Instructor’s Manual Karen Bogenschneider & Maureen Ittig Instructor’s Manual to accompany Family Policy Matters: How Policymaking Affects Families and What Professionals Can Do Second Edition Introduction to the Instructor’s Manual Dear instructors of undergraduate and/or graduate family policy courses: Congratulations! You will be teaching a course that is one-of-a-kind on most college campuses and, if taught well, has the potential to benefit students and families alike. A family policy course can “hook” students on the power of policy in the lives of families and trigger in these budding professionals a life-long passion for influencing family policies in their community, state, and nation. If we are able to inspire students to action, the ultimate beneficiary will be families who are shaped by the policy environment as surely as by the other contexts in which they operate. My co-authors and I have written this manual in the spirit of efficiency so every instructor does not have to “reinvent the wheel.” This manual provides step-by-step guidelines for teaching a college course on family policy. We do not view this manual as a blueprint, but rather as a guide that provides a number of student-tested techniques acquired over a decade of teaching undergraduate and graduate courses. For new instructors, we hope these ideas will jump-start course preparation by providing teaching aides that come from years of experience. For veteran instructors, we hope that these ideas will bring a fresh perspective, updated readings, and practical examples that will make a good course even better. As detailed below, we have strived to include in this manual the stuff from which good courses and high teaching evaluations are made: • The Teaching Philosophy that undergirds this course is important to any class, but especially to a course like family policy that is challenging to teach, given its fluid nature and value-laden content. The four-page teaching philosophy, much of which is shared orally with students, sets clear expectations for the course and helps establish a safe, accepting classroom climate in which learning can best occur. • The Teaching Precepts that can make an esoteric topic like family policy come alive for students are summarized in an article that I published recently in a special Family Relations collection on teaching. • Sample Syllabi for Both an Undergraduate and Graduate Course supply teaching objectives, guiding questions, readings, assignments, and activities for every class. • Readings carefully selected from the Bogenschneider text and beyond are ones that students find engaging and that never fail to elicit discussion and critical thinking. Some of the readings are cutting-edge and others are classics that graduates of a family policy course should be familiar with. Others are included because of their insensitivity to family well-being, a cultural bias, or conceptual inconsistencies in a conscious attempt to help students become critical consumers of scholarly writing. • Activities, 14 that I have used in my classes and 12 from other family policy instructors across the country, are guaranteed to teach class concepts in ways that students tell me they remember years later. • Discussion questions are provided on the CD and in the daily lesson plans for every assigned reading, which may be one of the biggest time-savers for instructors as well as a component that I think is fundamental to effectively teaching a family policy course. Each week I distribute the discussion questions for the following week, which guides student’s reading of course materials and helps them come to class prepared to critically engage key concepts. • Presentations are available to enrich your classes, including one talk given at the National Press Club and five talks prepared for state, national, and international meetings; most are complete with PowerPoint slides and a script. • Daily Lesson Plans—29 for the undergraduate class and 15 for the graduate class—provide objectives, in-theclassroom teaching techniques, activities, homework, assignments, discussion questions, and instructor insights. • Instructor Insights for every class are incorporated into the daily lesson plans. For the discussion questions that are not clearly answered in the class readings, instructor insights are included to equip instructors with provocative questions, practical examples, and penetrating analysis that will help students gain a deeper, more nuanced understanding of the course content. • Assignments from family policy instructors across the country can help you fairly assess mastery of course concepts, while providing students with knowledge and skills that will be valuable beyond the course. • The CD includes PowerPoint slides for five presentations, copies of most student handouts and assignments, and the discussion questions for all 28 undergraduate and 14 graduate classes. I extend my sincere appreciation to Jennifer Seubert and Maureen Ittig, who worked countless hours to make the idea of an instructor’s manual become a reality. I want to thank the family policy instructors who gave us permission to include their ideas in this book and on our Web site. This manual would be incomplete without a mention of those people who inspired this book and taught me about family policy. First and foremost, I tested the ideas in this manual on the students in my classes—whose questions sharpened my thinking, insights enriched my writing, and enthusiasm reaffirmed the value of recording these ideas for other students of family policy. Also, I am indebted to many Wisconsin legislators who over the years have helped me better understand the policymaking process and the ways that research and analysis can be most useful in their decision making. I also appreciate the editing of my colleagues at the Policy Institute for Family Impact Seminars, Heidi Normandin and Mark Lederer. I have five requests for instructors who use this manual. First, this manual is being provided free to anyone who adopts my text, so I ask that you do not copy or reproduce it for others who are not using the text in their classes. Second, please store the manual in a secure location because it includes the answers to student assignments, activities, discussion questions, and exams. Third, I am hoping that this manual begins a dialogue and resource exchange on tools for teaching family policy. Please forward materials that you develop—activities, assignments, syllabi, and teaching techniques—for posting on the Web site of the Policy Institute for Family Impact Seminars to Jennifer Seubert at [email protected] or myself at kpbogens@ wisc.edu. Fourth, the best student-written family impact analysis papers also can be forwarded to us for peer review and possible publication on our Web site. Finally, the authors would appreciate your feedback on how useful this manual has been and what we could do to make it better. Good luck with your course! Teaching family policy is an important responsibility with far-reaching implications for families and the next generation of family policy professionals. Sincerely, List of Contributors Elaine A. Anderson Professor, Department of Family Studies University of Maryland Barry Flinchbaugh Professor, Department of Agricultural Economics Kansas State University Nancy Wicklund Gonzalez Public Policy Project Director and CFLE Collegiate Liaison National Council on Family Relations Deborah B. Gentry Professor and Associate Dean, College of Applied Science and Technology Illinois State University Beverly Hartberg Associate Director, Office of Family Ministry Diocese of Madison Madison, Wisconsin Tammy L. Henderson Associate Professor, Department of Human Development & Family Science Director, Gerontology Institute Oklahoma State University Mark Lederer Associate Director, Policy Institute for Family Impact Seminars Lecturer, Human Development & Family Studies University of Wisconsin-Madison Heidi Normandin National Coordinator, Policy Institute for Family Impact Seminars State Coordinator, Wisconsin Family Impact Seminars University of Wisconsin-Madison Denise A. Skinner Professor, Department of Human Development and Family Studies University of Wisconsin-Stout Margaret E. Wall-Wild Assistant Grant Writer National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium & Dubuque County Historical Society Steven K. Wisensale Professor, Public Policy School of Family Studies, University of Connecticut Shirley Zimmerman Professor Emeritus, Department of Family Social Sciences University of Minnesota sample Undergraduate Family Policy Syllabus 24 | FAMILY POLICY MATTERS: Instructor’s Manual Undergraduate Course Syllabus Family Policy Human Development and Family Studies The only way in which a human being can make some approach to knowing the whole of a subject is by hearing what can be said about it by persons of every variety of opinion and studying all modes in which it can be looked at by every character of mind. No wise man ever acquired his wisdom in any mode but this. - John Stuart Mill Course Description This course will explore the reciprocal linkages between family functioning and public/private policies at the local, state, and federal levels. Students will explore how families contribute to social problems, how families are affected by these problems, and whether families should be involved in policy solutions. Students will assess the consequences policies may have for family well-being with special attention to selected family policy issues. The course will include theoretical frameworks for conceptualizing family policy, roles professionals can play in building family policy, and approaches professionals can use in implementing these roles. Course Objectives In this course, students are expected to: • Critically examine theoretical orientations for conceptualizing family policy and for connecting research and policymaking. • Gain an understanding of how policy is influenced by demographic changes, values, attitudes, and perceptions of the well-being of children and families. • Apply a family perspective to policy analysis by assessing current policy issues in terms of their sensitivity to and supportiveness of diverse contemporary families. • Explore what roles professionals can play in building family policies that support families across the life cycle. • Explore how these roles can be implemented using either an educational or advocacy approach. • Think critically and improve their ability to develop and express clear logical arguments to policymakers, practitioners and the public. Undergraduate Syllabus | 25 Required Texts Bogenschneider, K. (2006). Family policy matters: How policymaking affects families and what professionals can do (2nd ed.). