Chapter 2

Why We Should Focus on Families in Policymaking, and Why We Don't

Bogenschneider (2014)

1. Are family considerations given high priority in policymaking as economic considerations? Why or why not? Give examples to support your view.
2. Give three explanations for the marginalization of families in policymaking.
3. Is lack of interest from policymakers a plausible explanation for the marginalization of families in policymaking? Cite examples from current and former policymakers.
4. What changes have occurred in family life during the last half century? Provide data that indicate how extensive these changes have been.

Tocqueville (1945)

1. What are the differences between an aristocracy and a democracy?
2. Why is a democracy more apt to lead to individualism?
3. What are the benefits for a democracy of citizen participation in public associations?

Hernandez (2005)

1. Do you agree or disagree that children should be the primary unit of statistical analysis? Can you reconcile Hernandez's view of a child focus with the emphasis in this course on a family focus?
2. What are the revolutionary changes that Hernandez contends have occurred from the Civil War to World War II?
3. What revolutionary transformations have occurred since World War II?
4. In the 1980s, what percent of children lived in Ozzie and Harriet families? How can this number be deceiving?
5. According to Hernandez's definition of the relative poverty threshold, what percent of families live below the poverty threshold? 
6. Why should baby boomers be interested in the economic prospects of immigrant children?
7. What policy recommendations does Hernandez offer? Would you consider these recommendations more liberal or conservative? Does providing policy recommendations from one perspective affect the reader's confidence in the demographic data Hernandez provides?

Coontz (1997)

1. In the 1996 poll, why did more Americans choose the 1950s than any other decade as the best time for children to grow up?
2. Why was the choice of the best decade not universal across all respondents?
3. What aspects of life in the 1950s should be reinstated? What aspects could be reinstated?

Chapter 3

Defining Family Policy

An Identity of Its Own

Bogenschneider (2014)

1. Would substance abuse be classified as a family policy? What criteria would you apply to define an issue as family policy?
2. What qualities can family policy and the family impact lens bring to policymaking?
3. Is a single definition of family needed to move family policymaking forward? Why or why not?
4. How could you briefly explain to a policymaker why it is important for them to consider families in their decisions?

Bellah et al. (1996)

1. Is American culture focused more on individualism or commitment to others? What evidence can you provide? Can you think of examples from your personal experience?
2. Do families influence American individualism? If so, how and why? What other factors play a role?
3. Is a cultural shift toward individualism or familism possible? How would this happen?

Hewlett (1991)

1. What is the main point of the article? Did it surprise you?
2. What facts in the Hewlett reading did you find most surprising?
3. Why do children fare so poorly?
4. How can we meet the needs of children without pitting their needs against those of the elderly? Be specific.

Chapter 4

Policies and Practices Biased Toward Individual Rights Over Family Responsibilities

Bogenschneider (2014)

1. Policy is said to create the conditions in which families operate. Give examples of how family functioning is shaped by the policy context.
2. In what ways does the privatization of family law jeopardize family functioning?
3. How do local policies affect family structure and function? Give examples.
4. What is it about the ways that families are organized and operate that make it difficult for researchers to study them?

Doherty (1994)

1. What does Doherty say is a shortcoming of the training of most therapists?
2. Give some specific examples of how Doherty says an individually‑oriented therapist would advise a client.

Melnick (2005)

1. Has litigation produced significant social policy change? If yes, give examples.
2. Under what conditions have the courts been most effective in bringing about social policy change?

Whitehead (1992)

1. Is our country shifting toward a focus on individualism or toward family obligation and commitment? Why?
2. What single experience does Whitehead contend contributes significantly to the cultural shift that she describes?
3.  What has been the principle source of family decline?
4.  What limitations do you see in Whitehead's argument?

Chapter 5

How Families Support Society and How Societies Support Families

Bogenschneider (2014)

1. What kinds of arguments are most effective when communicating the public value of families to policymakers?
2. What are four key contributions that families make to society? What research evidence did you find most compelling for each?
3. In what ways do family policies in the United States differ from those in other countries? What values underlie these policy choices?
4. How do Sweden and the United States differ in the ways that family policy is targeted and structured?
5. Is it possible to focus too much on individuals? What are the consequences of too much individualism?
6. Is it possible to focus too much on familism? Would it matter if we did?

