Research & Discovery
The Department of Family Social Science is committed to excellence in research and community outreach, dealing with issues affecting families in all stages of the life cycle, in multiple settings, and in diverse cultural contexts.
Faculty members study the family as a system interacting with its environment. Their research activities cover a wide range of social, psychological, and economic factors, with implications for family education, family policy, and family therapy.
Research projects cover topics related to adolescent health, adoption, aging families, caregiving for elders, community partnerships, divorce, economic well-being, family stress and coping, marriage and family therapy, multicultural perspectives on families, parenting and father involvement, and rural and farm business families. The methods of research range from longitudinal, multi-wave surveys to in-depth, personal interviews.
Research Areas