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This autoethnography contests notions that family secrets and lies are always disruptive to family cohesion by exploring how secrets and lies hold a family together. Drawing from shared memories, I address my siblings directly to reveal our experiences of navigating our parents' secrets and lies from each other that contributed to our own adoption of such practices. The story shows how we eventually found better ways to support our parents and one another into adulthood by learning to "own the lies" and not eschew them. Owning the lies means knowing each of our love debts to one another and to the social worlds we inhabit beyond the family dynamic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study explores the experiences of direct‐to‐consumer (DTC) genetic test results of recipients who learn of unexpected biological paternity, not parent expected (NPE). We characterize the process of disclosing NPE discoveries, as well as the benefits and the repercussions of such disclosures on individuals, families, and others. Background: The popularity of DTC genetic testing is increasing. Consequently, many discover unexpected information about their ancestry, heritage, and paternity. Methods: This qualitative study used an inductive thematic analysis of in‐depth interviews with adults (n = 27; aged 40–70) who received DTC genetic test results revealing unexpected biological paternity. Results: The NPE disclosure dilemma encompasses uncertainty about narrating their discovery; gauging the dispositions of others; wondering what repercussions may arise; and managing feelings about stigma, betrayal, and anger. Culture, history, and family dynamics are vital in navigating disclosures. A desire to understand their origins, connect with new genetic families, and validate their sense of self is essential. Biological connections of kinship remain important arbiters of relatedness for many individuals. Conclusion: Disclosure of NPE discoveries differs from other stigmatized identities because the secret belongs to someone else; thus, self‐disclosure affects the entire family system. Implications: Drawing on family systems theory and disclosure processes model, our findings provide insights into the intricate dynamics inherent in NPE disclosure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This autoethnographic project explores my familial context regarding the concepts of covering and narrative inheritance. According to Yoshino, "to cover is to tone down a disfavored identity to fit into the mainstream." On the other hand, narrative inheritance refers to stories given to children by and about family members. The stories we inherit within the family provide us with a framework to understand our identities through our forebears. In talking about what we inherit narratively, we achieve a sense of completion and fulfillment. All the narratives included in this article render pivotal moments in my family history of truth omission and distortion, which, in hindsight, began to predominate my family's communication style in the wake of my mother's death in October 2003. Utilizing creative autoethnographic narratives to investigate covering in the context of my narrative inheritance, I attempt to fill in the holes that I have come across examining my family history and unpacking my identity, and to piece together family silences and secrets. In doing so, I aim to fulfill my narrative inheritance and illuminate ways that secrets can breed tension in family relationships, disorient our identities, and disrupt our lives. I hope that providing this evocative account can foster better understanding of how members of a family present values, restrain identity, constitute communication styles, and negotiate family culture by engaging in patterns of covering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Canaria de Estudios Ingleses is the property of Universidad de La Laguna and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Putative secrets have been investigated in the context of close romantic relationships, yet little work has examined how these secrets function in the family context. This mixed-methods study sought to examine family putative secret types, how these secrets are discovered, and the relational outcomes of learning these secrets. Participants (N = 214) completed a survey that asked about a current putative secret held by an immediate family member. Results revealed three putative secrets topics distinct to families (relationship ties, abortion, left school) and found "accidental discovery" to be the most common putative secret discovery method. Putative secrets that were highly negative made participants (putative secret perceivers) feel more distant, more hurt, and less satisfied with their relationship with the putative secret keeping family member. Practical implications are discussed as to how individuals and family counselors may implement these findings into practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this autoethnography, the author uses racial formation theory to contextualize her family experiences and the life story told to her by her grandmother. In an effort to clarify some aspects of family history after her grandmother passed away, the author searched Australian archival records looking for new information and accidentally uncovered a family secret. Specifically, their ancestors were neither upper class nor were they all white Europeans; the family story in Australia actually begins with an interracial marriage between a man from Canton, China, and a white woman born into extreme poverty. Moreover, two generations of children in this multiracial family had been removed from their parents and placed in institutions and foster families. The family history presented here challenges assumptions about what it means to be Australian and