Skocpol (1997)

1. Is the United States a social policy laggard? Why or why not?
2. What rationale does Skocpol give for supporting families?
3. What does Skocpol propose to promote family well-being in public policies and programs?
4. Why does Skocpol say we should focus on families rather than children?

Strach (2006)

1. How is family both an end policy goal and a means to other policy goals? Give examples of each.
2. What does it mean that families act as a “shadow government”? Give three examples. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this shadow government for families?
3. Why is family used so frequently in political speeches? Cite examples of what purposes family can serve in public policy discourse.

Chapter 6

How Society Shapes Families

 A U.S. View

Bogenschneider (2014)

1. In what ways is family life universal?
2. How does family life in the United States differ from that in other Western nations?
3. Provide examples that individualism is held as a cultural ideal in the United States.
4. Give an example of how Americans move back and forth between the cultural ideals of individualism and marriage.
5. In what specific ways is family commitment shaped by a strong market economy?
6. When countries such as the United States have a smaller government safety net, how does this affect family life? Be specific.

Daly (2001)

1. What does Daly say has contributed to the growing urgency about time in families?
2. Do you agree or disagree with Daly’s selection of a sample?
3. How do families develop views about family time? What do they expect?
4. What was the most common complaint about family time?
5. What were some of the impediments to family time?
6. How did families respond when the “real” of family time did not meet the “ideal”? What should be changed—the “real” or the “ideal”?

McLanahan & Sandefur (1994)

1. According to the authors, do children raised by only one parent do just as well as children raised by both parents? Why or why not?
2. What factors do the authors say affect child well-being in single-parent families?
3. Should research on the effects of single parenthood on child well-being control for income? Why or why not?
4. Do McLanahan and Sandefur recommend public debate about single parenthood? Why or why not?
5. Why is the discussion of single parenthood so controversial?
6. Why are the effects of single parenthood on child well-being important?

Hewlett and West (1998)

1. In what ways has the conservative view undermined family life?
2. In what ways has the liberal view undermined family life?

Chapter 7

Families as a Legitimate Focus of Public Policy

Yesterday and Today

Bogenschneider (2014)

1. Do American citizens believe that government should support families? Are some families more deserving of support than others?
2. Is government support for family policy needed? Why or why not?
3. How do federal expenditures on children compare to spending on the elderly? How does federal spending on children compare to spending on nonchild portions of the federal budget?
4. Give examples of some of the remarkable changes that family policies have brought about for families in the last decade or so.
5. How have recent trends in policymaking affected which families receive benefits, who provides them, and how generous they are?
6. Do state government investments in policies and programs matter for families? In what ways?
7. Do family policies lead to more or less government? Explain your answer.

Wilson (1987)

1. Why have the social conditions of the ghetto underclass deteriorated so rapidly in recent years?
2. Why does Wilson say that the increases in inner-city poverty are due to desegregation?
3. What is Wilson’s hidden agenda?

Corbett (1993)

1. Why has child poverty been so persistent?
2. Describe Corbett’s view of the “hard” and “soft” causes of poverty. What perceptions of the poor emanate from each of these explanations?
3. Corbett suggests a more heterogeneous view of the dependent poor. What data does he provide to support this view?
4. What lessons does Corbett’s view provide for reforming welfare policy? Are new solutions needed? What solutions does Corbett suggest? Be specific.

Searle Grannis & Sawhill (2013)

1. Is intervening early in the life of a low-income child enough to improve life prospects at middle age? Why or why not?
2. If we invested as much as $25,000 each in low-income kids during early childhood, middle childhood, and adolescence, would the long-term benefits of this investment exceed the costs? Why or why not?

Chapter 8

How Current Policy Issues Can Benefit from the Family Impact Lens

Bogenschneider (2014)

1. Give examples of how the family impact lens has impacted the effectiveness, the efficiency, and the implementation of family policies.
2. Should early childhood care and education programs be required to include parents? Why or why not?
3. In what specific ways have family considerations been incorporated into welfare reform? Do you think including the family impact lens has improved the effectiveness or efficiency of welfare reform policies?
4. What role do families play in creating juvenile delinquents? What role can families play in policies aimed at reducing juvenile crime? What process did Washington State use to implement evidence-based policy?
5. What five major roles do families play in health and illness? Give examples of each.
6. What makes designing long-term care policy more difficult than designing acute care policy? How extensive is family caregiving? What specific policies can support the caregiving that families provide to their members?

