The role of archives in the perception of self

Abstract

A sense of belonging and a sense of place are two important components of a person's sound mental health. Some people embarking on family research may only be looking for a leisure activity but many others are compelled by a strong need to make sense of a disrupted life. Archivists, in any kind of repository, may well find themselves as the first point of contact dealing with individuals affected, even damaged to some degree, by their historic circumstances. The objectives of this article are to seek to dispel the idea that family history is purely a leisure pursuit, to show the necessity for an improved interaction between health professionals and archivists, and to indicate areas requiring development within the archive profession.

Acknowledgements

The author would like to express her thanks to the many people who have contributed research data, episodes, evidence, information, and opinions which have been collected and drawn on for this article, but most particularly: Dr Phyllis Alden, Clinical Psychologist, St Giles Hospice, Lichfield, Staffordshire; Mrs Rita Dael, Adoption and Fostering Team, London Borough of Barking & Dagenham; Professor Susan Golombok, Centre for Family Research, University of Cambridge; Dr Alison Groves, St Giles Hospice, Lichfield, Staffordshire; Mrs Philomena Ovenden, Psychodynamic Therapist, Family Care Counselling Service, Loughton, Essex; Anne Sambidge, Independent Social Worker, Upminster, Essex. I should also like to thank Ms Serena Kelly, Head of the Corporate Management Information Unit, British Library, for her kindness in reading the draft of this article and for her most valuable comments.

Notes

[1] Mortimer, ‘Discriminating Between Readers: The Case for a Policy of Flexibility,’ 59 – 67. Moran, J., and M. Taylor. ‘Lowering the Drawbridge: Further Thoughts on Discrimination Between Readers,’ 55 – 64.

[2] Family Tree Magazine (May 2006), 63. This is not criticism of the induction for new readers provided by TNA.

[3] Turner and Coyle, ‘What Does it Mean to be a Donor Offspring? The Identity Experiences of Adults Conceived by Donor Insemination and the Implications for Counselling and Therapy,’ 2041 – 51.

[4] Further research in some areas and the gathering of targeted statistics is a necessary next step.

[5] Quoted from interview with Dr Alison Groves, St Giles Hospice, Lichfield, Staffs.

[6] Notably the work of the Centre for Palliative Care, University of Sheffield, England; see Winslow, ‘Polish Migration to Britain: War, Exile and Mental Health,’ 57 – 64.

[7] With thanks to Mark Watson, Heritage Officer, London Borough of Barking & Dagenham, for knowledge of this incident.

[8] Genogram research has formed part of the work of The Tavistock Centre for Couple Relationships, The Tavistock Centre, 120 Belsize Lane, London NW3 5BA.

[9] All interviews and information gathered for this article pointed to the mother being involved in memory box preparation. Further research is needed to discover what therapy, if different, is used for fathers.

[10] See Picardie, Before I Say Goodbye, for a personal perspective of memory boxes from a terminally ill mother.

[11] Fahlberg, A Child's Journey Through Placement, 141 – 3.

[12] Memory boxes are increasingly being used in Africa in projects working with HIV-affected mothers and their children. The production of a memory box by the family together is used to facilitate open communication of the subject of bereavement due to HIV/AIDS and in a poor community something as small as a protected photograph or a letter written by the mother will at least provide an orphaned child with the knowledge that they were loved.

[13] i.e. 24 per cent, representing 3,083,000 million children; data from Office of National Statistics 2001 Census.

[14] Fahlberg, A Child's Journey Through Placement, 367.

[15] O'Malley, Lifebooks: Creating a Treasure for the Adopted Child; Ryan and Walker, Life Story Work.

[16] Triseliotis, In Search of Origins: The Experiences of Adopted People, 166.

[17] Houghton Committee Report on the Adoption of Children, 1972.

[18] The Children Act, 1975 (which became effective on 1 January 1988) and the Adoption Act 1976 (which established arrangements necessary for adoption) have now been superceded by the Adoption and Children Act 2002.

[19] One adoptee who was interviewed for the article described, although happy with her adoptive family, how more comfortable she felt, being a medical practitioner, when she discovered her birth family had many members whose careers had been in medicine or the Church when her adoptive family did not.

[20] Louise Brown, recognised as being the world's first successful ‘test-tube’ baby, was born on 25 July 1978.

[21] Committee on Human Fertilisation and Embryology, Report of the Committee of Enquiry into Human Fertilisation and Embryology, 1984.

[22] Baroness Warnock, Lords Hansard text for 9 June 2004 at http://www.publications.parliament.uk.

[23] There are two exceptions: providing siblings for children who already exist from anonymous donors and using embryos created prior to 1 April 2006 from gametes of anonymous donors together with gametes of the recipient.

[24] The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (Disclosure of Donor Information) Regulations 2004.

[25] University of London, Senate House Library, c.2001.

[26] This phrase is used throughout this section as a general term to cover medical doctors, therapists and social workers.

[27] Schechter and Bertocci, ‘The Meaning of the Search,’ 64.

[28] Host and Feast, Adoption, Search and Reunion, the long-term experience of adopted adults; Elliott, Love Child—a Memoir of Adoption, Reunion, Loss and Love.

[29] With thanks to Mr and Mrs R. Young (address supplied) for their willingness to provide these details. They also described a growing interest in modern ‘family bibles’ and how they had put together a small portfolio to prevent the loss of family memories on the death of Mrs Young's mother in 2004.

[30] Name withheld.

[31] Figures from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority show that since 1991, nearly 18,000 babies have been born as a result of treatment using donated sperm, eggs or embryos.

[32] Information given by spokesperson from the General Register Office, April 2006.

[33] London Borough of Barking and Dagenham Local Studies Library, 2005.

[34] It would be useful if further research were carried out to identify a standard checklist of records that should be kept for these particular, but not uncommon, circumstances.

[35] London Borough of Barking and Dagenham Archives Service, 2004.

[36] Training is obviously needed here. An example given of a common signal of anxiety is a determined avoidance of eye-contact.

[37] It was suggested this might be done through the nearest local authority or The Tavistock Centre for Couple Relationships, The Tavistock Centre, 120 Belsize Lane, London NW3 5BA.

[38] http://www.bacp.co.uk/ (accessed 22 July 2006).

[39] Turner and Coyle, ‘What Does it Mean to be a Donor Offspring?’

[40] Department of Health White Paper, Our Health, Our Care, Our Say.

[41] Source withheld.

[42] G. Yeo, ‘Understanding Users and Use: A Market Segmentation Approach,’ 25 – 53.

[43] The government quango for the archive profession.

[44] Department of Health White Paper Our Health, Our Care, Our Say.