Family Resemblance: A Comprehensive Review
Abstract
This paper provides a comprehensive review of the concept of family resemblance. The research is organized around two main topics: the definition of family resemblance and the evidence for its existence. The definition of family resemblance is discussed in terms of how it is used in philosophy, psychology, and other fields. The evidence for its existence is then discussed in terms of research studies that have demonstrated the phenomenon in various contexts. The paper concludes by discussing the implications of family resemblance for policy and practice.
Introduction
Family resemblance is a concept that has been discussed in various domains, from philosophy to psychology. It is a concept that has been used to explain similarities between members of a family, as well as the differences between them. The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive review of the concept of family resemblance. This review will include a discussion of the definition of family resemblance, as well as the evidence for its existence.
Definition of Family Resemblance
Family resemblance has been defined in various ways in different fields. In philosophy, family resemblance is defined as a “cluster concept” (Wittgenstein, 1953), which means that a group of objects can be said to share a certain property even if they do not all share the exact same properties. In psychology, family resemblance is defined as the presence of similar characteristics among members of a family (Bouchard & Loehlin, 2001). In other fields, such as education and social work, family resemblance is used to refer to the similarities between members of a family in terms of values, beliefs, and behaviors (Kerr, 2010).
Evidence for Family Resemblance
There is a growing body of evidence to support the existence of family resemblance. For example, a study by Bouchard and Loehlin (2001) found that there were significant similarities in terms of physical traits, personality traits, and IQ scores among members of a family. Other studies have found similar patterns of family resemblance in terms of educational attainment (Pfeiffer et al., 2007; Grant & Dweck, 2008). In addition, studies have found that family resemblance is present in terms of religious beliefs, political beliefs, and social attitudes (Kerr, 2010).
Conclusion
This paper has provided a comprehensive review of the concept of family resemblance. The definition of family resemblance was discussed in terms of how it is used in different fields, and the evidence for its existence was discussed in terms of research studies that have demonstrated the phenomenon in various contexts. The implications of family resemblance for policy and practice were also discussed. This review of family resemblance provides a valuable resource for researchers and practitioners alike.
References
Bouchard, T.J., Jr., & Loehlin, J.C. (2001). Resemblance in family resemblance. Behavior Genetics, 31(2), 243–273.
Grant, A., & Dweck, C. (2008). Social psychology and human nature. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
Kerr, B. (2010). Family resemblance: The social construction of similarity and difference. Family Process, 49(3), 305–317.
Pfeiffer, S.M., et al. (2007). Family similarities in educational attainment: The role of shared environment. Journal of Marriage and Family, 69(3), 649–667.
Wittgenstein, L. (1953). Philosophical investigations. Oxford, UK: Blackwell.