Reeves & Howard (2013)

1. What are the approaches that policymakers can take to address the parenting gap?
2. Which parenting practices influence child outcomes?
3. How well are U.S. parents performing?
4. What are the characteristics of parents who exhibit the weakest quality of parenting? Why is this important?
5. Does the quality of parenting affect child outcomes? At which life stage is it most important?
6. Does U.S. policy invest more in supplementing parenting or improving parenting? Do you think public dollars should be spent on parenting? If so, where would you target the dollars for the greatest return on investment?

Wisensale (2001)

1. What are the provisions of the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)?
2. In what ways are the provisions family friendly? In what ways are the provisions not supportive of family well-being?
3. Did the FMLA have a negative impact on business?
4. What tactics did Clinton use to try to expand the accessibility and affordability of the FMLA when his legislative initiatives were stalled? How successful were these tactics?
5. Why was California successful in passing a paid family leave program? Did research play a role? Does Wisensale think California's strategy will work in other states?
6. What does research show are the economic impacts of family leave?
7. Who does paid family leave benefit most? Is this a political advantage or disadvantage?

Reich (1996)

1. Does Reich think there is a way to get work and family into balance? What do you think?

Chapter 9

Bridging Controversy and Building Consensus

The Theory of Paradox

Bogenschneider (2014)

1. Is partisan polarization growing among policymakers, the public, or both? What data support your view?
2. What societal trends does the concerned camp focus on? What are the values of the concerned camp? What policy responses do the concerned prefer? What evidence supports the views of the concerned camp? What is their policy agenda?
3. What societal trends does the satisfied camp focus on? What are the values of the satisfied camp? What policy responses do the satisfied prefer? What evidence supports the views of the satisfied camp? What is their policy agenda?
4. What societal trends does the impatient camp focus on? What are the values of the impatient camp? What policy responses do the impatient prefer? What evidence supports the views of the impatient camp? What is their policy agenda?
5. What is the theory of paradox designed to accomplish? What is a true paradox? Give some examples.
6. How can the theory of paradox be applied to welfare reform?
7. What examples exist of how using the theory of paradox can help build common ground?

Popenoe (1990)

1. As a proponent of the concerned view, what four social trends does Popenoe discuss?
2. Can these changes be conceptualized as decline? Can decline be a good thing? In what ways have the changes that have occurred been beneficial?
3. What does Popenoe mean by civil society?
4. What alternatives for social action does Popenoe discuss?
5. If you wanted to discount Popenoe's argument, what would you need to prove?

Schroeder (1984)

1. As a proponent of the satisfied view, what kind of changes does Schroeder see in society?
2. How does Schroeder define family policy?
3. Why is this view satisfied?
4. What data could she use to better support her argument?

Orthner (1990)

1. As a proponent of the satisfied view, does Orthner believe that family values are changing? What is his thesis? How has it occurred? What examples does he give?
2. Does his argument apply equally to all sectors of society?

Stacey (1993)

1. As a proponent of the impatient view, what is Stacey's view of the changes that have occurred in families in the last couple decades?
2. Why does Stacey say that we should work to hasten the demise of the family?
3. Do you notice any inconsistencies in Stacey's argument?
4. In what ways does she agree with the concerned camp?

Smith (1993)

1. As a proponent of the impatient view, how would you describe an ideological code in your own words?
2. What is the SNAF ideological code? What examples do the authors give of the SNAF ideological code?
3. Do you detect any fallacy in her thinking? Is there a potential bias in her argument?

Chapter 10

Looking Back to Move Forward

Lessons from the History of Family Policy

Bogenschneider & Corbett (2014)

1. Family policy is a relatively young field, conceived in the 1970s. What have been some of the controversies and defining questions of each decade? How were each of these defining questions resolved?
2. The authors give three examples of family policies in the last century. Why are each of these good examples of policies that are aimed at families rather than individuals?
3. How do individualistic societies such as the United States justify social programs?
4. If your goal is to advance family policy, would you be more likely to reach this goal if you pointed out how well families are doing or the risks that families face?
5. The authors contend that data collection tends to be focused on individuals rather than families. Can you give examples that support or refute this position?
6. To move family policies forward, are individual or structural explanations likely to be more effective? Are political incumbents more likely to use individual or structural explanations? Which explanations are political challengers likely to use?
7. How does the structure of our policy and intellectual worlds affect progress in the field of family policy? What structural change might advance the field?

