There is much to learn about the inner workings of the family structure and its varying and corresponding relationships—the National Council on Family Relations works to identify these associations.
Founded in 1938, the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR)is the oldest nonprofit, nonpartisan, multidisciplinary professional association focused solely on family research and education.
Oklahoma Christian University’s newly founded on-campus family science honor society has been allowed to attend this years NCFR conference at the University of North Texas. The conference began on Wednesday, Nov. 20, and will continue this weekend.
The National Council on Family Relations public correspondence office defined their mission, what family science is and discussed the utilization of other educational fields for the betterment of their academic understanding in an email release.
“The National Council on Family Relations’ mission is to provide an educational forum for family researchers, educators, and practitioners to share in the development and dissemination of knowledge about families and family relationships, establish professional standards and work to promote family well-being,” said an NCFR spokesperson.
“Family Science is a discipline of study in which the primary goals are the discovery, verification and application of knowledge about the family. Although family science treats contributions from related academic disciplines as vital background information, it has also developed its unique assumptions, methodologies and world view.”
The release continued to highlight the nonprofit’s identity through a study led internally by Dwight Jewson, noting the hierarchical structure of the organization which can be found here.
Within the study, Jewson elaborates on the core values of the council and the value of variety within the ranks of their programs.
“The National Council on Family Relations values the diversity of its membership, which is shaped by our historical, cultural, economic, and social contexts,” Jewson said. “This diversity strengthens our research, scholarship, and practice.”
Members come from more than 35 countries and all 50 U.S. states and includes students, researchers, counselors and university faculty, among others.
Senior Allie Steward, who is in attendance, expanded on the value of the academic gathering and the benefits which come with this partnership.
“This conference is a resource for students and professionals to connect about various subjects connecting to families,” Steward said. “For individuals seeking higher education, there are options to look at, programs from universities and networking opportunities.”
Steward continued to note the broad range of subjects relating to this discipline and the presentations Oklahoma Christian students were able to attend.
“In general, we have focused on attending sessions of various subjects from sleep to finances to even cultural differences concerning different aspects of families—older couples, newly married couples, mother-daughter relationships and the perspectives of children,” Stewart said.
Senior Alexa Lewis, who is also attending, stated the convention has been rewarding and a great experience for a first-year program.
“This is the inaugural year of our honor society,” Lewis said. “This has been and continues to be a tremendous learning opportunity we were blessed to have been offered.”
Oklahoma Christian’s associate professor of psychology & family science, Bobby Kern will be leading a presentation today about student engagement at the conference.
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