1887
Volume 2025, Issue 2
  • E-ISSN: 2309-3927

Despite decades of interdisciplinary research affirming that the family is fundamental unit of society, a gap persists in how this knowledge is communicated, particularly to younger generations. This article identifies this gap as stemming from an absence of an educational framework that translates family research into critical skills and civic competencies, enabling individuals to understand, discern, and articulate the family's enduring roles in both individual and public life. Expanding traditional family literacy beyond learning the family, the article introduces a broader conception encompassing education the family. It presents a new framework that establishes its conceptual and methodological approach and identifies five guiding principles. The discussion highlights key implications of family literacy and illiteracy for public understanding, family formation, intergenerational solidarity, and the recognition of the family as the foundation of society. The article concludes with recommendations for translating these insights into educational practice, equipping younger generations with the knowledge and skills needed to engage effectively in public discourse and contribute to the creation of strong, sustainable families.

Loading

جارٍ تحميل قياسات المقالة...

/content/journals/10.5339/difi.2025.11
٢٠٢٥-١٢-٠١
٢٠٢٥-١٢-٠٥

القياسات

Loading full text...

Full text loading...

/deliver/fulltext/difi/2025/2/difi.2025.issue2.11.html?itemId=/content/journals/10.5339/difi.2025.11&mimeType=html&fmt=ahah