Chapter 11

What Policymakers and the Policy Process are Really Like

Bogenschneider (2014)

1. What are the three branches of federal government? What specific powers does the Constitution grant to Congress?
2. What is the typical job of a policy administrator? Can you give examples of the influence that policy administrators have on policy development, implementation, and evaluation?
3. What are the common steps in the policymaking process that most bills must pass through?
4. Is policymaking a rational process? Defend your position.

Ross & Staines (1972)

1. When do social problems arise?
2. What role can social science play in the definition of social problems?
3. How do social problems come to people's attention?
4. Does your explanation of the cause of a social problem depend upon your political position (e.g., whether you are in or out of office, an underdog, or serving in a staff role)? How would authorities, underdog partisans, the privileged, staff, and ideologues view welfare reform?
5. 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?

Chapter 12

Building Family-Focused Policy

 The Family Impact Toolkit

Bogenschneider, Little, Ooms, Benning, Cadigan, & Corbett (2014)

1. What is family impact analysis? What is its purpose? How does it differ from program evaluation?
2. In what ways does Kingdon's theoretical framework suggest three different methods for operationalizing the family impact lens?
3. How are relational and participatory practices thought to contribute to family self-efficacy?
4. What are the five principles that undergird the family impact lens? What evidence suggests that each is an important principle for analyzing how sensitive policies and programs are to family well-being?
5. Family impact analysis was first introduced in the 1970s. Why was it not adopted and used more extensively? Do you think the new methods introduced here will be used more frequently and with greater effect?
6. Drawing from specific examples from the chapter, what was learned from the family impact analysis that was not previously apparent? In what ways can the findings of family impact analysis benefit policy and program decisions? Were there beneficial effects that a family impact analysis helped promote? Were there harmful effects that a family impact analysis helped avoid?

Chapter 13

Building Evidence-Based Family Policy Insights from the Family Impact Seminars

Bogenschneider (2014)

1. Why does community dissonance theory suggest that research is underutilized in policymaking? In what specific ways do the Family Impact Seminars incorporate the tenets of community dissonance theory?
2. If you were the evaluator of the Family Impact Seminars, would you focus primarily on how research presented at the Seminar influences a policy decision? Why or why not? What other outcomes might you track?
3. Do policymakers value the role that research can play in policy decisions? What evidence supports your view?
4. Bogenschneider contends that connecting research and policy is a two-pronged process—encouraging policymakers to become more research-minded and encouraging researchers to become more policy-minded. What impacts have the Seminars had on researchers, on universities, and on our scientific understanding of how research can be used to influence policymaking?

Shulock (1999)

1. What conundrum does Shulock address?
2. In what ways are Shulock's conclusions similar to those of Bogenschneider in Chapter 13? In what ways are her conclusions different from those of Bogenschneider?
3. Shulock sees no reason why an individual analyst must present competing perspectives on an issue. Why does Bogenschneider say this is necessary?

Chapter 14

Deciding What You Can Do

 Careers in Family Policy

Bogenschneider (2014)

1. Are the family policy roles described in this chapter primarily ways to do good or to perform volunteer service? Why or why not?
2. Which of the roles do you find most appealing? What interests and skill sets do you have that would contribute to success in this role?
3. How does The Bond differ from U.S. advocacy groups such as the American Association for Retired Persons (AARP) and the National Organization for Women (NOW)?
4. What is the difference between a career and a calling?
5. This chapter primarily considers a career that can shape family policy. In what ways could a nonpolicy career be shaped by policy?

Scott, Mason, & Chapman (1999)

1. If research revealed that one factor increased risk six times more than another factor, the prudent policymaker would focus on the risk factor with the greater influence. Why or why not?
2. If a researcher is studying adult-onset mumps in a large sample and finds a small correlation between gender and mumps, this finding suggests that this issue is unlikely to be relevant to policymakers. Right or not?
3. Should policy researchers dichotomize continuous variables? Why or why not?

Putnam (1995)

This paper became almost an “instant classic”—widely read on University campuses and featured prominently in the media.

1. Why does Putnam focus on bowling and not television?
2. What is the hallmark of quality governance? Why?
3. How does Putnam define social capital? What are its benefits?
4. Is civic engagement similar to or different from familism?
5. Which organization is most popular with U.S. citizens?
6. What evidence does Putnam give of civic disengagement? Why is civic disengagement surprising? Why does it matter?
7. Why does Putnam contend that social capital is declining in America?
8. Can policy promote social capital?

