The international character of San Francisco, the site for the 2009 NCFR Conference, will afford an exciting context for examining how diversity issues affect family scholarship, practice, policy, and education and how each of us might contribute to better understanding of the heterogeneity, as well as the commonalities of diverse families, not only in the United States, but also around the globe. [See page for links to the conference program booklet; audio/video order form; program schedule; and presentation downloads/handouts]
What are the key recent and long-term changes in family formation? What are the implications for the wellbeing of families and children, especially in the current economic context? What policy innovations are needed to support parents and children given increasingly complex family situations?
Maria Cancian, Ph.D., Professor of Public Affairs and Social Work, and an affiliate of the Institute for Research on Poverty and the Center for Demography and Ecology, La Follette School of Public Affairs, School of Social Work, University of Wisconsin-Madison
To help individuals and society cope with [divorce], we need to move beyond sweeping generalizations about the "average" outcome of divorce and conduct more fine-tuned investigations into the full range of family processes and events that increase the risks of damage or augment the resilience of children and adults.
by Maria J. Kefalas, Ph.D., Saint Joseph’s University, and Patrick Carr, Ph.D. Rutgers University
Increasingly, demographers and policymakers warn that the future of the nation's small towns lies in their ability to attract enough educated and professionally-trained young people to keep their communities viable. After all, a new birth cannot replace one of its young people-particularly the ones with a college degree-who head off to the big city in search of better jobs and brighter opportunities. Without enough young people to purchase homes, hold jobs, pay taxes, and raise children, communities cannot survive.
by Karen Seccombe, MSW, Ph.D., School of Community Health, Portland State University
The telephone rang. "A telemarketer, perhaps? Ugh, just let it ring. No, wait, it could be important...." Sure enough, it was every parent's nightmare, "Karen, I'm calling to tell you that your daughter had an accident at school and may have broken her arm."
Conventional wisdom and research strongly suggest that when divorced parents can eventually co-parent, protect their children from their unresolved conflicts, incorporate authoritative parenting skills and maintain good mental health, their children have a good chance to fare well in the long term. These are ideal goals for any family, not just those of divorce. But, during the stressful period prior to the separation-and often for several years afterward-even the most dedicated parents are unsteady.
by Linda M. Burton, Ph.D., James B. Duke Professor of Sociology, Duke University, and Andrew J. Cherlin, Ph.D., Benjamin H. Griswold III Professor of Sociology and Public Policy, Department of Sociology, Johns Hopkins University
Trust is jiggly, and it can look like something it is not. You can't trust trust, and you can't trust Jell-O. That's what I've learned from working with [low-income couples]."
