Spring 2020 NCFR Report (News only) PDF

Family Focus on Family Rituals

Family rituals serve an important function in supporting coherence and well-being in families. While routines are primarily instrumental and behavioral, rituals are more meaningful and symbolic and often passed down through generations. It is that deeper meaning of creating family connections that is reflected in the articles presented in this issue.

Access to Family Focus articles is a benefit of NCFR membership — join today!

• Overview and Introduction — Judith A. Myers-Walls, Ph.D., CFLE Emeritus
• Rituals and Couples: Understanding the Role of Rituals in Relationship Stage Transitions — Christopher Maniotes, M.S.
• Navigating Rituals and Family Change for Stepfamilies — Dawn O. Braithwaite, Ph.D.; and Robert D. Hall
• Rituals, Routines, and Implications for Foster Families — Morgan E. Cooley, Ph.D., LCSW
• Blessings and Burdens: Reconceptualizing Family Rituals to Include Consideration of Human and Economic Costs — Shannon Weaver, Ph.D.; and Rachael Farina, LMFT, ADS
• The Enduring Ritual of Family Meals — Sean Brotherson, Ph.D.; and Philip Estepp, M.S.
• Mealtime Rituals Have an Impact on Health Outcomes: Research on Hispanic Immigrant Families — Elizabeth Villegas, Ph.D.; and Angela R. Wiley, Ph.D.
• Should Media be Invited to Dinner? — Kathryn Monahan, Ph.D., CFLE
• Cancer, Meaning, and Family Resilience Rituals — Renata Sledge, M.S.W., LCSW
• Facilitating Developmentally Supportive Rituals for Diverse Families With Young Children — Ross Glen Chandler Nunamaker, M.S.Ed.; and William A. Mosier, Ed.D., IMFT

Each issue of NCFR Report features a "Family Focus" section containing research- and practice-based articles on that issue's theme, written by family scholars and professionals. Articles are accepted based on an editorial review process.

Family Focus PDF (members only)

News Articles and Member Group Updates

The following news articles and updates below from our spring 2020 issue are open to the public. 

• Congratulations to New NCFR Fellows: Catherine Solheim and Kimberly Updegraff
• Liana Sayer Named Next Editor of NCFR’s Journal of Marriage and Family
• Debra L. Berke Selected as 2022 NCFR Annual Conference Program Chair
• President’s Report: How Global Ends Guide NCFR’s Path Forward — Leigh A. Leslie, Ph.D. NCFR President
• Executive Review: Updates on Conference, Member Benefits, & More — Diane Cushman, NCFR Executive Director
• Directions: Marketing Family Life Education, Part 2—Past and Future Efforts — Dawn Cassidy, M.Ed., CFLE, Director of Family Life Education
• Family Science Report: Use NCFR Teaching Resources in Your Classroom — Jennifer Crosswhite, Ph.D., CFLE, Director of Research and Policy Education
• Call for Nominations for 2020 NCFR Awards
• Revisiting Social Justice in the Context of Family Science: Considerations for Teaching, Scholarship, and Research — Members of the NCFR Inclusion and Diversity Committee
• Advancing Family Science Section Update — Jennifer S. Reinke, Ph.D., LMFT, CFLE, AFS Section Chair
• Family Policy Section Update — Morgan Cooley, Ph.D., LCSW; Anthony Ferraro, Ph.D., CFLE; Susan Meyerle, Ph.D.; and Jordan Arellanes, Ph.D.

NCFR Report is a copyrighted publication of the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR). No part of NCFR Report, including Family Focus articles, may be reproduced, disseminated, or distributed by any means without permission of NCFR.

Permissions are available by contacting NCFR. NCFR reserves the right to deny any permission at its sole discretion.