This important book examines the motives that drive family historians
and explores whether those who research their ancestral pedigrees have
distinct personalities, demographics or family characteristics. It
describes genealogists' experiences as they chart their family trees
including their insights, dilemmas and the fascinating, sometimes
disturbing and often surprising, outcomes of their searches.
Drawing on theory and research from psychology and other humanities
disciplines, as well as from the authors' extensive survey data
collected from over 800 amateur genealogists, the authors present the
experiences of family historians, including personal insights,
relationship changes, mental health benefits and ethical dilemmas. The
book emphasises the motivation behind this exploration, including the
need to acknowledge and tell ancestral stories, the spiritual and
health-related aspects of genealogical research, the addictiveness of
the detective work, the lifelong learning opportunities and the
passionate desire to find lost relatives.
With its focus on the role of family history in shaping personal
identity and contemporary culture, this is fascinating reading for
anyone studying genealogy and family history, professional genealogists
and those researching their own history.
