Families On The Margins

This book focuses on the diverse tapestry of families in contemporary U.S. culture. Each chapter explores a different kind of family and examines their specific communication behaviors. We live in times of increasing diversity that complicate our understandings of ourselves as well as others who may be quite different from us. These complexities also impact our definition of "family" in addition to our interpretation of family communication behaviors. This book provides an examination of family communication practices in families that are underrepresented in the research of the discipline, and underserved in U.S. culture: immigrant families; family members in interracial relationships; LGBTQ families; low-income Latinx families; families with an incarcerated parent; and families headed by grandparents. The book is an initial effort to expand the lens of family communication scholarship to focus on "families on the margins". Through a variety of, sometimes unique, methods including textual analysis, in-depth interviews, and analysis of art projects collected at a Pride festival, each chapter in this collection adds to our knowledge of how we define family and how families communicate in the 21st century. The chapters in this book were originally published in a special issue of the Journal of Family Communication.

This book focuses on the diverse tapestry of families in contemporary U.S. culture. Each chapter explores a different kind of family and examines their specific communication behaviors. We live in times of increasing diversity that complicate our understandings of ourselves as well as others who may be quite different from us. These complexities also impact our definition of "family" in addition to our interpretation of family communication behaviors. This book provides an examination of family communication practices in families that are underrepresented in the research of the discipline, and underserved in U.S. culture: immigrant families; family members in interracial relationships; LGBTQ families; low-income Latinx families; families with an incarcerated parent; and families headed by grandparents. The book is an initial effort to expand the lens of family communication scholarship to focus on "families on the margins". Through a variety of, sometimes unique, methods including textual analysis, in-depth interviews, and analysis of art projects collected at a Pride festival, each chapter in this collection adds to our knowledge of how we define family and how families communicate in the 21st century. The chapters in this book were originally published in a special issue of the Journal of Family Communication.

Despite a decade of sociological research documenting black fathers’ significant level of engagement with their children, stereotypes of black men as “deadbeat dads” still shape popular perceptions and scholarly discourse. In Fathering from the Margins, sociologist Aasha M. Abdill draws on four years of fieldwork in low-income, predominantly black Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, to dispel these destructive assumptions. She considers the obstacles faced—and the strategies used—by black men with children. Abdill presents qualitative and quantitative evidence that confirms the increasing presence of black fathers in their communities, arguing that changing social norms about gender roles in black families have shifted fathering behaviors. Black men in communities such as Bed-Stuy still face social and structural disadvantages, including disproportionate unemployment and incarceration, with significant implications for family life. Against this backdrop, black fathers attempt to reconcile contradictory beliefs about what makes one a good father and what makes one a respected man by developing different strategies for expressing affection and providing parental support. Black men’s involvement with their children is affected by the attitudes of their peers, the media, and especially the women of their families and communities: from the grandmothers who often become gatekeepers to involvement in a child’s life to the female-dominated sectors of childcare, primary school, and family-service provision. Abdill shows how supporting black men in their quest to be—and be seen as—family men is the key to securing not only their children's well-being but also their own.

Removing the Margins works to identify and challenge many of the cultural and systematic paradigms that perpetuate racism and other forms of oppression in mainstream schooling. The authors pursue the ideal that education should not simply affirm the status quo but should produce knowledge for social action. This philosophical and theoretical resource also moves beyond the study of educational failure to explore the new and creative ways schooling barriers have been confronted. The focus is placed on the factors of representation, family and community, staff equity, language integration and spirituality as fundamental to school reform. Removing the Margins is the product of five years of research and writing in the search for best practices in inclusive education. The authors address the philosophical and theoretical bases for inclusivity in this book, while laying out the practical approach in the accompanying volume Inclusive Schooling: A Teacher's Guide to Removing the Margins.

Our society leaves too many young people behind. More often than not, these are the most vulnerable young people, and it is through no fault of their own. Building a fair society and an equitable education system rests on bringing in and supporting them. By drawing together more than a decade of studies by the UK’s Centre for Education and Youth, this book provides a new way of understanding the many ways young people in England are pushed to the margins of the education system, and in turn, society. Each contributor shares the personal stories of the young people they have encountered over the course of their fieldwork and practice, combining this with accessible syntheses of previous studies, alongside extensive analysis of national datasets and key publications. By unpicking the many overlapping factors that contribute to different groups’ vulnerability, the book demonstrates the need to understand each young person’s life story and to respond quickly and collaboratively to the challenges they face. The chapters conclude with action points highlighting the steps individuals, institutions and policy makers can take to bring young people in from the margins. Young People on the Margins showcases first-hand examples of where these young people's needs are being addressed and trends bucked, drawing out what can and must be learned, for teachers, leaders, youth workers and policy makers.

Contributors include Denyse Baillargeon (Université de Montréal), Bettina Bradbury (York University), Josette Brun (Université Laval), Nancy Christie (Hamilton), Gwendolyn Davies (University of New Brunswick), Michael Gauvreau (McMaster University), Peter Gossage (Université de Sherbrooke), Ollivier Hubert (Université de Montréal), Jack Little (Simon Fraser University), James Moran (University of Prince Edward Island), Suzanne Morton (McGill University), Matt Savelli (McMaster University), Michele Stairs (York University), James Struthers (Trent University), and David Wright (McMaster University).

This book draws from the everyday experiences as well as the harsh realities confronting behavioral care providers on the frontline. The book recounts the stories and sometimes disturbing emotions of people whose lives have undergone sudden change or even drastic trauma; people whose feelings of comfort and safety have been shattered by exposure to illness, abuse, death and bereavement. The perspectives and experiences of nurses, social care staff, patients, children and families are at the core of understanding the importance, challenges and therapeutic vitality of emotions. The 55 individuals on the frontline who took part in the interviews on which this study is based discuss the emotions associated with care in mental health, pediatric oncology, AIDS/HIV, as well as child protection and abuse, racism, refugee exile, poverty, and social exclusion. Their bravery, openness, and ability to communicate and share their emotions make this book possible. ​