National Symposium on Family Issues
Overview
Each year at Penn State, the College of the Liberal Arts, the College of Health and Human Development, and the Population Research Institute hold a two-day symposium focused on a key problem facing families. The symposium is organized by Alan Booth, Distinguished Professor of Sociology, Human Development, and Demography, Susan M. McHale, Professor of Human Development and Family Studies, and Director, Social Science Research Institute and Children, Youth and Families Consortium, and Nancy S. Landale, Professor of Sociology and Demography and Director of the Population Research Institute. Past symposia have focused on such questions as: What are the origins of cohabitation unions, and how do these unions affect the likelihood of divorce? Under what conditions do relationships in step-families flourish, or go awry? How can workplace policies positively impact organizations while at the same time enhance family life for employees? How do families influence a child's readiness for school? What are the challenges and prospects faced by Hispanic children in immigrant families?
Every fall, 200 scholars and policy experts attend what is now known as the National Symposium on Family Issues to consider a theme of multidisciplinary interest. Sixteen of the top scholars in the field of family research (some of whom are Penn State faculty) convene to present and critique research on the focal topic, to consider future directions for research, and to discuss how programs and public policy can effectively improve the state of families. The event brings scholars into contact with other distinguished researchers in such diverse fields as family studies, child development, sociology, psychology, education, economics, anthropology, law, and history. The symposium co-organizers make an effort where possible to include international scholars, including speakers from Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and Sweden.
The audience, which has many opportunities to participate in the discussions, consists of Penn State undergraduate and graduate students and faculty, Penn State alumni, students and faculty from other institutions, as well as community, state, and national policy makers, program staff and administrators, and members of the public. Students are exposed to some of the most important issues in the field and become better scholars and practitioners by learning about the dimensions and complexity of problems facing families. Each symposium includes a reception designed to bring students into face-to-face exchanges with world-renowned family scholars. Books based on each symposium bring the event to an even wider audience. The volumes have received favorable reviews and are used as reference works by faculty, students and practitioners. In sum, the National Symposium on Families is a landmark event each year in the ongoing study of families, reaching a wide audience and affecting the national conversation on this very important topic.
For more information about the National Symposium on Family Issues, please contact:
Carolyn Scott
The Pennsylvania State University
Population Research Institute
601 Oswald Tower
University Park, PA 16802
Phone: (814) 865-0486
Fax: (814) 863-8342
Email: css7@psu.edu
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