Psychology of Family History: Exploring Our Genealogy

This book explores the motives that drive family historians and examines whether they have distinct personalities, demographics, or family characteristics. It describes genealogists' experiences as they chart their family trees, including insights, dilemmas, and outcomes. It emphasizes the motivation behind this exploration, such as acknowledging ancestral stories, spiritual and health-related aspects, addictiveness of detective work, lifelong learning opportunities, and passionate desire to find lost relatives.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 136 pages
Publication date: 12 October 2020
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This groundbreaking book delves into the profound motivations that fuel family historians, shedding light on whether those who embark on the journey of researching their ancestral pedigrees possess distinct personalities, demographics, or family characteristics. It offers a captivating account of genealogists' experiences as they meticulously chart their family trees, sharing insightful revelations, challenging dilemmas, and often astonishing, sometimes disturbing, and frequently surprising outcomes of their tireless searches.

Drawing upon a wealth of theory and research from psychology and other humanities disciplines, as well as extensive survey data gathered from over 800 amateur genealogists, the authors present a rich tapestry of family historians' experiences. These experiences encompass personal insights, transformative relationship changes, mental health benefits, and ethical dilemmas that arise throughout the genealogical journey.

The book underscores the driving force behind this exploration, emphasizing the need to acknowledge and tell ancestral stories, the spiritual and health-related aspects of genealogical research, the addictive nature of detective work, the lifelong learning opportunities, and the passionate quest to reconnect with lost relatives.

This captivating work appeals to a wide audience, including those studying genealogy and family history, professional genealogists, and individuals embarking on their own personal history quests. It offers a profound understanding of the role of family history in shaping personal identity and contemporary culture, making it an essential read for anyone seeking to delve deeper into the intricate tapestry of our past.

Weight: 222g
Dimension: 156 x 233 x 18 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367820428