How to add ethnicity to a genogram
In Genogram Creator, ethnicity and cultural background are recorded in the Heritage section of each person’s details panel. Each heritage gets a fill pattern on the person’s symbol and a label you type yourself, so you can use whatever terms your course or practice prefers.
Works the same on iPhone, iPad and Mac.
Step by step
- 1
Select the person
Open your genogram and tap the person (click on Mac). Their details panel opens: on the right on iPad and Mac, sliding up from the bottom on iPhone.
- 2
Open the Heritage section
Ethnicity lives under Heritage, the section with the globe icon. On iPad and Mac, tap the Heritage header to expand it. On iPhone, tap the Heritage chip in the row of sections at the top of the panel.
- 3
Pick a fill pattern
Tap one of the eleven patterns (Horizontal, Waves, Dots and so on). The person’s square or circle fills with it. Each pattern stands for one heritage, so give everyone who shares a background the same pattern.
- 4
Type the ethnicity
Under Active Layers, type the ethnicity or cultural background next to the pattern, for example “Mexican”, “Irish” or “Navajo/Diné”.
Pick a pattern, then type the ethnicity under Active Layers. - 5
Add a second heritage if needed
For mixed heritage, tap a second pattern. Each one gets its own line under Active Layers, so you can label both, for example “Korean” and “Irish”.
- 6
Check it on the chart
The ethnicity is written under the person’s name while the Cultural view is on, which it is by default. If you don’t see it, tap Views (the layers button in the toolbar on iPad and Mac, or the More tools menu (…) on iPhone) and turn on Cultural. The legend lists each pattern in use.
Watch it
Ethnicity and cultural heritage
Tips
Set it for several people at once
Select several people, then pick the pattern in the panel. It applies to everyone selected, which is quicker for a whole branch of the family.
Religion and location are separate
Religion has its own section (star icon) and a badge on the symbol. Birthplace is under Vitals & Dates and the country someone lives in is under Location. Keep Heritage for ethnicity and culture.
Hide the words, keep the pattern
Turn off Cultural in Views to remove the ethnicity text from the chart. The pattern fill stays, because it is part of the symbol. To remove a heritage entirely, tap its pattern again.
Related guides
How to add religion to a genogram
Add a religion badge, mark someone as non-practicing, and add detail.
How to show location and immigration on a genogram
Add a country flag to each person and mark immigration on the family line.
How to add medical conditions to a genogram
Shade symbols for illness and substance use, mark conditions as suspected or in recovery.
Still stuck? Email support@genogramcreator.com and a person will reply. Or browse all tutorials.