1. Historical And Philosophical Perspectives
Chapter 1
Historical And Philosophical Perspectives

2. What is family life education?
Little consensus except on aims and principles underlying FLE (Arcus, Schvaneveldt, & Moss, 1993) An outreach perspective: “Any educational activity occurring outside a traditional school classroom, usually involving adults, that is designed to strengthen relationships in the home and foster positive individual, couple, and family development” (Duncan & Goddard, 2017, p. 4).
Family Life Education, 3rd Edition
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3. NOTE: Insert Figure 1.1 Here
Source: Myers-Walls, J., Ballard, S. M., Darling, C. A., & Myers-Bowman, K. S. (2011) Reconceptualizing the domain and boundaries of family life education. Family Relations, 60, 357–372. John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Family Life Education, 3rd Edition
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4. History of Family Life Education
Early roots
The American Land-Grant System
Cooperative Extension
Other University-based outreach
Community movements
Reaching diverse audiences
Professional Associations and Professionalization
Web-based FLE
Family Life Education, 3rd Edition
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5. History of Family Life Education
Early roots
Earliest US FLE can be traced to a collaboration between church and state
Self-help books emerged around 1800
how-to books became visible in the 1850s and child and mother study groups developed
Informal discussions among support groups were first community venues of FLE
Around the turn of the 20th century, FLE emerged as a field of endeavor
Family Life Education, 3rd Edition
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6. History of Family Life Education
The American Land-Grant System
The land grant university system was created by the Morrill Act in 1862
This act became the catalyst for the establishment of academic programs in home economics throughout the United States
Human ecology emerged as a dominant theoretical paradigm
As the home environment could be enhanced, so too could the community at large
Family Life Education, 3rd Edition
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7. History of Family Life Education
Cooperative Extension
Created by Congress in 1914
Takes the university to the people
Committed to applying the best family science possible to the practical problems of families
Operates in most US counties through Extension agents
Has evolved to meet the ever changing needs of US population
Family Life Education, 3rd Edition
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8. History of Family Life Education
Other University-based outreach
Service learning and internship opportunities
Examples of FLE opportunities include writing for FLE websites, designing and marketing FLE curricula, and visiting families one-on-one to offer direct services.
Family Life Education, 3rd Edition
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9. History of Family Life Education
Community movements
growth of parenting education
National Congress of Mothers was founded in 1897 and Parent-Teacher Associations in 1908
By 1924, 75 major organizations were conducting parenting education programs
Medical community active contributor to FLE
Family support movement – home visits and peer educators, since 1970s
Family Life Education, 3rd Edition
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10. History of Family Life Education
Reaching diverse audiences
FLE is not reaching audiences at greatest need
Efforts in Extension to reach out to audiences
Government efforts include the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), providing funding for the development, implementation, and evaluation of programs for underserved audiences, such as disadvantaged families
Family Life Education, 3rd Edition
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11. History of Family Life Education
Professionalization and Professional Associations
In 1984, NCFR created guidelines, standards, and criteria for the certification of family life educators.
NCFR administers the Certified Family Life Educator (CFLE) credential.
CFLEs demonstrate competence in 10 substance areas
CFLE exam can be completed in lieu of completing coursework
Family Life Education, 3rd Edition
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12. History of Family Life Education
Web-based FLE
Individuals increasingly turning to the Internet for information on matters of personal and family well-being
With the advent of social networking sites, expect the role of the Internet in FLE to increase
Evaluation data shows web-based FLE can positively benefit its audiences
Family Life Education, 3rd Edition
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13. Evolution in Dissemination Approaches (Doherty, 2000)
Traditional “Trickle-down” approach
Researchers
Practitioners (FLEs)
Families
Family Life Education, 3rd Edition
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14. Evolution in Dissemination Approaches (Doherty, 2000)
Community-collaborative approach
Families
Researchers
Practitioners (FLEs)
Family Life Education, 3rd Edition
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15. Roles in Family Life Education and Philosophical Assumptions
Expert Facilitator Critical Inquirer Collaborator Interventionist Eclectic
Traditional “banking” Humanist/self- actualization Critical/humanist Traditional/humanist Behaviorist/radical emancipatory Combination suited to purpose and context
Roles on left, assumptions on right
Family Life Education, 3rd Edition
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16. Developing a Personal Philosophy of Family Life Education
Your beliefs about the family and the quality and nature of family life Your beliefs about the purposes of FLE Your beliefs about the content of FLE Your beliefs about the process of learning for families Assignment: Complete Exploration #1 in Chapter 1
Family Life Education, 3rd Edition
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