Amilies With Power

Families with Futures

Noted for its interdisciplinary approach to family studies, Families with Futures provides an engaging, contemporary look at the discipline's theories, methods, essential topics, and career opportunities. Featuring strong coverage of theories and methods, readers explore family concepts and processes through a positive prism. Concepts are brought to life through striking examples from everyday family life and cutting-edge scholarship. Throughout, families are viewed as challenged but resilient. Each chapter opens with a preview of the chapter content and concludes with key terms and varied learning activities that promote critical thinking. The activities include provocative questions and exercises, projects, and interactive web activities. Boxes feature authentic voices from scholars and practitioners (including CFLEs) from a variety of disciplines including family studies, sociology, psychology, and more. These boxes provide a firsthand look at what it is like to work in the field. The book concludes with a glossary defining each chapter’s boldfaced key terms. Updated throughout, the new edition features new coverage of: The latest family theories including feminist theory and postmodernism Immigrant and transnational families in the 21st century Physiology, psychology, and sociology of intimacy and sexuality Effects of recent health and other policy decisions on families Care giving in families, especially in later life Family finances, with an emphasis on the recent economic downturns Career opportunities in family studies. The new Instructor’s Resource website features test questions, PowerPoint slides, chapter outlines, news bulletins of current events, hotlinks to helpful tools such as the NCFR’s Ethical Principles and Guidelines, and more. This is an ideal text for upper-level undergraduate and lower-level graduate courses in family studies, family ecology, and family science offered in departments of family and consumer sciences, human development, psychology, and sociology.

Families with Power

What if the families of students most impacted by the opportunity gap somehow had the power to organize whatever activities they felt would best help their children succeed? That's the question that began Families with Power/Familias con Poder (FWP), a grassroots organization of low-income students and caregivers in Northampton, MA. Through vignettes and interviews, this premiere book in Sonia Nieto's Visions of Practice Series shares the stories and lessons FWP learned along the way. Inspired by Paulo Freire's educational philosophy and the radical tradition of the Highlander Folk School , a group of real families with few material resources and educators connected with each other, found common ground, and built their own programs to address the needs of their children. Readers will get an inside look at the benefits, successes, and challenges of more than a dozen years of student and family engagement in the community and school as FWP tackled issues ranging from academics, race, and class to immigration and public health. Book Features: The story of how the author cofounded Families with Power in cooperation with immigrant and low-income caregivers and fellow educators. Insight into multiple racial and ethnic perspectives as seen through a myriad of family engagement programs. A relatable collection of narratives that bring to life Freire's methods of problem posing, culture circles, and popular education, as well as Highlander Folk School's methods of grassroots organizing. Guidance to help today's teachers and school leaders connect with students' families and community in meaningful ways. The author's experience as a white teacher learning to bridge cultural, racial, linguistic, and class differences and build authentic relationships to better serve diverse communities.

Family Power