In this issue of NCFR Report, we are covering a unique topic in our Family Focus section. To this point, there's never been an edition that didn't cover an aspect of family studies, per se. This time we will focus not on our field but on how we came to develop professionally in our field. Many, many NCFR members will tell you that the reason they found their chosen career-or have advanced in it-is in part a result of the nurturing guidance of a mentor. NCFR is known for colleague generativity. Read these grateful and fond tributes that mentees have for their mentors.
From the "Failure to Launch" to "Helicopter Parents," research on young adults reveals that media messages do not tell the story about the 18 - 25 year old population. Developmental psychologists, sociologists, demographers and public policy professionals are helping all of us understand the special needs of those at this important developmental stage. What are the unique concerns of emerging adults? What does the latest research show? How does public policy meet-or fail to meet- their needs? How can family professionals help families through this transition? In this issue of NCFR Report, NCFR experts examine these and other questions.
No longer children, not yet adults, adolescents are negotiating a unique developmental stage of transition and transformation. What are the risks? What promotes resilience? In this issue of NCFR Report, your colleagues answer these and other questions.
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.
"There is no way to escape aging. I, too, will grow old." This is the first of five "remembrances" that form a daily Buddhist meditation, meant to remind practitioners of life's transitory nature. In this issue, we explore various aspects of aging and related issues, such as state and federal public policies, intergenerational equity, retirement, romance and sexuality, grandparenting, caregiving, and the transmission of wisdom through storytelling.
Family Focus on Substance Abuse Across the Life Span
"O God! That men and women should put an enemy in their mouths to steal away their brains," wrote Shakespeare in Othello. Today, people still drink to excess, but they also abuse a host of other substances that "steal away their brains." Articles in this issue of NCFR Report exlore substance abuse and associated issues, including children born with fetal alcohol syndrome, adolescents who smoke, college students in recovery, older alcoholics, and the need for services tailored to rural residents.
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.
Family Focus on Mental Health Over the Life Course
"Mental health" is more than the absence of mental illness. It is the balance among the social, physical, spiritual, and emotional aspects of life. Our mental health impacts our choices and our ability to life's challenges. In this issue, we explore the mental health of interracial couples; poor, rural mothers; noncustodial mothers; infants, and immigrant youth. We also include information on programs that connect families and individuals with mental health resources and mentoring programs.
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."
