Once the research design is established, the data collected, and the proper calculations made, researchers must still ask, "What do these findings mean for real families in real situations? And what are the policy implications for government, business, and family-serving organizations?" In other words, "So what?" In this issue, we attempt to help researchers answer this question. We offer suggestions on how to present research findings to policymakers and engage students in policy discussions. We also explore the relationship between public policy and child care, child custody, single-mother families and other issues.
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."
According to futurist Faith Popcorn, it's a "dream as old as America itself: give me a piece of land to call my own, a little town where everyone knows my name." But that dream is getting harder to realize. Many farmers are declaring bankruptcy. Jobs are scarce. Health care and social services may be hours away from those who need them. In this issue, we explore these issues and their impact on rural families.
"We have the idea that if a thing can be done, then it ought to be done," British author J.B. Priestly once wrote. "We don't stop to think of the possible consequences of its use." Priestly could have been writing about advances in medical technology, which have consequences that are often miraculous - and sometimes disturbing. In this issue, we explore some of these technologies and their impact of family.
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.
