Interest in genealogy
Note: all information given will be posted on a public response page unless otherwise noted.
Hi! My name is Karolina Walczyk. I am a student at the Jagiellonian Univeristy in Cracow, Poland. I am conducting research on people interested in family history and genealogy.
Do you fall into this category? If you do, please fill out this survey and return it to me.
I appreciate you sharing your valuable time and opinions.
Thank you for your cooperation!
„In every conceivable manner, the family is link to our past, bridge to our future.”
Alex Haley
How interested are you in genealogy and/or family history?
not at all
very slightly
absolutely passionate
(Required)
Have you ever attented a family reunion?
yes
no
How many groups do you belong to concerned with genealogy or family history? These may include genealogical groups, historical societies, or heraldic groups such as the Sons or Daughters of the American Revolution, the Mayflower Society, etc.
none
1-4
more
(Required)
Do you participate in online (internet based) genealogical groups? These may include email lists, online organizations, or chat rooms
yes
no
(Required)
How many times per year, on average, do you contact your family members with inquiries concerning your family history?
rarely
less than once per year
once a year
twice a year
three or four times a year
once a month
I don't
(Required)
How much time, on average, do you spend doing work on genealogical related activities, such as library research, letter writing, filing, updating computerized databases, etc.?
none
on rare occasions
about 2 hours a month
about 2 hours a week
(Required)
When did you begin to do genealogical research?
I haven't started yet
recently
1-5 years ago
in elementary school
(Required)
How did you first become interested in family history and genealogy?
through a school project, e.g. making a family tree
after a funeral of a family member
when I was no able to specify my ethnic/cultural backgound
haven't had an opportunity yet
(Required)
Think about different branches of your family tree that have immigrant past when answering these questions.
What is "home' to you?
where I live now
where I was born
where my mother's family came from
where my father's family came from
(Required)
Where is your ancestral home?
where I live now
where I was born
where my mother's family came from
where my father's family came from
(Required)
If- "I don't realy know how to answer that". You can comment on it.
When did your family/ancestors first arrive in the country you live in now? In other words, when did your earliest ancestors arrive? How many generations ago was that?
None, I am an immigrant
1, my parents immigrated
2, my grandparents immigrated
3, my great grandparents immigrated
4, my great great grandparents immigrated
5, my great great great grandparents immigrated
more than 5 generations ago
I don’t know
(Required)
Do you know where they (earliest immigrants) immigrated from?
Yes
No
When people ask you what your ethnic background is, what do you answer?
I am American only.
I don't know.
I am of two or more nationalities.
(Required)
other:
If different branches of your family immigrated at differed times, please indicate the one branch you identify with most strongly. (e.g. Italian, Irish, Polish). If you don't identify with any you can leave this one blank.
If you have specified an ethnic background in the question above please explain why.
The following items deal with your identity and how you place yourself within your community.
I feel interconnected to my extended family.
1- Not at all descriptive of me
2- Slightly descriptive of me
3- Moderately descriptive of me
4- Mostly descriptive of me
5- Extremely descriptive of me
(Required)
Knowing my 'roots' gives me a sense of place.
1- Not at all descriptive of me
2- Slightly descriptive of me
3- Moderately descriptive of me
4- Mostly descriptive of me
5- Extremely descriptive of me
(Required)
Sometimes, I feel lost -- not knowing who I really am.
1- Not at all descriptive of me
2- Slightly descriptive of me
3- Moderately descriptive of me
4- Mostly descriptive of me
5- Extremely descriptive of me
(Required)
I identify myself as a member of the local community.
1- Not at all descriptive of me
2- Slightly descriptive of me
3- Moderately descriptive of me
4- Mostly descriptive of me
5- Extremely descriptive of me
(Required)
I often feel disconnected from the people around me.
1- Not at all descriptive of me
2- Slightly descriptive of me
3- Moderately descriptive of me
4- Mostly descriptive of me
5- Extremely descriptive of me
(Required)
Knowing my 'roots' gives me a sense of security.
1- Not at all descriptive of me
2- Slightly descriptive of me
3- Moderately descriptive of me
4- Mostly descriptive of me
5- Extremely descriptive of me
(Required)
I am proud of the fact that I know my family history.
1- Not at all descriptive of me
2- Slightly descriptive of me
3- Moderately descriptive of me
4- Mostly descriptive of me
5- Extremely descriptive of me
(Required)
I identify myself as a member of the local community.
1- Not at all descriptive of me
2- Slightly descriptive of me
3- Moderately descriptive of me
4- Mostly descriptive of me
5- Extremely descriptive of me
(Required)
What are your current reasons for doing genealogy?