References

  1. Abdelmoneium, A. O., Asay, S. M., & DeFrain, J. (2023). The strengths and challenges of Arab families: A qualitative analysis. Doha International Family Institute Journal, 2023(1), Article 4. https://doi.org/10.5339/difi.2023.4
    [Google الباحث العلمي]
  2. Al-Naama, K. (2025). The family and values. Doha International Family Institute Journal, 2025(1), 3. https://doi.org/10.5339/difi.2025.3
    [Google الباحث العلمي]
  3. Ames, B. D. (1999). Lifecourse parenting: The primary intergenerational relationship. Michigan Family Review, 4(1), 17–26. https://doi.org/10.3998/mfr.4919087.0004.103
    [Google الباحث العلمي]
  4. Aref, A., Fallentine, A., & Zahran, S. (2024). The state of urbanization, demographic changes, and family dynamics in Africa. Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 54(2), 283–297.https://doi.org/10.3138/jcfs-083-2023
    [Google الباحث العلمي]
  5. Auerbach, E. R. (1989). Toward a social-contextual approach to family literacy. Harvard Educational Review, 59(2), 165–181. https://doi.org/10.17763/haer.59.2.h23731364l283156
    [Google الباحث العلمي]
  6. Bengtson, V. L., & Roberts, R. E. L. (1991). Intergenerational solidarity in aging families: An example of formal theory construction. Journal of Marriage and Family, 53(4), 856–870. https://doi.org/10.2307/352993
    [Google الباحث العلمي]
  7. Bogenschneider, K. (2011). Family policy: Why we need it and how to communicate it [Working paper]. United Nations, Division for Social Policy and Development. https://www.un.org/esa/socdev/family/docs/egm11/Bogenschneider-paper.pdf
  8. Bogenschneider, K. (2024). Family policy matters: How policymaking affects families and what professionals can do (4th ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003311577
  9. Bohanek, J. G., Roos, J., Wen, A. Y., & Lukowski, A. F. (2025). Construction of self and family in intergenerational family stories: Associations with sociocultural group and familism in female emerging adults. Parenting, 25(2), 235–254. https://doi.org/10.1080/15295192.2024.2446820
    [Google الباحث العلمي]
  10. Bowen, M. (1978). Family therapy in clinical practice. Jason Aronson.
  11. Bronfenbrenner, U. (1977). Toward an experimental ecology of human development. American Psychologist, 32(7), 513–531. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.32.7.513
    [Google الباحث العلمي]
  12. Brown, S. L. (2010). Marriage and child well-being: Research and policy perspectives. Journal of Marriage and Family, 72(5), 1059–1077. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-3737.2010.00750.x
    [Google الباحث العلمي]
  13. Browning, D. S., Green, M. C., & Witte, J., Jr. (Eds.). (2006). Sex, marriage, & family in world religions. Columbia University Press.
  14. DeFrain, J., & Asay, S. M. (2007). Strong families around the world: An introduction to the family strengths perspective. Marriage & Family Review, 41(1–2), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1300/J002v41n01_01
    [Google الباحث العلمي]
  15. Dollahite, D. C., Marks, L. D., Babcock, K. P., Barrow, B. H., & Rose, A. H. (2019). Beyond religious rigidities: Religious firmness and religious flexibility as complementary loyalties in faith transmission. Religions, 10(2), 111. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel10020111
    [Google الباحث العلمي]
  16. El-Khani, A., Haar, K., Stojanovic, M., & Maalouf, W. (2021). Assessing the feasibility of providing a family skills intervention, “Strong Families,” for refugee families residing in reception centers in Serbia. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(9), 4530. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18094530
    [Google الباحث العلمي]
  17. Frounfelker, R. L., Miconi, D., Farrar, J., Brooks, M. A., Rousseau, C., & Betancourt, T. S. (2020). Mental health of refugee children and youth: Epidemiology, interventions, and future directions. Annual Review of Public Health, 41(1), 159–176. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-publhealth-040119-094230
    [Google الباحث العلمي]
  18. Gadsden, V. L. (2017). Family literacy. In B. Street & S. May (Eds.), Literacies and language education (pp. 1–7). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-02252-9_15
    [Google الباحث العلمي]
  19. Gilbert, N., & Brik, A. B. (2020). Family-sensitive policy: Broadening the conceptual lens for evaluating social protection. Society, 57, 637–645. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12115-020-00543-x
    [Google الباحث العلمي]
  20. Harvard Divinity School. (2025). Religion and Public Life. Retrieved October 14, 2025, fromhttps://rpl.hds.harvard.edu/
    [Google الباحث العلمي]
  21. Haydon, C. G., Hill, B. J., Ward, P. J., & Eggett, D. L. (2023). Identity development and its relationship to family history knowledge among late adolescents. Genealogy, 7(1), 13. https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy7010013
    [Google الباحث العلمي]
  22. Heath, S. B. (1983). Ways with words: Language, life, and work in communities and classrooms. Cambridge University Press.
  23. Hendricks, J. J., Dollahite, D. C., Marks, L. D., & Herbst, J. (2023). Personal and relational processes of repentance in religious Jewish, Christian, and Muslim families. Review of Religious Research, 65(4), 421–444. https://doi.org/10.1177/0034673X231214274
    [Google الباحث العلمي]
  24. Hinchman, K. A., & O’Brien, D. G. (2019). Disciplinary literacy: From infusion to hybridity. Journal of Literacy Research, 51(4), 502–519. https://doi.org/10.1177/1086296X19876986
    [Google الباحث العلمي]
  25. Kennedy, J. L., & Caspe, M. (2013). An intergenerational approach to family literacy. In D. M. Reder (Ed.), Promising practices for engaging families in literacy (p.4). National Center for Family Literacy.
  26. Kim, R., Foster, M., & Parada, M. (2025). The impact of family bonding activity type and time on young children’s social–emotional development. Children & Society, 39, 1059–1067. https://doi.org/10.1111/chso.12974
    [Google الباحث العلمي]
