Letter to Students

You are taking this class about today’s families in remarkable times; an era that has and will change the experience of many students and families in the United States.

This text differs from commercial texts not just in its price (it’s free!) but also in its approach. Emphasis is placed on social structure and the ways that power, privilege and oppression affect families. College students helped to create the foundation for this book. We aspire to include topics that are most meaningful to college students and their families.

We started writing this text just before the world shut down in March 2020; it originated with thirteen students from a wide range of disciplines who had taken the contemporary families course in the prior year. They generated the brainstorming list above/shown above which became the content in the very first chapter of this textbook. The second edition of this text has now gone through peer review by other college faculty, multiple editorial review, and multiple versions. After you read Chapter One, take a look back at their work. Do you see it reflected there?

The thirteen students who participated in the origination of this project have my utmost regard for their courage and their scholarship. Deep examination of institutionalized privilege, oppression and justice is challenging and painful. They brainstormed, questioned, researched, debated, outlined, drew, and wrote. Each one has their own personal connection to the needs of families and the inequities that families experience. They introduced and advocated for the inclusion of topics that have an immediate relevance to current students’ lives.

The newest edition benefits from increased funding that has expanded such features as chapter learning objectives, activities, and reflective questions–additional resources for you, the learner. You will see the contributions of college faculty from multiple institutions: Oregon State University, Portland Community College, Saint Joseph’s University, and Umpqua Community College. In addition, current Linn-Benton Community College students continue to contribute to subsections to the text. Recent additions written by LBCC students include the effects of lead paint, the obesity epidemic, how video games affect family dynamics, and the challenges faced by immigrant families at the southern border of the United States. In addition, current students have contributed to this Open Pedagogy Portfolio of student projects that are only licensed.

This textbook has been designed to engage you in deep thinking about families and society. The chapters average about two hours of reading, boxed “In Focus” features, and video content. Your actual engagement time will vary depending on how fast you read, and your schedule.

There is also a curated collection at the end of each chapter, “Going Deeper”. This collection is not part of the required reading (unless your instructor has specifically assigned it) but is here for you to expand and explore topics of interest more deeply. It’s a great place to look for ideas if you are asked to choose a course topic for an assignment.

This openly licensed text approaches contemporary families from an equity lens and asks the questions: “What do families need?” and “ How do society and institutions support or get in the way of families getting what they need?” and “What changes can we initiate to create more equity amongst families?” In order to answer these questions, we continue to include the voices of students. I continue to ask “What matters most to students when it comes to family needs?” This has shaped the content of the book; it is a far different book than I would have written alone.

One of the best parts of an openly licensed digital text is that it is a living document. The authors invite you to be a part of the future of this text. We want to emphasize diversity of viewpoint, experience, social identity, and voice.When the time comes to revise this text, the suggestions of students will be considered. I hope you will reflect upon and question the content of the text. Ask yourself as you read:

• What could be added to the content that is important to today’s families?
• What do you want to know more about?
• Are there features that you have seen in other textbooks that we could add and that would help you learn better?

I look forward to the future of this book, to its contribution to understanding inequities that families face, and the knowledge that it inspires us to advocate for and improve structures and society.