To come to know my ancestors as people.
Highly important to me
Somewhat important to me
Mostly unimportant
Not at all important
(Required)
To restore forgotten ancestors to the family memory.
Highly important to me
Somewhat important to me
Mostly unimportant
Not at all important
(Required)
To go back in time, in my imagination.
Highly important to me
Somewhat important to me
Mostly unimportant
Not at all important
(Required)
To trace diseases/ genetic disorder in a family tree.
Highly important to me
Somewhat important to me
Mostly unimportant
Not at all important
(Required)
To find an important or famous ancestor.
Highly important to me
Somewhat important to me
Mostly unimportant
Not at all important
(Required)
To learn about my roots, about specific people that made me who I am.
Highly important to me
Somewhat important to me
Mostly unimportant
Not at all important
(Required)
As my way of dealing with mortality and death.
Highly important to me
Somewhat important to me
Mostly unimportant
Not at all important
(Required)
Because I like to solve puzzles.
Highly important to me
Somewhat important to me
Mostly unimportant
Not at all important
(Required)
Because I enjoy being the family historian.
Highly important to me
Somewhat important to me
Mostly unimportant
Not at all important
(Required)
Doing genealogy gives me a feeling of personal identity.
Highly important to me
Somewhat important to me
Mostly unimportant
Not at all important
(Required)
To carry on the work already begun by another family member.
Highly important to me
Somewhat important to me
Mostly unimportant
Not at all important
(Required)
To meet living relatives.
Highly important to me
Somewhat important to me
Mostly unimportant
Not at all important
(Required)
To occupy myself in my spare time.
Highly important to me
Somewhat important to me
Mostly unimportant
Not at all important
(Required)
As a reason to travel.
Highly important to me
Somewhat important to me
Mostly unimportant
Not at all important
(Required)
In order to join a heritage group like the Mayflower Society.
Highly important to me
Somewhat important to me
Mostly unimportant
Not at all important
(Required)
For religious reasons.
Highly important to me
Somewhat important to me
Mostly unimportant
Not at all important
(Required)
To find out with what ethnic group I identify the most.
Highly important to me
Somewhat important to me
Mostly unimportant
Not at all important
(Required)
Choose what you think are the 4 most important reasons for doing genealogy:
Please choose one reason only once.
1
It’s an emotional experience.
It’s popular, everyone talks about it.
It gives you a sense of belonging.
It’s just a hobby for people who like history, solving puzzles and mysteries.
It’s an identity quest.
It’s like opening a chest of treasure that has been long buried.
It’s a trend, a passing fad.
Its placing oneself in America’s immigrant history.
It’s figuring out the mix of ancestries to pick the right one for me.
It’s wanting a family.
To know family stories which make you feel connected and grounded.
It gives understanding of the forces of history.
It’s a ‘school project/create your family tree’ thing.
It’s for people who are eager to place oneself in immigrant history.
It’s for rediscovering European/Asian/or other heritage.
It’s a money-maker… that’s why it’s being popularized.
(Required)
This part of the questionnaire is of greatest value for me. I am interested in finding out how your involvement with genealogy changed the view of yourself and how it affected your identity.Write from the AMERICAN CITIZEN's point of view.
Would you agree or disagree: "for Americans genealogy is nothing but a passing fad/a hobby; you do it because it's popular; it's a money-maker"
Would you agree or disagree: Genealogy can help in forming self-identity / it can eliminate the feeling of rootlessness.
(Required)
I would like you to tell your story about how you became involved with genealogy and your experience with it.
How would you describe yourself today? (what distinguishes you from others - self views, health, appearance, behaviors, achievements, skills)
Looking back, how would you have described yourself prior to getting involved in genealogy?
How would you describe yourself –today- in relation to your family, your identity, your religion, your ethnic background, and your community?
Looking back, how would you have described yourself in relation to your family, religion, ethnic background, and community - prior to getting involved in genealogy- ?
Are there any other areas of influence important to you as a result of your becoming involved in genealogy? In your own words, what value does genealogy have for you?
If you ever attended a family reunion please share your experience here.
If you haven’t been interested in genealogy are going to be now that you have completed this questionnaire?
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMPLETEING THIS SURVEY : )
Your sex:
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Male
Female
(Required)
Your age:
(Required)
Your occupation:
(Optional)
Your race:
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White
Black
Asian/Pacific Islander
Hispanic
American Indian
Other
(Optional)
If you would be willing to provide your email address so that I could send your the results of the survey, please enter it below.
If you want to contact me about this survey please email me at karolinawalczyk@poczta.onet.pl
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