who was living in the Australian colonies at the time of Australian Federation. White Australia is explored as both an immigration policy and as a racial project that shaped the lives of non-whites living in Australia, including that of Chinese and multiracial Australians like the author's maternal ancestors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nearly everyone keeps secrets, but only recently have we begun to learn about the secrets people keep in their everyday lives and the experiences people have with their secrets. Early experimental research into secrecy sought to create secrecy situations in the laboratory, but in trying to observe secrecy in real time, these studies conflated secrecy with the act of concealment. In contrast, a new psychology of secrecy recognizes that secrecy is far more than biting our tongues and dodging others' questions. Our secrets can consume mental space before and after concealment situations, and even the secrets that require no active upkeep can burden the secret keeper. The current article reviews recent insights into the many ways in which our secrets relate to personal and relational well-being and what follows from revealing our secrets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A rapidly rising number of people are engaging in family genealogical research and have purchased home-based DNA testing kits due to increased access to online resources and consumer products. The purpose of this systematic scoping review is to identify and elucidate the motivations (i.e., pathways, reasons for conducting family history research) and the consequences (i.e., psychosocial impacts) of participating in this activity by amateur (unpaid) family genealogists. Studies published from January 2000 to June 2023 were included in our review, using the PRISMA methodology outlined by the Joanna Briggs Institute's (JBI) Reviewer Manual. A total of 1986 studies were identified using selected keywords and electronic databases. A full-text review was conducted of 73 studies, 26 of which met our eligibility criteria. The multiple dominant themes that emerged from the data analysis are organized into five categories: (1) the motivations for practicing family history research, (2) emotional responses to family secrets and previously unknown truths, (3) impacts on relationship with the family of origin and other relatives, (4) impacts on personal identity (including ethnic/racialized and family/social), and (5) identity exploration and reconstruction. Finally, these themes are connected to broader theoretical/conceptual linkages, and further, an agenda for future research inquiry is developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ackerman Institute for the Family, established in 1960 by Dr Nathan Ackerman, stands as one of the oldest and most respected family therapy institutes in the United States. Ackerman pioneered the integration of systemic insights into group settings, emphasised the crucial role of family in therapy, and advocated for the advancement and acceptance of family therapy. 'The Ackerman' played a pivotal role in launching Family Process, the first journal dedicated to academic activities in family therapy. Diversity and inclusion have been central tenets of Ackerman philosophy, evident in its programs, training courses, and staff composition. This commitment has produced a veritable cadre of family therapy leaders who have contributed significantly to both the Ackerman Institute and the profession, influencing policy decisions and clinical practices. One of the most esteemed and respected thought leaders and innovators of our field, who played a vital role in the legacy of several institutions, including the Ackerman, is Dr. Evan Imber‐Black. She served as a long‐time faculty member and director of the Ackerman Center for Families and Health. Her expertise encompasses the exploration of family rituals and family secrets, with a focus on the importance of rituals in providing meaning, identity, and connection across diverse cultures and family life cycles. As editor of Family Process for 8 years, she highlights the importance of examining scholarly work in the context of cultures as a requirement – we do not stand outside the culture – we are active participants. This paper is based on a conversation with Dr Evan Imber‐Black, held in June 2023, delving into her personal and professional experiences, her connection to the Ackerman Institute, and her influential work on family rituals and secrets. Through this exploration, the paper sheds light on her commitment to diversity and the lasting impact of Dr Imber‐Black's contributions to family therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article we evaluate micro-history as a method for investigating the meaning of stigma, shame and family secrets through generations. We present micro-histories of two Australian soldiers who developed mental illness years after serving in World War 1 and were committed to a psychiatric hospital where they died. Data were drawn from publicly available records and interviews with family members. The contrasting stories held by the families of each man illustrate the transmission of stigma and secrets through families. We explore possible reasons for the differences between the families related to the wider literature on stigma and mental health and show why the family stories people present should be considered social constructions rather than facts. We also address ethical issues that arose during the research, and which have relevance for researchers investigating sensitive or potentially stigmatising topics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keeping and telling secrets are acts of intimacy. This article explores secret-telling-friendly methodologies, capable of encouraging individuals to share their life stories in their own terms, with particular