The Family Photo Assessment Process (FPAP): A Method for Validating Cross-Cultural Comparisons of Family Social Identities

Abstract

The purpose in the pilot study reported here was to develop a process to test, quantitatively, the relationship between information about families’ social identities arrived at through three different sources: 1) coders’ ratings of family photographs, 2) family self-ratings of social identity, and 3) family scores on a true and false instrument that measures social identity. The process that was developed has been labeled the Family Photo Assessment Process or FPAP. From the results of preliminary testing, it appears that coders can be trained to reliably assess several dimensions of the family’s social identity from viewing family photos and interviewing family members. It also appears that there are cultural differences in the dimensions discernable from family photos. Subsequently research will reveal if these cultural differences are evident in comparisons between American and Japanese photos. The long range questions are: Will the family photo album emerge as another “slice of data” on which to access family social identity? Will the family photo album emerge as a source of information on which to make cross-cultural comparisons of family life?