035: A Broader Look at Theory and Its Application to Families

David Bell; Diana Cedeno; Adam Galovan; Yan Wang; Kani Diop

4:30 PM
5:45 PM
Location
Virtual
Session #
035
Session Type
TCRM
The recording of this session is available for free to NCFR members. Log in or become an NCFR member to access it.

About the Session

TCRM Paper Session 3 - (Conference Attendance Credit: #1 hr)

035-01: A Proper Language For Theory
David C. Bell

Summary
The term "theory" has a central role in scientific endeavor in general and family science in particular. But because it is respected, even revered, researchers have used this single term to describe many quite different expressions of scientific understanding. These multiple types of theory have different characteristics, serve different purposes, and are used in different ways. The purpose of this paper is to provide a consistent typology of the major forms of theory and to show how their consistent use will improve current theory development and support progress in family science.

035-02: A Hegelian Theory of Family Science
Diana Cedeno

Summary
German philosopher Hegel explored important relationships between family and political life. Although his writings on the topic are usually related to civil life and family, he had a particular focus on the of role self-consciousness in family processes. Although relevant in many other fields (e.g., sociology, law, politics), Hegel has been somewhat ignored in family science and human development, and there are few academics that investigate the epistemological influence of his philosophy in our modern conception of family and its multiple ramifications. Therefore, this article will propose a Hegelian theory of family; epistemological and methodological implications will be discussed.

Discussants: Adam Galovan, Yan Wang

Moderator: Kani Diop

Bundle name
Conference Session