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. Ooms, T., & Preister, S. (Eds.) (1988). A strategy for strengthening families: Using family criteria in policymaking and program evaluation. Washington DC: The Family Impact Seminar. Also available through the Policy Institute for Family Impact Seminars Web site or by calling (608) 263-2353. These texts are available at University Book Store and the Underground Textbook Exchange. Additional readings for each week have been assembled in a reading packet available at the L & S copying center in 6120 Social Science Building. The hours are 7:45 to 4:10. The bibliography of the required readings for the course is attached to this syllabus. Course Philosophy My intent is to encourage students to consider policies from the perspective of families, rather than individuals. To encourage students to examine ideas critically, some of the course readings are included because of their insensitivity to family well-being or conceptual inconsistencies. The course purposefully includes writings from across the political spectrum. My intent in teaching a course on family policy, is not to have the students complete the class espousing my political views, but rather to explore more fully a range of political perspectives in an attempt to determine their own views on current family issues. In keeping with this philosophy, there are no right or wrong answers on some of the assignments. Instead, students are evaluated on their ability to articulate a particular view, identify its theoretical underpinnings, support it with empirical findings, and refute alternative views. Course Requirements 1. Participating in Class Discussion (10 points) - Regular class attendance and participation is expected. Each week students are assigned readings from the text or the reading packet. These assignments should be read before class so students can participate fully in the discussion. The class will be structured much like a study group or policy board that one might encounter in business, education, or the legislature, in which a group of people grapple with ideas. Each student is responsible for teaching others in the class, assuming responsibility for locating resources, finding answers to questions that arise, and being prepared for class as part of an obligation to one’s own learning and that of others. 2. Views of a Controversial Family Policy (45 points) - Prepare a typed 5- to 8-page paper on a policy issue of your choice. Summarize how this issue would be viewed from the concerned, sanguine, and impatient views as discussed in Chapter 9 of the Bogenschneider (2006) text. For this assignment, use only the readings from the class. Contrast the concerned, sanguine, and impatient perspectives of recent changes that have occurred in the family. For each view, summarize: • their view of the issue that you select (10 points), • their policy agenda on this issue (10 points), and • the values that underlie their argument on your issue (10 points). Using the theory of paradox, explain how each view can contribute to our understanding of or response to your issue. (15 points) 3. Analysis of a Current Family Policy (20 points) - Students are expected to keep up-to-date on current family policy issues being debated or decided in local, state, or federal government; executive, legislative, or judicial branches of government; businesses; advocacy groups; or nonprofit organizations from a daily newspaper (i.e. state paper, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal) or a weekly magazine (i.e. Time, Newsweek, U.S. News & World Report). 26 | FAMILY POLICY MATTERS: Instructor’s Manual Do not read anecdotal or human interest articles to fulfill this assignment. For this assignment, write a 3- to 4-page summary using this format: • Title and source of the article (the news story must be attached for grading) • Brief summary of the article that is accurate, but does not plagiarize (5 points) • Critical assessment of the article indicating how much confidence you can have in its accuracy and objectivity (5 points) • Policy implications for families (5 points) • Your own reaction based upon class readings and, when appropriate, your personal experiences or values (5 points) This assignment should be written in journalistic style. It can be revised and resubmitted to raise the grade. You have a choice of when to submit this assignment—Class 15, 16, 17, 18, or 19. 4. Letter to the Editor or Government Official (15 points) - Write a 200-word letter to the editor or a government official expressing your view on a current family policy issue you analyzed for Assignment 3 or another issue of your choice. This assignment must be written in journalistic style and can be revised and resubmitted before mailing. If a letter to the editor is published, 5 points of extra credit will be assigned. 5. Case Study of Family Impact Analysis (30 points) - Write a 5- to 6-page analysis of one of the case studies (selections will be made in class) in the Ooms and Preister text using the following format. This assignment must be submitted by Class 21; no late assignments accepted. Use the family impact checklist in Appendix A of the Bogenschneider (2006) text. Use the following format: • Using the family impact principles, what are the supportive effects of the policy or program? What are the undermining or nonsupportive effects? List each principle and indicate if the principle is supported, nonsupported, or not relevant for the issue. Under each principle, use only those questions that seem appropriate for your case study. (10 points) • Are there beneficial effects that might have been overlooked without family impact analysis? Are there harmful effects that a family impact analysis could help avoid? Summarize the conclusions of your analysis. (10 points) • How well was the particular case study done? Are there family impact principles that the writer overlooked? Point out specifically the strengths and shortcomings of the analysis. (10 points) 6. Report on Policy Meetings (45 points) - Attend two meetings in which policy issues are being discussed. One of the meetings must be a hearing of the state legislature and the other can be another legislative hearing or a government meeting (e.g. county board of supervisors, city council, school board meeting), judicial proceedings (i.e. Supreme Court trial), advocacy meeting (e.g. Wisconsin Council on Children and Families, Children’s Trust Fund), political forum (i.e. League of Women Voter’s debate, political party caucus, candidate speech), or nonprofit organization (i.e. child care center board, church or religious council). Write a 3- to 5-page paper that includes the names of both meetings as well as the place, date, number, and types of people in attendance, and the total time you attended. For one of the meetings, summarize: • What happened, how decisions were made or will be made, and what you learned about the policymaking process (10 points) • The implications for family policy (10 points) • What you learned drawing upon class readings and your own experiences (10 points) Be prepared to give a 5-minute report in Class 25, 26, 27, 28, or 29 (15 points). A one-paragraph summary of the two policy meetings you plan to attend is due in Class 6. The oral report can be given in collaboration with another student in the class, but each person must submit their own written report on the day of their oral report. 7. Exam (35 points) - The questions for the final exam will be drawn from the discussion questions used throughout the semester. The final exam is scheduled for Friday, May 28, at 10 a.m. Undergraduate Syllabus | 27 Course Grading You should be familiar with the University’s standards for academic honesty as described in the pamphlet, Academic Misconduct: Rules and Procedures, published by the Dean of Students’ Office. For individual assignments, you are expected to work alone. You can consult books, articles, and class notes but ideas from these sources must be cited. Failure to cite the source of ideas other than your own is plagiarism. Materials incorporated from the Web also require proper citation. All written assignments should be well-organized, demonstrate critical thinking, and apply concepts learned in the course or from other sources. Assignments should be professional in appearance—typed, double-spaced, and proofread for correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Assignments will be graded primarily on what is said (e.g., thoughtful analysis and application of course content), but some points will also be given for how it is said (e.g., grammar, clarity, and consistency with journalistic style used to write for policymakers). Citations and references should use APA style. The number of points and due date of each assignment are given in Table 1 (below). Table 1. Course Assignment Summary Points Assignment 10 Class Participation Due Date Paragraph on the Two Policy Meetings You Will Attend Class 6 45 Views of a Controversial Family Policy Class 13 20 Analysis of a Current Family Policy Issue Class 15, 16, 17, 18, or 19 Select Case Study for Family Impact Analysis Class 18 15 Letter to the Editor or Government Official Class 15, 16, 17, 18, or 19 30 Case Study of Family Impact Analysis Class 21 45 Report on Policy Meetings Class 25, 26, 27, 28, or 29 35 Final Exam Assigned time during exam period. 200 Total Points I wish to fully include persons with disabilities in this course. Please let me know if you need any special accommodations in the curriculum, instruction, or assessments of this course to enable you to fully participate. I will try to maintain confidentiality of the information you share with me. Once you have learned how to ask questions—relevant and appropriate and substantial questions—you have learned how to learn and no one can keep you from learning whatever you want or need to know. - Neil Postman and Charles Weingartner 28 | FAMILY POLICY MATTERS: Instructor’s Manual Section 1 Overview of the Course If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, it expects what never was and never will be. - Thomas Jefferson Class 1: Why Take A course in Family Policy Guiding Questions • What expectations does the instructor have for the students? What expectations do the students have for the instructor? • What can students expect to learn in the class and how can they expect to learn it? • What philosophy of education undergirds the course? • What collective experience on policy do the instructor and students bring to the class? Class Activity • How Demographic Changes in Families Affect One’s Political Views: Three Thought Experiments for Introducing Family Policy Class 2: Why Is There A Family Void in Policymaking? Why is Family Policy So Controversial? All my life in politics, I have striven to make the necessary working compromise between the ideal and the practical. - Theodore Roosevelt, Letter to his son, Kermit, January 17, 1915 Guiding Questions • How much attention have families received in policymaking? • How would you explain the family void in policymaking? • Why has family policy been so controversial and difficult to move forward? Class Activity • Why Family Policy is so Controversial and Difficult to Move Forward Class Readings Chapter 1 in Text: Bogenschneider, K. (2006). Do we need a family perspective in policymaking? In K. Bogenschneider, Family policy matters: How policymaking affects families and what professionals can do (2nd ed., pp. 3-14). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. Undergraduate Syllabus | 29 Section 2 The Rationale for Family Policy Class 3: What Is Family Policy? Is It Focused More On Individuals Or Families? Perhaps because of the dominance of individualism in our country, we tend to split the individual from the family, just as we have tended to split the mind from the body. - Doherty, 1993, p. 98 Guiding Questions • What is policy? What is family policy? What is a family? • In what ways have professionals contributed to the lack of family-sensitive policies and programs? • Does it matter if we focus too much on individualism? Is too much familism possible? Class Readings Chapter 2 in Text: Bogenschneider, K. (2006). Do we need a family perspective in policymaking? In K. Bogenschneider, Family policy matters: How policymaking affects families and what professionals can do (2nd ed., pp. 15-28). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. Class Activity • What is a Family and What is Family Policy? Class 4: Would Policies Be More Effective If They Focused On Families? ... for all those who believe that a strong family is necessary for a decent society. - Bellah, 1990, p. 228 Guiding Questions • What qualities does a family impact perspective bring to policymaking? • What evidence exists regarding whether policies and programs can strengthen families? Class Readings Chapter 3 in Text: Bogenschneider, K. (2006). What is family policy? What is a family perspective in policymaking? In K. Bogenschneider, Family policy matters: How policymaking affects families and what professionals can do (2nd ed., pp. 29-37). