Teasing out the issue of Social Class from other family demographics such as race, ethnicity, occupation, and geographic setting isn't easy. Annette Lareau, Stephen Marks and other scholars will get us started- And so "Class" begins now.
"The truth is that families come in many different shapes these days, and all of them deserve respect," proclaimed an editorial that appeared several years ago in the Minneapolis Star Tribune. In this issue, we explore some of those shapes and what they mean for family members. We also explore several new theories about the family and its continuing evolution.
To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the International Year of the Family, this issue of NCFR Report presents perspectives from around the world. Such perspectives are essential. By 2025, over 80 percent of the world's population will live in Latin America, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. In the United States, immigration from non-Western countries now accounts for a major share of population growth. It's time to develop a more comprehensive approach to our understanding of diverse families within the ever-changing demographic landscape.
"...no argument can stand that supports unequal opportunity or any intrinsic disqualification for sharing in the whole of life," wrote anthropologist Margaret Mead. Articles in this issue of NCFR Report-which complements the annual conference theme-explore inequalities that affect families. Some are external and lead to poverty and lack of civic participation. Others exist within the family itself as a result of divorce or gender roles.
Carrie Saxon Perry, the former mayor of Hartford, Connecticut, once defined poverty as a lack of options: "The less choice you have, the poorer you are." That describes the life of working-poor families. A lack of living-wage jobs often means that families must live in unsafe housing, forego healthcare, or eat whatever they can find at the food shelf. In this issue, we explore the lives of those who are "trying to make a way outa' no way."
In 1996, the U.S. shifted to a "work first" welfare system. For example, the work exemption for parents of children under 3 years of age was repealed, and less emphasis was placed on skills development and education. In this issue, we explore the effects of welfare reform on families and children and look at ways to facilitate the transition from welfare to work.
Domestic abuse, bullying and school shootings, child abuse, suicide ... sometimes it seems as though we are surrounded by violence. Less evident are the efforts of those working to prevent violence. In this issue, we explore some of those efforts - including anger management training, a therapeutic visitation program for parents in the child protection system, a community-based youth-violence program, and the use of sophisticated computer technology to predict "hot spots."