episodes, emotional connections, protagonists, and also secrets. The openness of our research design played an important part in the identification of the role of secret-storytelling in the understanding of life. This was enhanced by methodological tools mobilized during the biographical interviews with individuals of families (the life calendar and the socio-genealogical tree). It testifies the importance of the research design, and method lato sensu, in the sociological analysis of secrets. Each secret connects to the person's biography, social positioning, historical context, and generational anchor, contributing to understand more about wider social, gender, family, interpersonal, and normative values of given time-space coordinates. Secrets are narrative and emotional devices to build biographical narratives and chronologize life stories, bridging biography and society, exemplarily. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When an out-of-town merchandiser goes missing in 1930s rural Southern Appalachia, whiskey and foul play are suspected. The small town of Woodbury, Tennessee, soon forgets and moves on, until the man's skeletal remains are uncovered three years later by two boys digging for mayapple root. Two men are immediately charged with the murder, though only one would be convicted. The trial would attract newspapers from across the state and beyond through the end of the decade. The story was lost to time and largely unknown to the descendants of those involved. The tale might have stayed buried in the past if not for a pulp fiction magazine that made its way back to the family some seventy years later. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: In this study, we describe the experiences of individuals who received direct‐to‐consumer DNA test results indicating unexpected parentage. Background: The availability of recreational DNA testing has left individuals navigating unexpected results with limited resources. Little is known about the emotional impact of learning about unexpected paternity. Methods: This qualitative study used inductive thematic analysis of in‐depth interviews with adults (n = 27; age 40–70 years) who received direct‐to‐consumer DNA test results revealing unexpected biological paternity. Results: Identity transformation occurred while integrating DNA results. Themes included (a) initial discovery marked by shock, fear, crisis, and loss of genetic relatedness; (b) identity exploration encompassing anxiety, emotional challenges, determination to conduct genealogical research, and confronting family; (c) identity reconstruction due to new familial connections and reconciliation of personal and familial history; and (d) synthesis of and shift in worldview, impacting trust in kinship. Conclusion: Identity transformation after unexpected DNA results is often accompanied by intense change in personal and community identity and a shift in identity related to race, ethnicity, religion, family status, belonging, or other facets of one's self. Temporal trauma, grief, and loss are common outcomes. Isolation, shame, and a lack of emotional support are prevalent. Implications: This research elucidates emotional processes related to learning unexpected DNA results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Arts Magazine is the property of Thamar University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper illustrates economic challenges on motherhood, womanhood, children, and the issue of GBV. It has become evident in numerous families that societal role of mothers has shifted immensely. As a result, many scholars decided to study the various components of motherhood. Hence, the objective of this paper is to comprehend motherhood in society and its acceptance in the domestic domain. Becoming a mother was not the mother's decision, it was a response to sociocultural pressure that held women accountable pertaining to children. Women had distinct motherhood experiences, but it is kept secret from the family and society. The issue of GBV cause mothers to face immense pressure in a morally acceptable motherhood society. Therefore, mothers have a very negative perception of motherhood, particularly in a highly demanding patriarchal society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Direct‐to‐consumer (DTC) genetic tests have become an attractive product for those hoping to gain insight into their health, ancestry, and biological relatedness. In some cases, test results are unexpected, and lead to the revelation of previously undisclosed family secrets. A subset of individuals may pursue testing explicitly for this purpose; however, the psychosocial processes underlying this motivation remain unexamined. Grounded in the literature on family secrecy, trauma, and the development of self‐concept, we tested a hypothesized mediation model to provide insight into this motivation among a sample of 433 individuals in pursuit of DTC genetic testing. In line with the documented association between maladaptive family communication patterns and trauma exposure in childhood, we found that exposure to adverse childhood experiences was associated with the motivation to pursue DTC genetic testing for the purpose of uncovering family secrets. We also found evidence of an indirect effect through reduced self‐concept clarity. These findings suggest that impaired identity formation processes may have played a role in transmitting the effect. Furthermore, the findings highlight a novel way in which family histories may contribute to DTC genetic testing motivations. Future examination of these and other psychosocial phenomena that contribute to DTC genetic testing will be crucial to consider as the tests become increasingly accessible, and as the information they can provide becomes increasingly comprehensive. Findings from this line of research could help to identify for whom and