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. Chapter 4 in Text: Bogenschneider, K. (2006). Do families matter and what is their value in policymaking? In K. Bogenschneider, Family policy matters: How policymaking affects families and what professionals can do (2nd ed., pp. 39-52). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. 30 | FAMILY POLICY MATTERS: Instructor’s Manual Section 3 The Condition of American Families Historical and Contemporary Perspectives ...there has been a dramatic transformation in the perception of the family. Consequently, we are at a crossroad between what the family was in the past, what it is now, and what it will and should be in the future. - Henry J. Sokalski, Secretariat for the International Year of the Family Class 5: The History of Family Policy—The Way We Were and the Way We Are Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. - George Santayana (1863-1952) Guiding Questions • Does the United States have family impact statements? • What has interfered with the development of family impact statements? Are they a good idea or not? • What is the history of family policy in the United States? Were its roots apparent in the 1800s? Class Readings Tocqueville, A. (1945). Democracy in America, Vol. 2, (pp. 104-106, 109-113, 114-118). New York: Vintage Books. Ooms, T. (1995, October). Taking families seriously: Family impact analysis as an essential policy tool. Paper presented at expert meeting on family impact in Leuven, Belgium. Bogenschneider, K., Kaplan, T., & Morgan, K. (Eds.) (1993). Single parenthood and children’s well-being. (Wisconsin Family Impact Seminar Briefing Report No. 2) University of Wisconsin-Madison: Center for Excellence in Family Studies. (Also available at http://familyimpactseminars.org/fis02toc.htm) Class Activity • Identifying the Trade-offs Policymakers Face Undergraduate Syllabus | 31 Class 6: How Are Families Similar and Different Than in the Past? Caring for and educating children are the cheapest defense of nations. - Edmund Burke Guiding Questions • What changes have occurred in the lives of children and families in the last 150 years? • In a 1996 poll, why did more Americans choose the 1950s than any other decade as the best time for children to grow up? What aspects of life in the ‘50s could or should be reinstated? • Should children or families be the primary unit of analysis? Class Readings Hernandez, D. J. (2005). Changes in the demographics of families over the course of American history. In J. Heymann & C. Beem (Eds.), Unfinished work: Building equality and democracy in an era of working families (pp. 13–35). New York: The New Press. Coontz, S. (1997). The way we really are: Coming to terms with America’s changing families (pp. 33-50). New York: Basic Books. Class Activity • How Much Have Families Changed in Your Lifetime? Assignments • Paragraph is due indicating the two policy meetings that you will attend. You may not be able to identify a specific legislative hearing, but you should be able to specifically identify one policy meeting. Class 7: Are Families a Legitimate Focus of Policymaking? Our society can never be stronger than the children we raise or the families in which we raise them. - Office of the Press Secretary (1997) Guiding Questions • What evidence exists regarding whether families are a legitimate focus of policymaking? • Would a family focus in policymaking result in more or less government? Class Readings Chapter 5 in Text: Bogenschneider, K. (2006). Are family issues a legitimate focus of policymaking? In K. Bogenschneider, Family policy matters: How policymaking affects families and what professionals can do (2nd ed., pp. 53-64). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. Hewlett, S. A., & West, C. (1998). The war against parents: What we can do for America’s beleaguered moms and dads (pp. 88-97). New York: Houghton Mifflin. 32 | FAMILY POLICY MATTERS: Instructor’s Manual Class 8: Why Should We Be Concerned About Family Change? Ah! What would the world be to us, If the children were no more? We should dread the desert behind us, Worse than the dark before. - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Guiding Questions • What are the dimensions and consequences of changes in the family during the past quarter century? • What evidence does the concerned camp cite about why we should be concerned about families? What alternatives for social action does this camp propose? Class Readings McLanahan, S., & Sandefur, G. (1994). Growing up with a single parent: What hurts, what helps (pp. 1-18). Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Popenoe, D. (1990). Family decline in America. In D. Blankenhorn, S. Bayme, & J. B. Elshtain (Eds.), Rebuilding the nest: A new commitment to the American family (pp. 39-51). Milwaukee: Family Service America. Class Activity • Which Country is This: The Influence of Values in Family Policy Class 9: Why Should We be Sanguine About Family Change? It is culture, not politics, that determines the health of a society. That is the conservative’s truth. But, politics can influence culture. That is the liberal’s truth. - Daniel Patrick Moynihan Guiding Questions • What kind of changes do the sanguine see in society? • How do the sanguine define family policy? • What alternatives for social action does the camp propose? Class Readings Schroeder, P. (1984). Changing life cycles: Homemaking and the displaced housewife. Champion of the great American family (pp. 87-114). New York: Random House. Orthner, D. K. (1990). The family in transition. In D. Blankenhorn, S. Bayme, & J. B. Elshtain (Eds.), Rebuilding the nest: A new commitment to the American family (pp. 93-118). Milwaukee: Family Service America. National NOW Conference Resolutions (1995). Retrieved July 25, 2006, from http://www.now.org/organization/ conference/1995/resoluti.html Class Activity • How Family-Friendly is the National Organization for Women? Undergraduate Syllabus | 33 Class 10: Should We Be Impatient with the Family Changes that Have Occurred? As Governor, I can tell you that about 80 percent of the problems that hit my desk you can trace back to the breakdown of family structure in our society, and I think anyone who doesn’t want to admit that is kidding themselves. - Illinois Governor Jim Edgar, November, 1995 As a family sociologist, I can tell you that about 70 percent of the problems that hit my desk you can trace back to the breakdown of the economic and social structure in our society (the other 30 percent are probably indelible features of the human condition), and I think anyone who doesn’t want to admit that is not only kidding themselves but also is shirking a personal portion of our collective responsibility in the name of the Family. - Judith Stacey, 1996 Guiding Questions • What values underlie the impatient view of family change? • Would the impatient view these values as stable or in flux? Class Readings Stacey, J. (1993). Good riddance to “the family”: A response to David Popenoe. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 55, 545-547. Smith, D. E. (1993). The standard North American family: SNAF as an ideological code. Journal of Family Issues, 4(1), 50-65. Class Activity • Constructing a Family Policy Map Based on Walljasper’s American Political Landscape Class 11: How Can We Overcome the Controversy and Move Family Policy Forward? A national family agenda is “neither liberal nor conservative... the core issues facing the American family...will fit the strategic need of either party. Thus, it is twice blessed, good policy and good politics.” - Blankenhorn, 1998a, p. 2 Guiding Questions • What theoretical perspectives exist to help overcome the polarization that often stymies the development of family policy? Class Readings Chapter 9 in Text: Bogenschneider, K. (2006). How can we bridge the controversy and move family policies forward? The theory of paradox. In K. Bogenschneider, Family policy matters: How policymaking affects families and what professionals can do (2nd ed., pp. 115-139). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. Class Activity • Flinchbaugh’s Worm Exercise: The Role of Facts, Myths, and Values in Public Policy 34 | FAMILY POLICY MATTERS: Instructor’s Manual Class 12: What Can We Learn From Past U.S. Successes to Guide Family Policy into the Future? Those who don’t remember the past are condemned to repeat the eleventh grade. - James W. Loewen Guiding Questions • Do Americans believe in social protection, in government investing in social policies, in doing things for one another through government? • Has the U.S. been a social policy laggard? • What approaches exist for moving family policy forward? Class Readings Chapter 10 in Text: Bogenschneider, K., & Corbett, T. (2006). What can we learn from the roots of American social policy about building enduring family policies in the 21st century. In K. Bogenschneider, Family policy matters: How policymaking affects families and what professionals can do (2nd ed., pp. 141-159). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. Chapter 11 in Text: Bogenschneider, K. (2006). What can we learn from the past about methods for moving family policy forward in the future? In K. Bogenschneider, Family policy matters: How policymaking affects families and what professionals can do (2nd ed., pp. 161-173). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. Undergraduate Syllabus | 35 Section 4 The Role of Professionals in Family Policy Development Class 13: How Can Professionals Get Involved in Public Policy— Advocacy or Education? Knowing is not enough; we must apply, Willing is not enough, we must do. - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Guest Lectures • “How Educators Can Influence State Policy” by Richard Barrows, Associate Dean, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, UW-Madison • “How to Represent the University to Policymakers” by Mark Lederer, former legislative liason, University of Wisconsin-Extension Guiding Questions • Which approach is best for getting involved in policy: advocacy or education? • Should policy decisions be turned over to experts? Class Readings Barrows, R. (1994). Public policy education. Cooperative Extension Service: NCR Extension Publication. (Available at http://cecommerce.uwex.edu/pdfs/NCR203.PDF) Assignments • Views of controversial family policy due 36 | FAMILY POLICY MATTERS: Instructor’s Manual Class 14: The Advocacy Approach The intent of the advocate is “self-consciously to shape and influence the debate in line with a preconceived set of ideas or principles rather than simply pursue research questions in whatever directions they may lead.” - J. Smith, 1991, p. 206 Guest Lectures • “How Lobbyists Influence State Policy,” by Roger Cliff, Lobbyist for the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Guiding Questions • Is the education model a passive approach? • Is the education model a politically neutral act? • What is the process whereby bills become law? Class Readings Chapter 13 in Text: Bogenschneider, K. (2006). Which approach is best for getting involved in family policy: Advocacy or education? In K. Bogenschneider, Family policy matters: How policymaking affects families and what professionals can do (2nd ed., pp. 227-243). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. Guither, H. D., Edelman, M. A., & Yoho, C. B. (1991). Making your views count on public policy issues. Cooperative Extension Service: NCR Extension Publication. Class 15: The Advocacy Approach (Continued) Scientific knowledge, the wisdom of the university, cannot be used to determine the correct policy choice for society because science cannot supply the value judgements that rank the interests of one group as more important than the interests of another. - Barrows, 1994 Guiding Questions • What roles can the professional play in building family policy? • What is the role of the professional in implementation? Class Readings Chapter 12 in Text: Bogenschneider, K. (2006). What roles can family professionals play to build family policy? In K. Bogenschneider, Family policy matters: How policymaking affects families and what professionals can do (2nd ed., pp. 177-178, 183-187). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. Class Activity • Case Studies of Advocacy (e.g., The Special Morning Milk Budget Amendment and Wisconsin’s Learnfare Program) Assignments • One due date for analysis of current policy issue and/or letter to the editor or government official Undergraduate Syllabus | 37 Class 16: Roles Professionals Can Play in Building Family Policy —Research And Evaluation The good we secure for ourselves is precarious and uncertain until it is secured for all and incorporated into our common life. - Jane Addams Guiding Questions • What is the role of the professional in research and evaluation? • What are the limitations of data analysis for answering policymakers’ questions? • How useful is research in setting national policy priorities? Class Readings Chapter 12 in Text: Bogenschneider, K. (2006). What roles can family professionals play to build family policy? In K. Bogenschneider, Family policy matters: How policymaking affects families and what professionals can do (2nd ed., pp. 178-183, 187-193). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. Rist, R. C. (1994). Influencing the policy process with qualitative research. In N. Denzin & Y. Lincoln (Eds.), Handbook of qualitative research (pp. 545-558). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Class Activity • Case studies of evaluations like Wisconsin’s Learnfare Program Assignments • One due date for analysis of current policy issue and/or letter to the editor or government official 38 | FAMILY POLICY MATTERS: Instructor’s Manual Class 17: Roles Professionals Can Play in Building Family Policy —Integration, Dissemination, and Teaching If the methods of social science were utilized, we could develop more scientific lawmaking. Legislatures could operate like laboratories with laws enacted as a “series of exhaustive experiments.” - Lester Ward, 1893 (cited in Smith, 1991) The place of [experts] was “advisors to the leaders”...and politicians were free to use or reject that advice as they saw fit. “They were leaders”...[and] “I was an intellectual.” - John Commons, 1934 (cited in Smith, 1991) Guiding Questions • What is the role of the professional in integration, dissemination, and teaching? • What lessons have the organizers learned about working with state policymakers through the Wisconsin Family Impact Seminars? What implications do these lessons have for theory and practice? Class Readings Chapter 12 in Text: Bogenschneider, K. (2006). What roles can family professionals play to build family policy? In K. Bogenschneider, Family policy matters: How policymaking affects families and what professionals can do (2nd ed., pp. 193-201, 208-212). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. Chapter 14 in Text: Bogenschneider, K., Olson, J. R., Mills, J., & Linney, K. D. (2006). How can we connect research with state policymaking? Lessons from the Wisconsin Family Impact Seminars. In K. Bogenschneider, Family policy matters: How policymaking affects families and what professionals can do (2nd ed., pp. 245-276). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. Assignments • One due date for analysis of current policy issue and/or letter to the editor or government official Undergraduate Syllabus | 39 Class 18: Communicating Research To policymakers We are well past the time when it is possible to argue that good research will, because it is good, influence the policy process. - Ray Rist (1994, p. 596) Guiding Questions • Why do reports have to be written differently for policymakers? • How can reports be written to be more useful to policymakers? Class Readings Normandin, H. & Bogenschneider, K. (2006, March). Getting Your Point Across to Policymakers. Family Focus, FF29, F1-F2. Deloria, D., & Brookins, G. K. (1982) The evaluation report: A weak link to policy. In J. R. Travers & R. J. Light (Eds.), Learning from experience: Evaluating early childhood demonstration programs (pp. 254-271). Washington, DC: National Academy Press. Class Activity • Communicating Effectively With Policymakers: Secrets for Success Assignments • Select case study for family impact analysis • One due date for analysis of current policy issue and/or letter to the editor or government official 40 | FAMILY POLICY MATTERS: Instructor’s Manual Class 19: Roles Professionals Can Play in Building Family Policy —Family Impact Analysis ... for all who believe that a strong family is necessary for a decent society. - Bellah, 1990, p. 228 Guiding Questions • What is the role of the professional in family impact analysis? • How does family impact analysis differ from program evaluation? • Why might an agency conduct a family impact analysis? Class Readings Text: Ooms, T., & Preister, S. (Eds.) (1988). A strategy for strengthening families: Using family criteria in policymaking and program evaluation (pp. 5-15). Washington, DC: The Family Impact Seminar. Chapter 12 in Text: Bogenschneider, K. (2006). What roles can family professionals play to build family policy? In K. Bogenschneider, Family policy matters: How policymaking affects families and what professionals can do (2nd ed., pp. 201-208). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. Appendix B in Text: Gross, E., Bogenschneider K., & Johnson C. (2006). How to conduct a family impact analysis. In K. Bogenschneider, Family policy matters: How policymaking affects families and what professionals can do (2nd ed., pp. 305-311). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. Class Activity • Critique of the Family Impact Analysis Case Studies Assignments • Last due date for analysis of current policy issue and/or letter to the editor or government official Class 20: Roles Professionals Can Play in Building Family Policy—Family Impact Analyses (Continued) If a community values its children, it must cherish their parents. - John Bowlby Guiding Questions • Can families be expected to be totally self-sufficient in performing their responsibilities? • What public and private institutions help families carry out their functions? Class Readings Text: Ooms, T., & Preister, S. (Eds.) (1988). A strategy for strengthening families: Using family criteria in policymaking and program evaluation (pp. 16-22, 33-44). Washington, DC: The Family Impact Seminar. Examples of Family Impact Analyses are available at http://www.uwex.edu/ces/familyimpact/analyses.htm Undergraduate Syllabus | 41 Class 21: Roles Professionals Can Play in Building Family Policy —University and Citizen engagement If the world were merely seductive, that would be easy. If it were merely challenging, that would be no problem. But I rise in the morning torn between a desire to improve (or save) the world and a desire to enjoy (or savor) the world. This makes it hard to plan the day. - E.B. White Guiding Questions • Why should universities be involved in family policymaking? • What contemporary examples exist of individualism in the United States? Class Readings Chapter 12 in Text: Bogenschneider, K. (2006). What roles can family professionals play to build family policy? In K. Bogenschneider, Family policy matters: How policymaking affects families and what professionals can do (2nd ed., pp. 212-218, 218-224). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. Putnam, R. D. (1995). Bowling alone: America’s declining social capital. Journal of Democracy, 6(1), 65-78. Putnam, R. D. (2000). Bowling alone: The collapse and revival of American community (pp. 402-414). New York: Simon & Schuster. Class Activity • The Ecology of Family Policy: How it Affects Human Development Assignments • Case study of family impact analysis due 42 | FAMILY POLICY MATTERS: Instructor’s Manual Class 22: Roles Professionals Can Play in Building Family Policy —Citizen engagement If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality. - Bishop Desmond Tutu Guiding Questions • How does public problem solving differ from advocacy? • What does it take for community approaches to be successful? • How can we promote government that is not “for the people” but “by the people?” How can we engage citizens as producers of family policy? What principles and theories can guide us? Class Readings Chapter 12 in Text: Bogenschneider, K. (2006). What roles can family professionals play to build family policy? In K. Bogenschneider, Family policy matters: How policymaking affects families and what professionals can do (2nd ed., pp. 212-218). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. Chapter 15 in Text: Bogenschneider, K. (2006). How can professionals team up with communities to influence local policymaking? Guidelines from Wisconsin Youth Futures. In K. Bogenschneider, Family policy matters: How policymaking affects families and what professionals can do (2nd ed., pp. 277-290). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. Doherty, W. J. (2000). Family science and family citizenship: Toward a model of community partnership with families. Family Relations, 49(3), 319-325. Class 23: How Can a Family Perspective Aid understanding of contemporary public issues? The research evidence reveals that Head Start and similar efforts achieve their constructive effects in two ways. First, they do so directly, by providing children with certain kinds of expertise that foster their psychological growth. But there is a second, indirect effect that is equally if not more powerful. Programs like Head Start also succeed because they enable families to function—to work the magic feat that families do best—making and keeping human beings human. - Urie Bronfenbrenner (1989) Guiding Questions • How do families contribute to problems? • How are families affected by problems? • Would policies be more effective if families were involved in the solution? Class Readings Chapter 6 of Text: Riley, D., & Bogenschneider, K. (2006). Do we know what good parenting is? Can public policy promote it? In K. Bogenschneider, Family policy matters: How policymaking affects families and what professionals can do (2nd ed., pp. 67-84). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. Chapter 7 in Text: Doherty, W., & Anderson, J. (2006). Can a family-focused approach benefit health care? In K. Bogenschneider, Family policy matters: How policymaking affects families and what professionals can do (2nd ed., pp. 85-95). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. Undergraduate Syllabus | 43 Section 5 The Content of Family Policy Class 24: How Can We Address Family Poverty? I once believed that we were all masters of our fate—that we could mould our lives into any form we pleased...I had overcome deafness and blindness sufficiently to be happy, and I supposed that anyone could come out victorious if he threw himself valiantly into life’s struggles. But as I went more and more about the country, I learned that I had spoken with assurance on a subject I knew little about...I learned that the power to rise in the world is not within the reach of everyone. - Helen Keller Guiding Questions • What are the inherent conflicts in designing welfare policies? • What needs to be done to counter growing income inequity? Class Readings Corbett, T. (1993). Child poverty and welfare reform: Progress or paralysis. Focus, 15(1), 1-17. University of WisconsinMadison: Institute for Research on Poverty. Hewlett, S. A., & West, C. (1998). The war against parents: What we can do for America’s beleaguered moms and dads (pp. 88 -97). New York: Houghton Mifflin. Class Activity • The Diversity of the Poor Requires Different Policy Responses Class 25: Do We Need Universal or Targeted Policies? Bad officials are elected by good citizens who do not vote. - George Jean Nathan, (1882-1950) Guiding Questions • Why does Wilson say that increases in inner city poverty are due to desegregation? • What are the consequences of universal and means-tested programs? Class Readings Chapter 8 in Text: Bogenschneider, K. (2006). What current policies and proposals are changing the political landscape for families? In K. Bogenschneider, Family policy matters: How policymaking affects families and what professionals can do (2nd ed., pp.101-104). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. Wilson, W. J. (1987). The truly disadvantaged: The inner city, the underclass, and public policy (pp. 140-164). Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. Assignments • One due date for report on policy meeting 44 | FAMILY POLICY MATTERS: Instructor’s Manual Class 26: What Current Policies and proposals are changing the political landscape for families? Sometimes when I get home at night in Washington I feel as though I had been in a great traffic jam. The jam is moving toward the Hill where Congress sits in judgment on all the administrative agencies of the Government... There are all kinds of conveyances that the Army can put into the street—tanks, gun carriers, trucks...There are the hayracks and the binders and the ploughs and all the other things that the Department of Agriculture manages to put into the streets...the handsome limousines in which the Department of Commerce rides...the barouches in which the Department of State rides in such dignity...I stand on the sidewalk watching it become more congested and more difficult, and then because the responsibility is mine and I must, I take a very firm hold on the handles of the baby carriage and I wheel it into the traffic. - Grace Abbott, Chief, United States Children’s Bureau, 1921-1934 Guiding Questions • Why is family often a shorthand for the relationship of the parent and the child with less attention to the relationship of the adults through marriage or other partnerships? • When we speak of family, why do we often mean the mother and child with little attention to the father? • Are the elderly part of the family policy picture? • Why do we so often speak of children with no mention of the family they are growing up in? Class Readings Chapter 8 in Text: Bogenschneider, K. (2006). What current policies and proposals are changing the political landscape for families? In K. Bogenschneider, Family policy matters: How policymaking affects families and what professionals can do (2nd ed., pp. 97-100, 104-111). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. Wisensale, S. K. (in press). California’s paid leave law: A model for other states? In S. K. Wisensale & L. Haas (Eds.), Families and Social Policy: National and International Perspectives (pp. 177-195). Binghamton, NY: Haworth Press. Assignments • One due date for report on policy meeting Undergraduate Syllabus | 45 Section 6 Building Family Policy Whose Responsibility is it? Class 27: The Role of Employers, advocates, and professionals in Building Family Policy I know no safe depository of the ultimate powers of the society but the people themselves; and if we think them not enlightened enough to exercise their control with a wholesome discretion, the remedy is not to take it from them, but to inform their discretion by education. - Thomas Jefferson Guiding Questions • What are the processes whereby policies affect families? • Is there a way to get work and family into balance? • How can we support the well-being of our seniors without jeopardizing the development of our children? Class Readings Bronfenbrenner, U., & Weiss, H. B. (1983). Beyond policies without people: An ecological perspective on child and family policy. In E. F. Zigler, S. L. Kagan, & E. Klugman (Eds.), Children, families, & government: Perspectives on American social policy (pp. 393-414). Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. Hewlett, S. A. (1991). When the bough breaks: The cost of neglecting our children (pp. 138-167). New York: Basic Books. Reich, R. B. (1996, November 8). My family leave act [Op-ed]. The New York Times, p. A33. Retrieved July 8, 2006, from http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=10381401&sid=3&Fmt=3&clientId=15482&RQT=309&VName=PQD Class Activity • Getting the Question Right: The Role of Professionals in Reframing Policy Debate Assignments • One due date for report on policy meeting 46 | FAMILY POLICY MATTERS: Instructor’s Manual Class 28: The Role of Nonprofits in Building Family Policy Science considers what is true... Politics considers what is right... Art is the development of what is beautiful... It has been humanity’s persistent hope that these three ideals should be consistent with each other. - Edward Teller, Science, May 1998 Guiding Questions • Why is the nonprofit sector expanding? How effective are nonprofits in supporting families? Class Readings Weisbrod, B. A., (1997). The future of the nonprofit sector: Its entwining with private enterprise and government. Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 16(4), 541-555. Assignments • One due date for report on policy meeting Undergraduate Syllabus | 47 Section 7 the future of family policy Class 29: Has Family Policy Come of Age? If you look at the amount of need, we didn’t get the law we wanted. If you look at the amount of effort, we got what we deserved. - Sid Johnson, Executive Director, American Public Welfare Association Guiding Questions • Did family policy come of age in the 1990s? Where do we go from here? • What evidence emerged in the last decade to support the rationale that policymaking should aim to strengthen families? • Have family issues been a legitimate focus of policymaking in the decade? • What strategies can help us be more effective in communicating with policymakers? Class Readings Chapter 16 in Text: Bogenschneider, K. (2006). It is time to take family policy seriously? In K. Bogenschneider, Family policy matters: How policymaking affects families and what professionals can do (2nd ed., pp. 291-297). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. Assignments • Last day for report on policy meeting • Final exam given on assigned day and time during exam period What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from. - T.S. Eliott 48 | FAMILY POLICY MATTERS: Instructor’s Manual Course Readings Barrows, R. (1994). Public policy education. Cooperative Extension Service: NCR Extension Publication. (Available at http://cecommerce.uwex. edu/pdfs/NCR203.PDF) Text: Bogenschneider, K. (2006). Family policy matters: How policymaking affects families and what professionals can do (2nd ed.). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. Text: Bogenschneider, K., & Corbett, T. (2006). What can we learn from the roots of American social policy about building enduring family policies in the 21st century. In K. Bogenschneider, Family policy matters: How policymaking affects families and what professionals can do (2nd ed., pp. 141-159). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. Bogenschneider, K., Kaplan, T., & Morgan, K. (1993). Single parenthood and children’s well-being (Wisconsin Family Impact Seminar Briefing Report No. 2). University of Wisconsin-Madison: Center for Excellence in Family Studies. (Also available at http://familyimpactseminars.org/fis02toc.htm) Text: Bogenschneider, K., Olson, J. R., Mills, J., & Linney, K. D. (2006). How can we connect research with state policymaking? Lessons from the Wisconsin Family Impact Seminars. In K. Bogenschneider, Family policy matters: How policymaking affects families and what professionals can do (2nd ed., pp. 245-276). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. Bronfenbrenner, U., & Weiss, H. B. (1983). Beyond policies without people: An ecological perspective on child and family policy. In E. F. Zigler, S. L. Kagan, & E. Klugman (Eds.), Children, families, & government: Perspectives on American social policy (pp.393-414). Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. Coontz, S. (1997). The way we really are: Coming to terms with America’s changing families (pp. 33-50). New York: Basic Books. Corbett, T. (1993). Child poverty and welfare reform: Progress or paralysis. Focus, 15(1), 1-17. University of Wisconsin-Madison: Institute for Research on Poverty. Deloria, D., & Brookins, G. K. (1982) The evaluation report: A weak link to policy. In J. R. Travers, & R. J. Light (Eds.), Learning from experience: Evaluating early childhood demonstration programs (pp. 254-271). Washington, DC: National Academy Press. Doherty, W. J. (2000). Family science and family citizenship: Toward a model of community partnership with families. Family Relations, 49(3), 319-325. Text: Doherty, W., & Anderson, J. R. (2006). Can a family-focused approach benefit health care? In K. Bogenschneider, Family policy matters: How policymaking affects families and what professionals can do (2nd ed., pp. 85-95). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. Text: Gross, E., Bogenschneider K., & Johnson C. (2006). How to conduct a family impact analysis. In K. Bogenschneider, Family policy matters: How policymaking affects families and what professionals can do (2nd ed., pp. 305-311). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. Guither, H. D., Edelman, M. A., & Yoho, C. B. (1991). Making your views count on public policy issues. Cooperative Extension Service: NCR Extension Publication. Hernandez, D. J. (2005). Changes in the demographics of families over the course of American history. In J. Heymann & C. Beem (Eds.), Unfinished work: Building equality and democracy in an era of working families (pp. 13-35). New York: The New Press. Hewlett, S. A. (1991). When the bough breaks: The cost of neglecting our children (pp. 138-167). New York: Basic Books. Hewlett, S. A., & West, C. (1998). The war against parents: What we can do for America’s beleaguered moms and dads (pp. 88-97). New York: Houghton Mifflin. McLanahan, S., & Sandefur, G. (1994). Growing up with a single parent: What hurts, what helps (pp. 1-18). Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Normandin, H. & Bogenschneider, K. (2006, March). Getting Your Point Across to Policymakers. Family Focus, FF29, F1-F2. National NOW Conference Resolutions (1995). Retrieved July 25, 2006, from http://www.now.org/organization/conference/1995/resoluti.html Office of the Press Secretary. (1997, February 1). The President’s weekly radio address. Washington, DC: The White House. Ooms, T. (1995, October). Taking families seriously: Family impact analysis as an essential policy tool. Paper presented at expert meeting on family impact in Leuven, Belgium. Text: Ooms, T., & Preister, S. (Eds.) (1988). A strategy for strengthening families: Using family criteria in policymaking and program evaluation. Washington DC: The Family Impact Seminar. Also available through the Policy Institute for Family Impact Seminars Web site or by calling (608) 263-2353. Orthner, D. K. (1990). The family in transition. In D. Blankenhorn, S. Bayme, & J. B. Elshtain (Eds.), Rebuilding the nest: A new commitment to the American family (pp. 93-118). Milwaukee: Family Service America. Popenoe, D. (1990). Family decline in America. In D. Blankenhorn, S. Bayme, & J. B. Elshtain (Eds.), Rebuilding the nest: A new commitment to the American family (pp. 39-51). Milwaukee: Family Service America. Putnam, R. D. (1995). Bowling alone: America’s declining social capital. Journal of Democracy, 6(1), 65-78. Putnam, R. D. (2000). Bowling alone: The collapse and revival of American community (pp. 402-414). New York: Simon & Schuster. Reich, R. B. (1996, November 8). My family leave act [Op-ed]. The New York Times, p. A33. Retrieved July 8, 2006, from http://proquest.umi.com/ pqdweb?did=10381401&sid=3&Fmt=3&clientId=15482&RQT=309&VName=PQD Text: Riley, D., & Bogenschneider, K. (2006). Do we know what good parenting is? Can public policy promote it? In K. Bogenschneider, Family policy matters: How policymaking affects families and what professionals can do (2nd ed., pp. 67-84). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. Rist, R. C. (1994). Influencing the policy process with qualitative research. In N. Denzin & Y. Lincoln (Eds.), Handbook of qualitative research (pp. 545-558). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Schroeder, P. (1984). Changing life cycles: Homemaking and the displaced housewife. Champion of the great American family (pp. 87-114). New York: Random House. Undergraduate Syllabus | 49 Smith, D. E. (1993). The standard North American family: SNAF as an ideological code. Journal of Family Issues, 14(1), 50-65. Stacey, J. (1993). Good riddance to “the family”: A response to David Popenoe. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 55, 545-547. State Legislative Leaders Foundation. (1995). State legislative leaders: Keys to effective legislation for children and families (pp. vi - vii). Centerville, MA: Author. Tocqueville, A. (1945). Democracy in America, Vol. 2, (pp. 104-106, 109-113, 114-118). New York: Vintage Books. Walljasper, J. (November/December 1991). The American political landscape. Utne Reader, 48, 287-289. Minneapolis: LENS Publishing Co. Weisbrod, B. A. (1997). The future of the nonprofit sector: Its entwining with private enterprise and government. Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 16(4), 541-555. Wilson, W. J. (1987). The truly disadvantaged: The inner city, the underclass, and public policy (pp. 140-164). Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. Wisensale, S. K. (in press). California’s paid leave law: A model for other states? In S. K. Wisensale & L. Haas (Eds.), Families and Social Policy: National and International Perspectives (pp. 177-195). Binghamton, NY: Haworth Press. References and Supplemental Readings Bellah, R. N. (1990). The invasion of the money world. In D. Blankenhorn, S. Bayme, & J. B. Elshtain (Eds.), Rebuilding the nest: A new commitment to the American family (pp. 227-236). Milwaukee, WI: Family Service America. Bellah, R. N., Madsen., R., Sullivan, W. M., Swidler, A., & Tipton, S. M. (1985/1996). Habits of the heart: Individualism and commitment in American life. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. Blankenhorn, D. (1990). American family dilemmas. In D. Blankenhorn, S. Bayme, & J. Elshtain (Eds.), Rebuilding the nest: A new commitment to the American family (pp. 3-25). Milwaukee, WI: Family Service America. Blankenhorn, D. (1998). Propositions newsletter (pp. 4-12). New York: Institute for American Values. Bogenschneider, K. (2000). Has family policy come of age? A decade review of the state of U.S. family policy in the 1990s. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 62(4), 1136-1159. Boyte, H. (1993). Practical politics. In B. R. Barber & R. M. Battistoni (Eds.), Education for democracy (pp. 172-178). Dubuque, IA: Kendell Hunt Publishing Co. Bradley, B. (1995). America’s challenge: Revitalizing our civil society. Focus on Study Circles, 6(2). Bronfenbrenner, U. (1989). Early childhood education programs: Needs and dangers. Testimony presented at a hearing of the Subcommittee on Education and Health of the Joint Economic Committee of the House and Senate of the Congress of the United States. Children’s Defense Fund. (1993, May). Children’s commission “passes the torch.” Washington, DC: Author. Daly, K. J. (2001). Deconstructing family time: From ideology to lived experience. Journal of Marriage and Family, 63(2), 283-294. Dishion, T. J., McCord, J., & Poulin, F. (1999). When interventions harm: Peer groups and problem behavior. American Psychologist, 54, 755-764. Doherty, W. J. (1994). I’m O.K., you’re O.K., but what about the kids? The Family Therapy Networker, pp. 46-53. Eastman, M. (1996). Myths of marriage and family. In D. Popenoe, J. B. Elshtain, and D. Blankenhorn (Eds.), Promises to keep: Decline and renewal of marriage in America. Lanham, MY: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc. Furstenberg, F. F. Jr., & Condran, G. A. (1988). Family change and adolescent well-being: A reexamination of U.S. trends. In A. J. Cherlin (Ed.), The changing American family and public policy (pp. 117-155). Washington, DC: Urban Institute Press. Galinsky, E. (1992). Work and family: 1992. Family Resource Coalition Report, 11(2), 2-3. Haas, L., & Hwang, P. (1995). Company culture and men’s usage of family leave benefits in Sweden. Family Relations, 44(1), 28-36. Haveman, R. (1994). Generational accounting as an alternative to public budgets and deficits. The Journal of Economic Perspectives, 8(1), pp. 95-111. Kamerman, S. B., & Kahn, A. J. (2001). Child and family policies in an era of social policy retrenchment and restructuring. In T. Smeeding & K. Vlemincks (Eds.), Child well-being and poverty: Policy in modern nations (pp. 501-525). Bristol, UK: The Policy Press. McLanahan, S. & Booth, K. (1989). Mother-only families: Problems, prospects, and politics. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 51, 557-580. Massey, D. S. (1996). The age of extremes: Concentrated affluence and poverty in the twenty-first century. Demography, 33, 395-412. Olson, J., & Bogenschneider, K. (1999). Long-term care: State policy perspectives (pp. 19-27). Wisconsin Family Impact Seminar Briefing Report. Madison, WI: Center for Excellence in Family Studies. Ooms, T. (1990). Families and government: Implementing a family perspective in public policy. Social Thought, 16(2), 61-78. Ooms, T. (1998). Towards more perfect unions: Putting marriage on the public agenda. Washington, DC: Family Impact Seminar. Quinn, L. (1992). Using threats of poverty to promote school attendance: Findings from the Wisconsin “Learnfare” evaluation. Milwaukee, WI: University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Rappaport, J. (1981). In praise of paradox: A social policy of empowerment over prevention. American Journal of Community Psychology, 9(6), 1-25. Ross, R., & Staines, G. L. (1972). The politics of analyzing social problems. Social Problems, 20, 18-40. Sawhill, I. V. (1992). Young children and families. In H. J. Aaron & C. L. Schultze (Eds.), Setting domestic policy: What can government do? (pp. 147184). Washington, DC: Brookings Institute. 50 | FAMILY POLICY MATTERS: Instructor’s Manual Scott, K. G., Mason, C. A., & Chapman, D. A. (1999). The use of epidemiological methodology as a means of influencing public policy. Child Development, 70(5), 1263-1272. Seeley, D. (1985). Education through partnership. Washington, DC: American Enterprise Institute Public Policy Research. Shulock, N. (1999). The paradox of policy analysis: If it is not used, why do we produce so much of it? Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 18(2), 226-244. Skocpol, T. (1997). A partnership with American families. In S. B. Greenberg & T. Skocpol (Eds.), The new majority: Toward a popular progressive politics (pp. 104-129). New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. Smith, J. A. (1991). The idea brokers: Think tanks and the rise of the new policy elite (pp. xi - xxi). New York: Free Press. Tamis-LeMonda, C. S., & Cabrera, N. (1999). Perspectives on father involvement: Research and policy. Social Policy Report, XIII(2). Ann Arbor, MI: Society for Research on Child Development. Uhlenberg, P., & Eggebeen, D. (1986). The declining well-being of American adolescents. The Public Interest, 82, 25-38. Whitehead, B. D. (1992). Crossing the cultural divide: A new familism? Family Affairs, 5(1-2), 1-5. Wolfe, A. (1998). Developing civil society: Can the workplace replace bowling? The Responsive Community: Rights and Responsibilities, 8(2), 41-47. Wisensale, S. (2001). Family leave policy: The political economy of work and family in America (pp. 29-51). Armonk, NY: M. E. Sharpe. Young, R. (1992, February). Traditional and other families: How many are there really? Madison, WI: Cooperative Extension Service. Zigler, E. (1993). Communicating effectively before members of Congress. In K. McCartney, & D. Phillips, An insider’s guide to providing expert testimony before Congress (pp. 11-15). Ann Arbor, MI: Society for Research in Child Development. Zigler, E. (1998). A place of value for applied and policy studies. Child Development, 69(2), 532-542. sample Undergraduate Lesson Plan 76 | FAMILY POLICY MATTERS: Instructor’s Manual Class 1 Daily Lesson Plan Why Take a Course on Family Policy Objectives To give students an understanding of the course goals and requirements, to explain the unique perspective that family policy brings to policymaking, and to encourage personal reflections on the dimensions and consequences of changes in family life during the last quarter century HANDOUTS • Course Syllabus • Class Contact List • Discussion questions for Class 2 (on CD) IN THE CLASSROOM 1. Synopsis of the Course. Provide an overview of the rationale for the course, particularly how individualistic family policy is in the United States and what benefits a family perspective can bring to policymaking. Resource Presentation 1, “Research Update for Practitioners: Putting Family Policy on the Political Agenda;” this is a 60-minute presentation (script and slides) that overviews the whole course and can be used in whole or part (in the Presentations section with slides on CD). Resource Presentation 2, “National Council on Family Relations Press Conference;” this talk is a 10 to 15 minute overview (script only) of the rationale for family policy (in the Presentations section). 2. Getting Started. Review syllabus and discuss course expectations and student goals. Explore the range of personal experiences both you, the instructor, and the students, bring to the course. Review the educational philosophy of the course. Resource “Philosophies and Strategies for Teaching Family Policy in Undergraduate and Graduate Classrooms” (located in the front of this manual) 3. Demographic Changes in Family Life. How do perceptions of demographic changes in families affect one’s political views? The goal of this in-class activity is to reframe class dialogue away from the stereotypic classification of liberal and conservative that tend to force students into rigid, opposing camps. Instead, this activity poses a question that defines the policy debate and holds the potential to lend clarity, cooperation, and common ground to controversial issues. This activity brings into sharp relief three different worldviews of family change. Resource Activity 1, “How Demographic Changes in Families Affect One’s Political Views: Three Thought Experiments for Introducing Family Policy” (guidelines for instructors in the Instructor Activities section) HOMEWORK • Readings for Class 2 • Students should come to class with their responses to the discussion questions for the following class. sample Graduate Lesson Plan 166 | FAMILY POLICY MATTERS: Instructor’s Manual Week 8 Daily Lesson Plan Connecting Research and Policymaking Can it Be Done and What Theories Can Guide Us? Objectives To discuss ways to connect research and policy making and the challenges of bridging the two communities; to consider ways of measuring success in bringing research to bear on policymaking Handouts • Discussion questions for Week 9 (on CD) • “Communicating Effectively With Policymakers: Secrets for Success” (student handout in the Student Handouts section) • “Getting Your Point Across to Policymakers” (student handout in the Student Handouts section) In the Classroom 1. Strategies for Applying Research to Youth Issues. The following talk, guided by an ecological framework, describes three interventions designed to bring research to bear on youth issues at the levels of the policy environment (i.e., the Family Impact Seminars), the community environment (i.e., Wisconsin Youth Futures), and the family environment (i.e., parent education newsletters). For each intervention, two to four principles are given that are fundamental to their success. Resource Presentation 3, “Investing in a Generation: Strategies for Applying Research to Youth Issues;” this is a 45-50 minute presentation (script and slides) that incorporates class participation and can be used in whole or part (text and slides in the Presentations section and slides on CD). 