Family ritual and adolescents' feelings of belonging : exploring the relationship

This study explores the relationship between adolescents' experiences of family ritual and their feelings of belonging in the family. A qualitative approach was used to examine this topic from the perspective of students in late adolescence identified as having experienced frequent and significant family ritual. In-depth interviews were conducted with five grade 12 students. Interviews were taped, transcribed, and coded, and the resulting data searched for themes. The participants in this study, all of whom experienced family ritual as frequent and significant, felt that they belonged in their families. The feelings of belonging were rooted in the four themes that emerged: 1) the time spent together as a family; 2) the respectful, accepting, supportive relationships with significant family members; 3) the stability and predictability of family life; and 4) the connectedness to extended family members. These four themes both influenced and were influenced by the practice of family ritual. This study supports previous research which identifies family ritual as an indicator of overall family health. The most surprising finding was the diversity of family types identified as possessing a number of "healthy" family characteristics.