Read through the instructions for the assignment (below) and be sure you understand what is expected of you. If you are uncertain about any of the requirements of the assignment, contact your Instructor for clarification. This assignment serves the primary purpose of ensuring that you understand the basics of Writing with Integrity during your time as a student and later when practicing as a professional. Integrity in writing is the hallmark of a true professional.

Assignment
Now that you have completed the previous activities, you are ready to complete this week’s assignment.

Read the two articles listed in the Books and Resources section for this week (Framo, J. L., 1996, July; Fraenkel, P., 2005), where two MFTs discuss the history and future of the Marriage and Family Therapy profession. Take time to understand the points that the two therapists are making. Distill those points into your own thoughts and then, prepare a paper comparing and contrasting their perspectives on the profession of Marriage and Family Therapy. Be sure to apply skills in paraphrasing, APA paper structure, format, headings, and using proper APA citations (in the text and on the references page). As you write this paper it is often helpful to return to the articles and make notes, in your own words, of the main points you want to address. It is also a good idea to write a draft of your paper, put it aside, and return to it after going back to the articles one more time. Please avoid the use of direct quotations if possible (remember Dr. Henline’s suggestion of only using direct quotations 1-2 times in a paper). Remember to read and reflect on the content of the articles and then write the paper in your own words and phrases. Doing this well will ensure an acceptable grade on this assignment and encourage preparation for Writing with Integrity throughout your experience in the program. When you do need to use a direct quotation or to paraphrase the original articles, follow APA style in doing so.

Consider using the following as the headings (see bolded phrases below) for your paper:

• Identify each MFT and the context of how they found their way into the field.

• Discuss the challenges (external or internal) that each encountered in their professional paths as MFTs, if any.

• Discuss any similarities in their views of the history and future of the profession.

• Note differences in their views of the history and future of the profession.

• Finally, briefly discuss what this may mean for you as a beginning MFT.

Keep your paper within the suggested length (writing in a concise manner is an important aspect of scholarly writing). What is critical in this assignment is that you write clearly, paraphrase correctly, and use citations and references appropriately. Your paper will be submitted to a text-matching service (Turnitin.com) to see how well you were able to discuss these ideas in your own words using appropriate citations. Your Instructor will share the report with you so you can see how you did. You must receive an acceptable Turnitin.com evaluation as determined by your Instructor’s review. Also note that Northcentral uses the same online text matching service to help us spot Academic Integrity violations and to guide students who may be relying too much on the writing style and phrases of others and not enough on their own style.

Length: 2-3 pages

Here are the articles, Framo, J. L., 1996 and July; Fraenkel, P., 2005