2. Communicating Effectively With Policymakers. This activity gives students practical experience in identifying those characteristics that make an effective and an ineffective presentation for policymakers. This activity includes two presentations and a handout that summarizes the importance of knowing who the audience is, what information to include, which approach to use, and how to effectively present information. Using the class readings, ask students to analyze these two speeches, noting specific examples of tactics or strategies that make the testimonies effective or ineffective. Resource Activity 9, “Communicating Effectively With Policymakers: Secrets for Success” (handout in the Student Handouts section and guidelines for instructors in the Instructor Activities section) 3. Introduction of Assignment. Review assignment on report of policy meeting. Ask students to sign up for the day that they will give their oral report in class. If students attend the same policy meeting, they can give a joint oral report, but the written reports must be prepared individually. Homework • Readings for Week 9 • Students should come to class with their responses to the discussion questions for the following week. Graduate daily lesson plans | 167 Assignments • Last date for family policy issue analysis and letter to editor or government official Required Reading Chapter 14 in Text: Bogenschneider, K., Olson, J. R., Mills, J., & Linney, K. D. (2006). How can we connect research with state policymaking? Lessons from the Wisconsin Family Impact Seminars. In K. Bogenschneider, Family policy matters: How policymaking affects families and what professionals can do (2nd ed., pp. 245-276). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. Shulock, N. (1999). The paradox of policy analysis: If it is not used, why do we produce so much of it? Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 18(2), 226-244. Ross, R., & Staines, G. L. (1972). The politics of analyzing social problems. Social Problems, 20, 18-32, 37-38. (Note page numbers that are assigned.) Normandin, H., & Bogenschneider, K. (2006, March). Getting Your Point Across to Policymakers. Family Focus, FF29, F1-F2. Bronfenbrenner, U. (1989). Early childhood education programs: Needs and dangers. Testimony presented at a hearing of the Subcommittee on Education and Health of the Joint Economic Committee of the House and Senate of the Congress of the United States. (This can also be found in the Student Handouts section.) Miss Dee Pointe Testimony (in the Student Handouts section). Instructor Insights for Discussion of Class Readings Bogenschneider, Olson, Mills, & Linney in Bogenschneider Text (2006), Chapter 14 • Describe Kingdon’s theory of political timing. • What efforts were taken to legitimize the seminars? • What theoretical implications do the authors draw from their experiences with the seminars? Could the theory that Bogenschneider and colleagues present be expanded even more? The theory could be expanded to include several other players in the policymaking process: • Advocates • Legislative aides • Media • Mid-level policy administrators • Program deliverers • In what ways do the seminars inform policymaking? What are the limitations of the seminars? How the seminars inform policymaking • Portray research as practical and relevant • Depict researchers, not as ivory tower number crunchers, but as public servants interested in helping policymakers develop sound, effective policies • Provide conceptual frameworks to reframe policy debate • Helps differentiate fact from myth—an important outcome in an environment in which fact is often treated as myth 168 | FAMILY POLICY MATTERS: Instructor’s Manual • Provide guidance for policies by indicating what works and what does not • Strengthen and support policy initiatives already underway • Provide a message of hope Limitations • Research is seldom comprehensive and definitive enough to serve as the sole determinant of a policy decision • Can describe reality, but can contribute little to what would be ideal • Decisions are often based on ranking the needs of one interest group in society as more important than another; research cannot provide these value judgments. For example, research cannot provide the criteria for ranking the needs of short-term welfare recipients, long-term welfare recipients, and taxpayers. Shulock (1999) • What paradox does Shulock address? The public invests a tremendous amount of resources in policy analysis, yet this analysis is not used by policymakers to make better policy. • In what ways are their conclusions similar to Bogenschneider and colleagues? In what ways do their conclusions differ from those of Bogenschneider and colleagues? Bogenschneider views research as a tool in the policy development process. That is, policymakers take research into account, along with many other factors, in making policy decisions. In contrast, Shulock views research as a tool of the democratic process. Policymakers use research to explain votes they have cast and to seek constituent approval for their decisions. Thus, Shulock contends that the value of research is its contribution to citizen perceptions that policymakers make rationale decisions, which ultimately reflects favorably on the political process and a democratic system of government. • Shulock sees no reason why an individual analyst must present competing perspectives on an issue. Why does Bogenschneider say this is necessary? Shulock believes that multiple perspectives already exist in the policy arena. Bogenschneider believes that it is necessary to present multiple perspectives to establish oneself as an objective knowledge broker, who is able to work with both sides of the aisle regardless of which political party is in power. Ross & Staines (1972) • When do social problems arise? • What role can social science play in the definition of social problems? • How do social problems come to people’s attention? • Does your explanation for the cause of a social problem depend upon your political position (e.g., whether you are in or out of office, whether you are an underdog, or in a staff role)? How would authorities, underdog partisans, the privileged, staff, and idealogues view welfare reform? • Overall, how do Ross and Staines conceptualize family policy? How does this differ from the theory of paradox? What are the strengths of Ross & Staines’ conceptualization? The weaknesses? Ross and Staines contend that the policy process is political and that the nature of the outcomes is related over the long run to a constellation of power, influence, and authority. The theory of paradox suggests that the policy process ought to welcome a number of different, equally justifiable solutions and that policy decisions are worked out through negotiation and compromise. Graduate daily lesson plans | 169 The strengths of Ross and Staines: • Helps explain the nitty gritty of the political process • Shows the role that social science research can play • Explains the value of problem definition • Some would contend this theory is realistic in its portrayal of the policymaking process Weaknesses: • Discouraging contention that policy rarely results in redistributing resources from the privileged to the masses • Contends that outcomes are related over the long run to a constellation of power, influence, and authority, but not what is right, just, true, or statesmanlike • This theory seems to favor system-blame explanations; however, the theory of paradox would suggest that if we move too far in the direction of system-blame solutions that person-blame solutions might be necessary and appropriate. Normandin & Bogenschneider (2006) • What tips did the authors provide that you find particularly useful? Bronfenbrenner and Miss Dee Pointe Testimonies • Using the class readings, analyze these two testimonies, noting specific examples of tactics or strategies that make the testimony effective or ineffective. The Bronfenbrenner and Miss Dee Pointe testimonies can be distributed to students (copies are available in the Student Handouts section of the manual; Activity 9 includes guidelines for instructors on the ways in which these speeches are effective and ineffective). The Normandin and Bogenschneider (2006) two-page article “Getting Your Point Across to Policymakers” can also be handed out to students (copy available in the Student Handouts section). sample Instructor Activity 200 | FAMILY POLICY MATTERS: Instructor’s Manual Activity 4 What is A family and what is family policy? by Karen Bogenschneider University of Wisconsin-Madison Defining family and family policy has proven so difficult that it has been likened to “swimming in molasses or nailing Jell-O to a tree” (Blankenhorn, 1990, p. 5). Settling on a definition for family is not a matter that can be settled by research or by court cases. Scholars have been unable to agree on how to define family policy but they have agreed that progress in the field depends upon identifying what the parameters are—what family policy is, what it is not, and what it can achieve. This activity helps students see the inherent difficulties of defining a family and defining family policy. The activity may work best before you assign the students to read Chapter 3 on definitions in the Bogenschneider (2006) text. I begin the discussion by distributing the handout, “What is a Family and What is Family Policy?” which can be found in the Student Handouts section of this manual. DEFINITIONS OF POLICY Policy: The development, enactment, and implementation of a plan or course of action carried out through a law, rule, code, or mechanism in the public or private sector (Bogenschneider, 2006). Social Policy: Policies that deal with individuals or groups of people in society (Zimmerman, 1988/1995). DEFINITIONS OF FAMILY POLICY I begin by asking students to brainstorm about the limitations of each definition of family policy. Everything the government does to or for the family (Kammerman and Kahn, 1978) Critics have contended that defining family policy broadly enough to include defense policy, economic edicts, or pollution controls results in a concept so elastic that it potentially encompasses everything and consequently loses any integrity. Moreover, few would argue that family policy is only the actions of government, which disregards the large number of family policies that emanate from employers and nonprofit organizations. A widely agreed upon set of objectives for families, toward the realization of which the state (and other major social institutions) deliberately shape programs and policies (Moen & Schorr, 1987) Critics have contended that definitions requiring “deliberate” and “widely agreed upon” actions (Trzcinski, 1995a) are so limiting that the definition becomes virtually meaningless. For example, are policies like tax rates, abortion rights, or location of nuclear waste sites widely agreed upon? Do policies that have a deliberate intent sometimes have unexpected consequences? For example, when laws were passed to build public housing in the inner city, did government officials realize the impact that concentrating the poor in certain neighborhoods would have on the quality of the schools, the exodus of businesses from these communities, and the flight of the middle class to the suburbs? Objectives concerning family well-being and the specific measures taken by governmental bodies to achieve them (Aldous & Dumon, 1990) Does family policy include