Doha International Family Institute Journal - العدد الحالي

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 in the family, the article introduces a broader conception encompassing education about 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.

Studies have highlighted the importance of work-life balance (WLB) and well-being across various fields. Some studies have highlighted that a good WLB is crucial for social, psychological, and physical well-being. However, few studies have focused on the experience of welfare workers’ WLB and wellbeing in Qatar. This study, using exploratory qualitative research probes, yields in-depth responses about the experience of welfare workers’ WLB and well-being in Qatar. The welfare workers who participated in the research possess a wealth of experience in the fields of social work, psychology, and sociology, with backgrounds in schools, research, mental health, behavioral services, and women’s and children’s services. The researcher held semi-structured face-to-face and virtual interviews with these 11 participants by open-ended questions, which they responded to in their own words. The researcher used thematic analysis to analyze the data as qualitative research. Ethics approval was granted by the host institution and the study complied with the Code of Human Research Ethics (BPS) 2021. Based on data analysis, the final three superordinate themes were identified: Demands of work, elements that contribute positively, and challenges to well-being. The study revealed that the demands of work influence the achievement of WLB and the well-being of welfare workers. Some elements contribute positively to achieving WLB and well-being among the welfare workers, such as spirituality, social support, satisfaction with work, and participating in some activities. The results show that welfare workers struggle to maintain psychological well-being and health. The findings suggest how improvements could be made to their field for the future, specifically in Qatar. Moreover, the researcher would like to encourage research colleagues to conduct intervention studies and programs in which the importance of social, psychological, and physical working conditions, WLB, and achieving well-being are highlighted.