  27. Lawrence, R. L., & Christiansen, S. L. (2000). Theologies and moral concerns: Religion, marriage, and the family. In B. J. Miller & L. N. Nock (Eds.), The family: A Christian perspective on the contemporary home (pp. 379–380). Brigham Young University Press.
    [Google الباحث العلمي]
  28. Lee, S. Y., & Han, K. S. (2024). Family strength: A concept analysis. Journal of Korean Academy of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, 33(2), 124–137. https://doi.org/10.12934/JKPMHN.2024.33.2.124
    [Google الباحث العلمي]
  29. Lerman, R. I., Price, J., & Wilcox, W. B. (2017). Strong families, prosperous states: Do healthy families affect the wealth of states? Journal of Family and Economic Issues, 38(1), 92–112.
    [Google الباحث العلمي]
  30. Melson, G. F. (1980). Families and society: The sociology of the family. F. E. Peacock Publishers.
  31. Mendoza, N., & Fruhauf, C. A. (2025). Factors influencing grandparent caregivers’ resilience. Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 68(6), 814–833. https://doi.org/10.1080/01634372.2025.2485967
    [Google الباحث العلمي]
  32. Michaels, S. (1981). “Sharing time”: Children’s narrative styles and differential access to literacy. Language in Society, 10(3), 423–442. https://www.jstor.org/stable/4167263
    [Google الباحث العلمي]
  33. Moore, D. L. (2014). Overcoming religious illiteracy: Expanding the boundaries of religious education. Religious Education, 109(4), 379–389. https://doi.org/10.1080/00344087.2014.92476
    [Google الباحث العلمي]
  34. Moore, D. L. (2015). Diminishing religious literacy: Methodological assumptions and analytical frameworks for promoting the public understanding of religion. In A. Dinham & M. Francis (Eds.), Religious literacy in policy and practice. Policy Press. https://doi.org/10.1332/policypress/9781447316657.003.0002
    [Google الباحث العلمي]
  35. Moore, D. L. (2021). Methodological assumptions and analytical frameworks regarding religion [Working paper]. Religion and Public Life Initiative, Harvard Divinity School. https://religionmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/RPL-Method-paper-2021.pdf
  36. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. (2004). Adult and family literacy: Current and future research directions—A workshop summary. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.nichd.nih.gov/sites/default/files/publications/pubs/documents/afl_workshop.pdf
  37. Pew Research Center. (2019, December 12). Religion and living arrangements around the world. https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2019/12/12/religion-and-living-arrangements-around-the-world/
  38. Petts, R. J. (2019). Introduction to the special issue of Religions—“Religion and family life.” Religions, 10(4), 265. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel10040265
    [Google الباحث العلمي]
  39. Roman, N. V., Balogun, T. V., Butler-Kruger, L., Danga, S. D., Therese de Lange, J., Human-Hendricks, A., Thelma Khaile, F., October, K. R., & Olabiyi, O. J. (2025). Strengthening family bonds: A systematic review of factors and interventions that enhance family cohesion. Social Sciences, 14(6), 371. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci14060371
    [Google الباحث العلمي]
  40. Taylor, D. (1983). Family literacy: Young children learning to read and write. Heinemann Educational Books.
  41. Thompson, H. M., Wojciak, A. S., & Cooley, M. E. (2019). Family-based approach to the child welfare system: An integration of Bowen family theory concepts. Journal of Family Social Work, 22(3), 231–252. https://doi.org/10.1080/10522158.2019.1584776
    [Google الباحث العلمي]
  42. United Nations. (1948). Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 16. https://www.un.org/en/universal-declaration-human-rights/
  43. VanderWeele, T. J. (2017). On the promotion of human flourishing. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 114(31), 8148–8156. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1702996114
    [Google الباحث العلمي]
  44. Walsh, F. (2003). Family resilience: A framework for clinical practice. Family Process, 42(1), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1545-5300.2003.00001.x
    [Google الباحث العلمي]
  45. Walsh, F. (2016). Applying a family resilience framework in training, practice, and research: Mastering the art of the possible. Family Process, 55(4), 616–632. https://doi.org/10.1111/famp.12260
    [Google الباحث العلمي]
  46. Wasik, B. H., & Herrmann, S. (2004). Family literacy: History, concepts, services. In B. H. Wasik (Ed.), Handbook of family literacy (pp. 3–22). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
    [Google الباحث العلمي]
  47. Weine, S. (2008). Family roles in refugee youth resettlement from a prevention perspective. Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 17(3), 515–532, vii–viii. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chc.2008.02.006
    [Google الباحث العلمي]
  48. Wells, G. (1986). The meaning makers: Children learning language and using language to learn (Illustrated, reprint ed.). Hodder and Stoughton.
  49. Wilcox, W. B. 2014, October 16). Faith and family, better together? Religion and family around the globe. Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs. https://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/essays/faith-and-family-better-together-religion-and-family-around-the-globe
  50. Wilcox, W. B., & Hawkins, A. J. (2024). The marriage paradox: Understanding and remedying the paradoxical place of marriage in America. Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 84(4), 845–854. https://doi.org/10.1002/pam.22637
    [Google الباحث العلمي]
  51. Wilcox, W. B. (2024). Get married: Why Americans must defy the elites, forge strong families, and save civilization. HarperCollins.
/content/journals/10.5339/difi.2025.11
Loading
/content/journals/10.5339/difi.2025.11
Loading

جارٍ تحميل البيانات والوسائط...

  • نوع المستند: Research Article
الموضوعات الرئيسية family literacy, family education, civic education, family and society, social institutions, family policy
هذه الخانة مطلوبة
يُرجى إدخال عنوان بريد إلكتروني صالح
Approval was a Success
Invalid data
An Error Occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error