only actions taken by governmental bodies? Instructor activities | 201 Governmental goals and activities directed toward the well-being of families with children (Aldous & Dumon, 1990) Limiting the definition to only families with children excludes families that providing care and economic support to adults. Family policy should focus on the economic functions of family (Seaberg, 1990) Restricting family policy to only the economic functions of families overlooks other important aspects of family functioning such as childbearing and caregiving. A subfield of social policy which specifically focuses on “family business,” (Blankenhorn, 1990, p. 18), specifically four family functions: (1) family creation, (b) economic support, (c) childrearing, and (d) family caregiving (Consortium of Family Organizations, 1990; Ooms, 1990) This definition attempts to overcome the limitations of a scope that is too broad or narrow, a source that is unnecessarily constraining, a target too exclusionary, and a content unreflective of the many functions families perform. This definition focuses on four functions. Of course, families also provide members with love and transmit cultural and religious values, but these intimate functions matter to social policy only when they interfere with the four main family functions (Ooms, 1990). DEFINITION OF A FAMILY PERSPECTIVE IN POLICYMAKING An analysis of any policy or program, regardless of whether it is explicitly aimed at families, for its impact on family well-being (e.g., family stability, family relationships, and the family’s ability to carry out its responsibilities) This companion definition acknowledges the important role that family considerations can play in a broad range of policy issues. To clarify the differences between these two definitions, you can write on the board or ask students whether policies in the following areas could best be characterized as a family policy or as a family perspective in policymaking. Child Care (Family Policy) Health Care (Family Perspective in Policymaking) Child Support (Family Policy) Housing (Family Perspective in Policymaking) Divorce (Family Policy) Poverty (Family Perspective in Policymaking) Juvenile Crime (Family Policy) Teenage Pregnancy (Family Policy) Substance Use (Family Perspective in Policymaking) Unemployment (Family Perspective in Policymaking) Long-Term Care (Family Policy) DEFINITIONS OF FAMILY I begin by asking students to brainstorm about the limitations of each definition of family. The first two definitions are considered structural definitions because they focus on who is in and out of the family based on characteristics such as place of residence, blood ties, or legal contracts. The third definition is a functional definition that focuses on the functions that families perform for their members. This activity is based on a conversation with University of Minnesota Professor William Doherty. 202 | FAMILY POLICY MATTERS: Instructor’s Manual A group of two or more persons related by birth, marriage, or adoption who reside together in the same household (Census Bureau) This is a structural definition which excludes: • a child in a divorced family who spends half of the week with one parent and stepparent, and the other half with another parent and stepparent • cohabitating couples • a couple who are legally married, but maintain separate apartments and see each other on weekends • foster families • noncustodial parent or unmarried parent who does not reside with the child • same-sex partners, who are not related by birth, marriage, or adoption, but who nevertheless carry out many family-like functions over a significant period of time. Two or more persons related by birth, marriage, or adoption (Ooms & Preister, 1988) This structural definition would include some of the families excluded above, but still would not include cohabitating couples, foster families, and same-sex partners. Any unit in which there exists: • Sharing of economic property • A caring and supportive relationship • A sense of commitment or identification with the other members, and • Including any children born to or raised by members (Collins) This functional definition, which seems on the surface to be more inclusive, would exclude a noncustodial parent who fails to pay child support or a legally sanctioned marriage where the couple no longer cares for each other, but stays together for economic reasons or for the sake of the child (Doherty & Baird, 1983). Even a biological parent who fails to provide care and support would probably not be considered family under this definition. Trying to identify only one definition of family is like trying to cheat death: It does not work and you end up feeling foolish for trying (Doherty & Baird, 1983). Rather than seeking a single universal definition, either a structural or functional definition can be written to reinforce the intent of a specific program or policy (Eshleman, 1991; Moen & Schorr, 1987). For example, if the issue was child support, a structural definition would require financial support only from those people related to the child by blood, marriage or adoption, whereas functional definitions would require support from any committed caregiver. If the issue were care for the elderly, structuralists would provide benefits only to those who have legal responsibility for the dependent, whereas functional definitions would include any close companion who provided care. When considered in the context of specific legislation, structural definitions seem more appropriate for some goals, and functional definitions for others. The lack of a single preferred definition of family may seem opportunistic or even cowardly, yet precedence exists. No legal definition of family appears in the U.S. Constitution, the federal statutes, or regulations (Ooms, 1998), or many state statutes (Bogenschneider, et al., 1993). I believe that definitions will vary over time, across jurisdictions, and in different political contexts. sample Alternative Activity 248 | FAMILY POLICY MATTERS: Instructor’s Manual Alternative Activity 8 Elections, Candidates, and Family Issues by Steven Wisensale University of Connecticut Purpose of the Assignment To become familiar with using the Web to become informed about the political views, funding sources, and voting records of selected legislators in the U.S. Congress. Complete all 20 steps and submit this form. Directions Name of state assigned to you: _______________________________________ 1. Go to Project Vote Smart at http://www.vote-smart.org/ 2. Click on “My State” 3. Then click on “State Facts” 4. Select your state. 5. Read the summary about your state. 6. Return to the home page and click on “U.S. Congress” which is listed under “Current Officials” at the top of the page. 7. Name the two Senators of the state assigned to you and identify their parties. Click on each senator’s name for more information about them. Circle the name of the Senator or Senators up for re-election this year. If not up for reelection, place the date of their next election in the third column below: Senator: Party: Election Year: Senator: Party: Election Year: 8. How many members in the U.S. House of Representatives from your state? Number of Republicans? Number of Democrats? Any Independents? If so, how many? 9. How many electoral votes does your state have? __________ 10.If one of your Senators is up for re-election, click on his or her site. If both are up for election (very unlikely), click on one of them (your choice). If neither is up for election, choose one and click on his or her site. 11.Then click on “Biographical” and read about the background of your Senator. 12.How many committees does your Senator serve on? ________ Is he/she the chair of any committees? If so, which ones? and . 13. Return to your Senator’s main page and click on “Issues Positions (NPAT)” 14. Then click on two issues (Abortion and Education). In a brief paragraph, summarize your Senator’s position on these two issues. If you don’t understand some terms or issues, raise questions in class. Alternative activities | 249 15. Then, still on the same page (“Issues Positions NPAT”) click on “Legislative Priorities” (at the end of the list) and summarize below your Senator’s priorities. Is there anything related at all to families and children? 16. Then click on “Campaign Finances.” Review the information there, particularly under the categories at the top left (“Total Raised,” “Geographic Totals,” “Sector Totals,” the “Top Industries” and “Top Contributors”). Play around a bit at this site, but definitely click on “List PAC Contributions.” A PAC is a Political Action Committee that gives funds to a legislator and expects the legislator to vote in support of the PAC’s interests. 17. Who are the major PAC contributors for your Senator? Not by specific names but by major categories. List the top 3 categories and the total $$ amounts under each category. 1. $ 2. $ 3. $ 18. Now return to previous page. At top right are listed “Current Committee Assignments.” Do you see any connection between PAC contributions and committee assignments? If so, explain. 19. If you lived in the state assigned to you, would you vote for the Senator you just reviewed if he/she was up for election? Explain. Teaching note This exercise was created for a class of 50 students, thus all states were covered. Although the focus was on U.S. Senators, the assignment could be adjusted so that half the class study Senators and the other half focus on selected members of the House of Representatives. This assignment can be particularly interesting during an election year and certainly during the fall term. Note. “Elections, Candidates, and Family Issues,” by Steven Wisensale. Reprinted with permission. sample Student Handout Student Handouts | 261 What is a Family and What is Family Policy? DEFINITIONS OF POLICY • Policy: The development, enactment, and implementation of a plan or course of action carried out through a law, rule, code, or mechanism in the public or private sector (Bogenschneider, 2006) • Social Policy: Policies that deal with individuals or groups of people in society (Zimmerman, 1988/1995) DEFINITIONS OF FAMILY POLICY 1. Everything the government does to or for the family (Kammerman and Kahn, 1978) 2. A widely agreed upon set of objectives for families, toward the realization of which the state (and other major social institutions) deliberately shape programs and policies (Moen & Schorr, 1987) 3. Objectives concerning family well-being and the specific measures taken by governmental bodies to achieve them (Aldous & Dumon, 1990) 4. Governmental goals and activities directed toward the well-being of families with children (Aldous & Dumon, 1990) 5. Family policy should focus on the economic functions of family (Seaberg, 1990) 6. A subfield of social policy which specifically focuses on “family business,” (Blankenhorn, 1990, p. 18), specifically four family functions: (1) family creation, (b) economic support, (c) childrearing, and (d) family caregiving (Consortium of Family Organizations, 1990; Ooms, 1990) DEFINITION OF A FAMILY PERSPECTIVE IN POLICYMAKING An analysis of any policy or program, regardless of whether it is explicitly aimed at families, for its impact on family well-being (e.g., family stability, family relationships, and the family’s ability to carry out its responsibilities) DEFINITIONS OF FAMILY 1. A group of two or more persons related by birth, marriage, or adoption who reside together in the same household (Census Bureau) 2. Two or more persons related by birth, marriage, or adoption (Ooms & Preister, 1988) 3. Any unit in which there exists: • Sharing of economic property • A caring and supportive relationship • A sense of commitment or identification with the other members, and • Including any children born to or raised by members (Collins)
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