The professionalism of this book makes it fascinating reading. Perhaps as fascinating as the International Year of the Family itself. The unanimous proclamation by the General Assembly of the United Nations of 1994 as International Year of the Family (IYF) was proof of the global concern over the future of the family and the growing interest in family issues around the world. Although there had been a certain “fatigue” with events of this kind, an international year devoted to the family was thought to be the type of subject that lent itself to the setting and achieving of tangible objectives...

Families matter, and so do economic, social, cultural, and political matters concerning families. After decades of neglect, today there is resurgent interest in families (Boyden, 1993; United Nations, 1992c). Some of this interest derives from publications produced by the academic community (e.g., Burggraf, 1997; Halpern, 1998), including research on the role of families in preventing social problems and filling individual needs (e.g., Kamerman & Kahn, 1978; Kumpfer, 1998).

A second source of interest stems from political mobilizations regarding families, family rights, and gender rights (e.g., Berheide & Chow, 1994). In some cases, historically marginalized, oppressed, and disfranchised groups are helping to foster...

As a new century begins, theworld community faces unprecedented challenges and changes (e.g., Bruce, Lloyd, & Leonard, 1995; Leidenfrost, 1992; Mason, Skolnick, & Sugeraman, 1998; Stoez & Saunders, 1999; United Nations, 1995e). For example, individuals and families are migrating and fleeing at unprecedented rates (Cohen & Deng, 1998), and families are affected as people move (Henderson, 1996; UNDP, 1999). Some families are becoming fragmented, and others are becoming destabilized (e.g., Booth, Crouter, & Lanvale, 1997). This unprecedented number of migrants, immigrants, and refugees challenges nations, especially ones that were once more culturally homogeneous. These nations now face the challenges of growing ethnic and cultural diversity....

Family structures, systems, and dynamics vary. Despite their diversity, the world’s families share similar responsibilities and challenges (United Nations, 1993c). For example, families are involved in educating, counseling, nurturing, socializing, healing, feeding, and sheltering. In fact, in comparison to any social and health service system, families have more duties and responsibilities. Unlike these service systems, families usually perform these duties without appropriate recognition and rewards.

In the same vein, families are often expected to function without supports, services, and resources from their communities and nations. And sometimes families are viewed as “deficient and dysfunctional” and blamed for problems outside their...

Economic and employment development priorities and policies affect families. In many cases, services, resources, and supports are responsive to families to the extent that their income and employment needs are met. Full and gender-equitable employment is a key contributor to individual and family well-being (Briar, 1988; Briar-Lawson, 2000-a). When employment is provided, it is a key social investment and family support strategy. This claim leads to two related claims: (1) families are important workplaces, and (2) workplaces outside the family need to be family supportive (United Nations, 1994c, 1995c; United Nations Economic and Social Council Commission, 1993).

Unfortunately, many helping...

Family policy is a coherent set of principles and practices that influence, and are influenced by, services, supports, and resources provided by families and helping professionals. Family policy calls attention to the roles and responsibilities of governments and their departments, agencies funded by governments, and nongovernmental organizations. Family policy entails developing laws, policies, rules, and regulations that affect families. And ultimately, policy is what families experience, every day, at the same time that it may shape the practices of helping professionals.

Family policies include the following (Baker, 1995, p. 5):

1. Laws relating to family rights and issues such as marriage,...

Family-centered policies and practices are action strategies for making improvements for families, and for heading people, helping professions, organizations, communities, governments, and nations in new directions. They are informed by scientific findings and thinking, but they are not scientific instruments. They cannot be scientific instruments because policies and practices are not value neutral, or value free (e.g., Schön & Rein, 1994). Family-centered policies are value-committed instruments for maximizing benefits and minimizing harm for families and the professionals who serve them.

Family-centered policies and practices are normative instruments because they are designed to establish new norms and standards. Ideally, family-centered policies “level...

The nations making up the world community are diverse. Family-centered policy and practice advocates need to take into account this diversity. They will need to accommodate local, state, and provincial differences. These policy and practice frameworks will need to be culturally responsive and inclusive whenever possible—the exception being when international human rights violations are evident. In turn, they need to promote culturally competent practices by helping professionals. There are, in brief, multiple possibilities for family-centered policies and practices.

As diverse as these policies and practices may be, the mere fact that all such policies and practices are called family...

Discourses are patterns of language use that reflect people’s thoughts and values. Discourses are, in other words, practice routines. A key aspect of family-centered policy and practice is changing past /present discourses, which are not family sensitive and family supportive, and helping develop new, family-centered discourses (National Association of Social Workers, 1988, 1993).

This chapter presents some of the possible discourses in specific scenarios that are likely to unfold as policy makers and practitioners struggle to become more family centered in their thinking. Several questions arise in such a discourse: How can policy makers and practitioners charged with a single-system...

There are two adages that help to guide the next two chapters. First, the very minds that created many of the problems facing the world’s families as the twenty-first century begins are not the ones to solve them. Second, the dominant stakeholders who seek fewer investments in welfare states and more protections for free markets are not likely to initiate a family investment agenda.

Advocates and helping professionals must harness the rhetoric about the importance of families. If they do, they can become solution based in their own neighborhoods, communities, networks, and organizations. Or perhaps they will address demise syndromes...

This chapter builds on some of the action strategies and policy-practice skills that were identified in the previous chapter. The aim of this chapter is to encourage and offer support for family-centered helping professionals who take risks on behalf of families (Hartman & Laird, 1983; Zlotnik, 1998). These family-centered professionals are special leaders. They are innovators and advocates. They refuse to be limited by their job descriptions and formal roles, and they often stretch their responsibilities in response to family needs. As they do, they pioneer new policy practices. Through their efforts and achievements they change organizational structures, cultures, and policies...

A great transformation in human history is under way. The industrial age is giving way to a global age. Globalization is a relatively new concept, and it is used with increasing frequency to describe this transformation. Although some consensus has developed about this transformation and the process of globalization, diverse perspectives remain. Analysts everywhere continue to wrestle with globalization’s defining features, correlates, influences, and effects. Littlewonder: Globalization is a multifaceted, comprehensive process. It poses the ultimate, interdisciplinary challenge, and its challenges for family-centered policies and practices are even more formidable.

Globalization’s analysts must cross disciplinary boundaries. In addition, they must...

Economic globalization, liberalization, and commodity chain effects are part of an international game. They may be driving forces behind the more comprehensive, multifaceted process of globalization. Clearly, they have standardizing and homogenizing effects. To return to the questions posed at the beginning of chapter 10, do these effects predict even more pervasive sameness and uniformity? As globalization progresses, will cultural diversity gradually disappear? Are indigenous ways of living destined to be “erased”? Are people powerless to protect their religious and cultural traditions and to resist globalization?

This chapter picks up where the previous one left off by addressing questions like...

The dawning of a new millennium may mark a historic turning point for the world’s families, along with the policy makers, helping professionals, and advocates who serve them. Groups, organizations, nations, and regional alliances among nations, which have never before joined forces, may do so now to advocate and gain support for family-centered policies and practices.

These new-century policies and practices will be integrative and comprehensive. They will promote and safeguard the rights of women, children, refugees, elders, and indigenous people. They will help to ensure environmental protection and sustainability. They will address patriarchy. They will incorporate needs related to...