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Introduction
to
Diverse Families: a Dialogue about
Reflective Practice
Katia
Paz Goldfarb
Dr. Goldfarb is
Assistant Professor, Department of Family
Studies, University of New Mexico.
This
collection of essays focuses on applications of
the Reflective Human Action theory (Andrews,
Mitstifer, Rehm, & Vaughn, 1995) in the arena
of family diversity. The theme underlying this
issue explores how professionals and
organizations, connected with our field, are
working, researching, teaching, contributing,
serving, and analyzing the diversity represented
in today's families using the Reflective Human
Action theory to further our understanding.
In our profession, we deal with individuals,
families, and groups. Diversity is becoming a
norm in modern times. Families encompass a
variety of familial relationships as well as
different cultures, religions, ethnicities,
races, national origins, and socioeconomic
status. The goal of this issue is to use the
Reflective Human Action theory to frame our
study, work, and understanding of programs,
services, research, policy, and teaching related
to a wide variety of families. The essays may
give other professionals ideas and inspiration
for their practice involving family diversity.
As a nonpositional leadership perspective,
Reflective Human Action features the principles
of accepting chaos, sharing information,
developing relationships, and embracing
vision--all supported by authenticity, ethical
sensibility, and spirituality. But most
importantly, this theory encourages reflective
engagement--searching for meaning and thinking
about what you are doing while you are doing it.
Invitation
Additional articles will be considered for
publication upon peer review. We hope that
others will be challenged to apply Reflective
Human Action to other cases of family diversity
at macro and micro levels. Topics appropriate
for this publication include, but are not
limited to, same-sex families, divorce, step-families, grandparents raising grandchildren,
ethnic minority families, marginalized families,
multirace and multiethnic families,
multigenerational families, homeless families,
and commuter families.
Authors are asked to focus on the strengths
of families rather than pathologies or deficits.
The format of the articles may vary from
personal experiences to research-based essays.
Thoughtful analysis will help us, as individuals
and collectively as a profession, achieve the
mission to which we are dedicated: empowered
individuals, strengthened families, and enabled
communities.
Reference
Andrews,
F. E., Mitstifer, D. I., Rehm, M., & Vaughn,
G. G. (1995). Leadership: Reflective human
action. East Lansing, MI: Kappa Omicron Nu.
For further information about manuscripts:
  Via
E-Mail
Dr.
Dorothy I. Mitstifer, Executive Director
Call
for Papers
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