeling like an “outsider” to her own family and “different”
because she is a girl and also because she has a different last name.
PART TWO: Cognitive Processing / Concept Application:
Interview segment: Identify main topic/experience being discussed and provide
verbatim account of interview segment.
You will take the SAME excerpt of the interview that you summarized and discussed in
PART ONE. So, if this were the assignment, you’d complete this “box” using the
Randall and Latrice excerpt about Tyra’s marginalization by Randall’s family. The
example here is from another family interview.
Main Topic: Tom (“T”) and Martha (“M”) were describing how their son, John, began
expressing a fear about starting preschool when he was three years old.
Interview Account:
T: …and he started getting clingy and whiny. I was like, “what the hell?”
M: He wasn’t that bad.
T: Yes he was. (laughter)
M: Anyway, the school had a visit day and we went for a tour and the chance for him
to do storytime and some activities and he refused to join in.
T: He usually loves playing with other kids at the playground and is a life-of-the party
kind of kid. So we were thinking this was going to be fun and exciting. The other
parents were able to drop their kids off and when we told him to have a good time…
M:…and that we’d be right outside to get him after story time…
M&T: he had melt-down.
M: We decided I would step out and Tom would stay
T: I had to peel him off of her, screaming bloody murder, and when she left he
followed her to the door.
M: That was the worst. I felt like the worst mom in the world for walking out on him!
T: I told him, you can cry or come hear the story and I went and sat in the story circle
and he eventually came over and was fine But what an ordeal. I never would have
expected such a display.
M: It was rough.
Link this portion of the interview to course content / concepts.
This account reflects several concepts.
First, there is _ theory/issue which states _ and can be seen in John’s behavior of ____.
Second, Tom and Martha described their response to John which captures
__theory which states that .
Third, this family is at the _ stage and this experience is an example of the developmental task of _.

When _happened, the response is an example of the concept of
_.
PART THREE: Conclusion You will write ONE conclusion for each interview (not one
per each “Excerpt”).
A statement (1-2 paragraphs) stating some general “take aways” about parent-child
relationships that you will remember from this family and how their story reflects
“common ground” with other family experiences, including your own, even if the
details are different.
Memorable “take-aways.”
I will never forget Mr. and Mrs. Diakos describing their experience of their son’s
(Dimitris) suicide. It was heartbreaking to hear their story, and especially how their
religion was initially harmful in refusing a church funeral conducted by a priest. Their
efforts, in combination with Dimitris’ surviving siblings, in fighting for a proper burial
made me mad—I was outraged they had to do that—but was glad they were able to
make their case and arrange a service for him.
I noticed was how the family members flipped back and forth between past and
present tense as they were talking about Dimitris. Maybe this is because his death
was only a year and a half ago, but I wondered if that will change.