One job of the Inclusion and Diversity Committee (IDC) is to engage the membership in scholarly dialogue pertaining to issues of inclusion and diversity. Like many other organizations, and society at large, NCFR is grappling with issues of social justice. The 2015 conference feedback revealed that many members are calling for NCFR to be more active in discussing and doing social justice work both within and outside the organization. For example, the IDC conducted a session on "Social Justice Strategies in the Age of Ferguson" at the 2015 conference, which clearly resonated with people based on the great attendance and the positive feedback given by attendees. We recognize, however, that social justice may be conceptualized in a number of ways, across a diverse sample of people. Therefore, as we contemplate how to make NCFR a more inclusive organization to serve diverse populations, especially marginalized and less visible families and their members, the IDC has investigated how researchers, practitioners, and educators have conceptualized and applied social justice in the field of Family Science.

Social justice missions in academic programs

Many academic programs use the term social justice to guide their departments and the work that they do. The IDC reviewed the 302 degree programs in Family Science listed on the NCFR website and cross-checked the program information via a Google search. Twenty programs explicitly stated social justice in their mission statements or program information. These programs advocate students' learning through awareness of diversity, injustice and inequalities, self-reflection, and a firm understanding of societal influences on families in order to prepare students to have professional capacities to serve all families, including diverse and marginalized families within multicultural contexts.

Social justice in pedagogy

Family Science scholars have also been writing about social justice in higher education for some time (McDowell & Shelton, 2002; McGeorge et al., 2006; Sensoy & DiAngelo, 2009; Speight & Vera, 2004). These pedagogical writings were part of endeavors to help students understand how social injustice (i.e., oppression, differential privilege and power, structural inequalities, etc.) influences the lives of all families. Through experiential and reflective learning processes, instructors who use a social justice framework in their classrooms emphasize providing an environment for future professionals that allows students to investigate their own lived experiences of power, privilege, and oppression.

Social justice in research

A social justice framework has been used by scholars to conduct methodologically, conceptually, and purposefully various research studies (De Reus & Blume, 2011; Moore, 2011). These researchers argue that societal structures can influence research methods, interpretation of research findings, and theoretical development and application. In addition, biases, power, and privilege exist in science, and inattentive research may reinforce these inequalities (Russell, 2016). Therefore, many scholars have concluded that the effective utilization of scientific knowledge, grounded in a social justice framework, can help researchers contextualize the situations that individuals and families are facing. By extension, this knowledge will also help practitioners and policymakers find better solutions and promote positive development among all individuals, families, and communities (Lerner, 2015).

Future directions

In summary, there is an increasing movement to apply a social justice framework to research, practice, and education in the field of family science. Although there are various notions about the term social justice among professionals in the fields mentioned above, it seems that there is a general consensus that dissemination of scientific knowledge and appropriate training among professionals in our field can be a powerful source of social change to promote more equal rights and improved well-being among the diverse families whom we serve. These scholars also emphasize the importance of scientific knowledge-based action to produce a humane and just world. Based upon these literatures, social justice—and operating under a social justice framework—refers to:

Individuals and organizations actively (1) identifying the dynamics of socially structured and institutionalized oppression and privilege; (2) self-reflecting on our own socialization linked to social locations (e.g., race, class, age, gender, sexual orientation, ability, etc.); and (3) acting on systematic and hidden disparities with meaningful leadership in the field of Family Science.

Our hope is that this article helps open up the discussion as to what social justice means in a context of Family Science. Based on the current literature, the IDC is currently developing a working definition of social justice and a social justice framework in the field of family science. As always, we welcome your input on defining social justice and social justice framework because this discussion strengthens the mission of NCFR. In addition, we hope to continue this discussion at the IDC-related sessions during the 2016 annual conference. Keep an eye out for announcements about our sessions so you can join us in continuing a discussion about social justice in the context of family science.

*Additional committee members are Sandy Bailey (chair-elect), Ruben Viramontez Anguiano, Shann Hwa (Abraham) Hwang, and Jennifer Kerpelman (board liaison).

Selected references

De Reus, L. A., & Blume, L. B. (Eds.). (2011). Social, economic, and environmental justice for all families. Groves Monographs on Marriage and Family: Vol.1. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Library. doi:10.3998/groves.9453087.0001.001

Lerner, R. (2015). Promoting positive human development and social justice: Integrating theory, research and application in contemporary developmental science. International Journal of Psychology, 50, 165–173. doi:10.1002/ijop.12162

McDowell, T., & Shelton, D. (2002). Valuing ideas of social justice in MFT curricula. Contemporary Family Therapy, 24, 313–331. doi:10.1023/A:1015351408957

McGeorge, C. R., Carlson, T. S., Erickson, M. J., & Guttormson, H. E. (2006). Creating and evaluating a feminist-informed social justice couple and family therapy training model. Journal of Feminist Family Therapy, 18, 1–38. doi:10.1300/J086v18n03_01

Moore, S. (Ed.). (2011). Child, youth and family studies. International Journal of Child, Youth, and Family Studies, 2 [Special issue].

Russell, S. T. (2016). Social justice, research, and adolescence. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 26, 4–15. doi:10.1111/jora.12249

Sensoy, Ö, & DiAngelo, R. (2009, January). Developing social justice literary: An open letter to our faculty colleagues. Phi Delta Kappan, pp. 345–352.

Speight, S. L., & Vera, E. M. (2004). A social justice agenda: Ready, or not? The Counseling Psychologist, 32, 109–118. doi:10.1177/0011000003260005