under what conditions DTC genetic testing benefits well‐being, and the conditions under which the act of testing and receipt of results could have adverse psychosocial effects. These insights will be of interest to genetic counselors working in the field of DTC genetic testing, and those working with individuals and families affected by unexpected test results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay argues that we should understand Margaret Cavendish and Lucy Hutchinson as secretaries in the practically activist humanist tradition. Both women served as keepers of (family and political) secrets, and as readers, writers, and record keepers of papers. Hutchinson calls herself 'the faithful depository' of her husband's 'secrets', and alludes to her facility with his signature, or 'character', throughout the Memoirs. In many ways, the Memoirs themselves are a vindication of his belief in her capacities. Margaret Cavendish similarly presents herself as her husband's secretary, including in her 'Life of William Cavendish' not only a robust and notably politic account of her husband's expenditures on behalf of the monarchy – 'a Computation of My Lord's Losses' – but also a record of 'some Essayes and Discourses of My Lords, together with some Notes and Remarques of mine own'. In doing so, Cavendish remarshalls the consiliary wisdom of William Cavendish's own advice to princes as ballast for his continued political relevance and for her own secretarial and advisory competency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The trauma of the Holocaust, despite being dismissed for many years, has profoundly shaped the identity of successive generations of Jews. The main character of the film Hanna’s Sleeping Dogs (Hannas schlafende Hunde, 2016, Andreas Gruber) inherits the trauma of the tragic events of World War II, even though she initially remains unaware of her Jewish heritage. Upon discovering the family secret, the nine-year-old Johanna embarks on a journey to unravel her true identity. This task proves challenging in Austria, where anti-Semitism still prevailed in the 1960s, and “the myth of Hitler’s first victim” dominated the public discourse. The article aims to identify the stylistic devices employed in depicting the struggle between memory and (post)memory of tragic events. It also focuses on how Gruber narrates the story of trauma passed down from generation to generation and examines the representation of Jewish figures in his films. In addition, the film is analyzed within a sociocultural context to highlight its relevance to public discussions about Jewish identity in post-war Austria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work investigates my family's long-held secrets that concealed the whereabouts of my grandmother. After years of estrangement, my father discovered Ada living in a mental hospital. Memories are rarely straightforward and could only take us so far in understanding why Ada remained missing from our family for so long. My search for answers involved genealogical research and led me to access Ada's mental patient files. This rich data source provided some troubling glimpses into Ada's auditory hallucinations and grandiose delusions and her encounters with several mental institutions in Victoria, Australia, during the twentieth century. Critical family history approaches allow me to gain insights into the gendered power relations within her marriage and the power imbalance within families. The theme of migration is addressed through the lens of mobility when Ada relocated following her marriage and her movement between home on trial leave and several sites of care after her committal. Scholars have shown that the themes of migration and mobility are important and hold personal significance in exploring the connection between mental health and institutionalisation for our family. Here, I demonstrate how mental illness in families is stigmatised and concealed through institutionalisation and its legacy for younger generations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Syrett examines the coupling of Robert Allerton and John Gregg, addressing the seemingly simple question of what these two men meant to each other during their togetherness from 1922 until Allerton died in 1964. While lately some have characterized Allerton and Gregg as a gay couple fleeing mainland prejudice for Hawai'i's more accepting culture, Syrett maintains they are better seen as rich white colonizers. Considering Gregg to be Allerton's son, Syrett writes, "allowed friends and acquaintances to avoid the awkwardness of having to discuss who he really was to Allerton" (98). [Extracted from the article]

Can the perpetrator or the collaborator "speak"? How, and for whom? Do they have a "right to a biography" and, if so, what are the terms of this right? Who can speak for them? In short, what does it mean to work through their lives and the crimes they committed for those who decide to tell their stories? The main goal of this paper is to answer these questions using a particular kind of documentary directed by those who, in a certain moment of their lives, have discovered that a member of their families was a perpetrator or a collaborator relating to a dictatorship. Using Lotman's theory of culture and memory, we discuss the positionalities of those who "wrote" these documentaries, located constantly between the individual and the collective semiosphere. Taking into account two case studies – El pacto de Adriana directed by Lissette Orozco (Chile, 2017) and L'occhio di vetro directed by Duccio Charini (Italy, 2020) – we look at the mechanisms of investigation and recollection that they use and "show," in order to elucidate family secrets within the broader contexts of the collective traumas of Chile's and Italy's post-conflict societies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]