Weisbrod (1997)

1. Can nonprofits make a profit?
2. Are nonprofits growing or declining in the United States? Why?
3. What competition and tension exists between nonprofits and government?
4. What is the key to understanding the interrelatedness of nonprofits with other parts of the economic system?
5. What evidence exists about the quality of the services provided by nonprofits and for-profits? Do all nonprofits provide the same quality?
6. As you read this article, identify researchable questions. Please identify general research questions as well as research questions emanating from the family impact lens.

Chapter 15

Approaches for Getting Involved in Family Policy

Advocacy or Education

Bogenschneider (2014)

1. What is family policy advocacy? What beliefs and assumptions underlie it?
2. How is advocacy with a small “a” different from advocacy with a capital “A”?
3. What is family policy alternatives education? What beliefs and assumptions underlie it?
4. Is family policy alternatives education a politically neutral act? What evidence supports your position?
5. Is family policy alternatives education a dispassionate approach with little political influence?
6. Do you think family policy courses can be taught from an advocacy or education approach? How would courses based on these different approaches differ from each other?
7. Do you think the Family Impact Seminars use an education or advocacy approach? [Instructor Insight]
8. Select a policy issue that interests you. Develop a list of criteria that would help you determine whether to approach the issue as an advocate or educator. Which approach would you use and why? [Instructor Insight]

Barrows (1994)

As background, this reading has become a classic for those who subscribe to the education or alternative/consequences approach. Dr. Richard Barrows is trained as an agricultural economist, the discipline from which the educational approach emerged. He retired in summer of 2006 as Associate Dean of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He previously served in a number of positions including Interim Vice Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Associate Vice Chancellor responsible for undergraduate education improvement at UW-Madison, acting Dean for International Studies and Programs, Interim Associate Dean for University of Wisconsin-Extension, and Director of the Wisconsin Rural Leadership Program. Barrows says that he has used the educational approach in the university and beyond. At the university, Barrows used the educational approach to revise the undergraduate curriculum in his stint as Associate Vice-Chancellor. Beyond the walls of the university, he has used the educational model to work on a number of issues including the development and implementation of natural resource and economic development policies and rural leadership. He has been credited with the leadership in providing education throughout the state prior to the passage of Wisconsin's innovative Farmland Preservation Law in 1977, much of which is still in effect today. As he has demonstrated in his own career, Dr. Barrows recommends that students and professionals get involved in policy in a number of different venues on a variety of issues using the education approach.

1. How does Barrows suggest injecting knowledge into a democracy?
2. How does the alternative/consequences model of public policy education differ from the advocacy model?
3. Would Barrows support turning over policy decisions to experts? Why or why not?
4. Does the alternative/consequences model have any shortcomings? If so, what are they? 

Grisso & Steinberg (2005)

1. At what point in the research process do Grisso and Steinberg say that a researcher’s motives are appropriate? At what point are they inappropriate? [Instructor Insight]
2. What do Grisso and Steinberg say is the proper role of science? What is the proper role of advocacy? [Instructor Insight]
3. Would Grisso and Steinberg recommend talking to the press before the study is completed? Why or why not?
4. Given the recent buzz about evidence-based policy, can scientific studies tell policymakers what to do?
5. The research shows that the risk of incompetent participation in a trial is considerably greater for youth aged 15 and younger than for adults. What policy does this research finding suggest should be put in place?

Chapter 16

Making Family Policy Matter

 Moving from Analysis to Action

Bogenschneider, K. (2014). Chapter 16

1. What are the most important ideas you have learned in this course about family policy?
2. For building family policy, do we have enough information to proceed or should we wait until more family research and data are available? Do we know which policies and programs work and which don’t? Defend your position with evidence.
3. What is the difference between building “policy development” and “policy watchdog” capacities? Which one does Bogenschneider say is more important?
4. Ambassador and Governor Madeleine Kunin argues that political activism starts with a healthy dose of anger. What experiences can spark the right amount of anger?
5. To change the world of family policy, Ambassador and Governor Madeleine Kunin argues that imagination is needed. What influence’s young people’s ability to imagine a better world?
6. What one or two things can you imagine being accomplished in the family policy field in your lifetime? How optimistic are you that they could be accomplished?
7. What do you imagine that you can do to build policies that will make the world a better place for families? What can you do to bring this about? What background and qualities do you have to make it happen?