Family Collage

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Engage the family in creating a collage that represents their family identity, values, and experiences. Provide them with materials such as magazines, newspapers, photos, scissors, glue, and a large piece of paper or poster board. Observe their interactions, communication, and decision-making processes as they work on the collage together.

Observations based on the Calgary Assessment Model:
– Verbal communication: The family members speak a mix of Farsi and English. The parents tend to use more Farsi, while the children use more English. Communication is generally respectful and clear.
– Nonverbal communication: Family members show affection through physical touch, such as hugs and hand-holding. Eye contact is consistent, and they appear engaged with one another.
– Emotional expression: The family openly expresses a range of emotions, from laughter to tears, as they share memories and experiences while creating the collage.
– Problem-solving: The parents encourage the children to contribute ideas and opinions. They work together to make decisions about the collage’s content and layout.
– Role allocation and power distribution: The parents provide guidance and direction, but the children are actively involved in the process. The family appears to have a balanced power distribution.

Family Power Diagram:
Create a visual representation of the power hierarchy within the family. In this case, you might show the parents at the top, with the children slightly below, indicating a balanced distribution of power and shared decision-making.

Family Attachment Diagram:
Illustrate the emotional bonds between family members using a diagram with connecting lines. In this example, you might show strong, supportive connections between all family members, with a particularly close bond between the siblings.

Discussion Questions:
1. What values or experiences do you feel are most important to your family’s identity?
2. How do you typically make decisions as a family?
3. How do your cultural background and immigration experience influence your family’s communication and relationships?
4. What strategies does your family use to cope with challenges or disagreements?

Sample Solution

Family Collage Activity

Materials:

  • Magazines
  • Newspapers
  • Family photos
  • Scissors
  • Glue
  • Large piece of paper or poster board

Instructions:

  1. Gather the family and explain the activity. Tell them you’ll be creating a collage together that represents their family identity, values, and experiences.
  2. Let everyone explore the materials. Encourage them to look through magazines, newspapers, and photos to find images and words that resonate with them.
  3. Start collaborating. Discuss as a family what each member wants to include in the collage.
  4. Work together on the layout. Decide how to arrange the images and words on the poster board. This might involve some negotiation and compromise.
  5. Stick it down and reflect. Once the collage is complete, take a moment to admire it together. Discuss what different elements represent and how they contribute to the overall story of your family.

Observations using the Calgary Family Assessment Model

Verbal Communication: Pay attention to how the family communicates while creating the collage. Do they use mostly Farsi, English, or a mix of both? How do they handle disagreements about what to include? Is the communication respectful and clear?

Nonverbal Communication: Observe how family members interact with each other. Do they show affection through physical touch? Do they make eye contact and seem engaged? How do their nonverbal cues reflect their emotions?

Emotional Expression: Notice how the family expresses emotions throughout the activity. Do they laugh together as they find funny pictures? Do they share stories that evoke tears or joy?

Problem-Solving: See how the family makes decisions about the collage. Do the parents make all the choices, or do they encourage the children to contribute ideas? How do they handle situations where there are different preferences?

Role Allocation and Power Distribution: Observe how the parents and children interact. Do the parents take a very directive role, or do they allow the children to have some control? Does the decision-making seem balanced, or does one parent hold more power?

Family Diagrams

Family Power Diagram:
You can sketch a simple pyramid with a broad base. At the base, write “Parents” and “Children” to represent a shared foundation of power. This indicates a balanced distribution of power within the family.

Family Attachment Diagram: Draw a circle for each family member. Connect the circles with thick lines to represent strong emotional bonds. You can add a slightly thicker line between the siblings’ circles to depict a particularly close relationship.

Discussion Questions

  1. What values or experiences do you feel are most important to your family’s identity? (Look for themes in the collage that might represent things like education, faith, cultural heritage, or love of travel)
  2. How do you typically make decisions as a family? (The collage activity might have provided insights into their decision-making process)
  3. How do your cultural background and immigration experience influence your family’s communication and relationships? (The use of Farsi and English in the collage could be a starting point for this discussion)
  4. What strategies does your family use to cope with challenges or disagreements? (The collage activity might have revealed how they handle disagreements, or you can ask for specific examples from their experiences)

By engaging in this collage activity and discussion, you can gain valuable insights into the family’s dynamics, values, and communication styles.

 

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