“Shared narratives provide a story line that keeps relationships operating harmoniously. Narratives are especially important in families, they serve a variety of functions that include reinforcing shared goals, teaching moral values, and stressing family concerns. Families narrate their best and worst life experiences and pass them down from generation to generation,”

Identify ongoing narratives you observed in a family or your family of origin. What do your findings say about the power of narratives to shape family relationships? Explain:

1. Narrative

2. When and how it is retold

3. The way this narrative portrays your family

4. The function the narrative serves.