Emerging Ideas. Advancing Family Science Through Public Scholarship: Fostering Community Relationships and Engaging in Broader Impacts

• Published date: 01 December 2021
• Author: J. Kale Monk,Tashel C. Bordere,Jacquelyn J. Benson
• Date: 01 December 2021
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12545

J. K M, T C. B,  J J. BUniversity of Missouri

Emerging Ideas.

Advancing Family Science Through Public

Scholarship: Fostering Community Relationships

and Engaging in Broader Impacts

Objective: To increase the awareness and sup-

port for family scientists’ engagement in public

scholarship.

Background: Without appropriate dissemina-

tion efforts, important research ndings may

remain solely in academic journals without

reaching the public. Grounded in a social jus-

tice perspective, we argue that family scientists

are, and should be, on the frontlines of direct

social change and activities related to broader

impacts.

Method: In this call to action, we articulate

the utility and praxis of public scholarship, or

the production and dissemination of scientic

knowledge for and with communities to create

social change for the public good.

Results: Avenues to engaging in public scholar-

ship as a means of disseminating family science

research arepresented. These avenues include

collaborating with individuals who serve in

complementary roles, hosting a research press

conference to disseminate key ndings, and

writing for local outlets such as community

Department of Human Development and Family Science,

University of Missouri, 306 Gentry Hall, Columbia, MO

65211 (monkj@missouri.edu).

Key Words: career/professional development, engagement,

family life education, family science, outreach, translational

science.

newspapers. Mechanisms to implement (e.g.,

resources for developing press releases, info-

graphics, or visual abstracts) and document

(e.g., in promotion and tenure materials) these

activities are outlined.

Conclusion: This information can help aca-

demic family scholars achieve broader impacts

of their science activities that illustrate the rel-

evance of family science research in people’s

lives.

Implications: By shifting academic cultures and

engaging in public scholarship, family scholars

can increase their reach and contribute to the

enfranchisement of marginalized populations,

while also enhancing the visibility of ndings,

building their scholarly networks, and growing

public support for family science.

Calls for academics to engage with society

have increased over the years to strengthen

public support for science and highlight the rel-

evance of higher education in shifting political

climates (Christie et al., 2017). This focus is

not new to family science as family scholars

have been engaging in public scholarship or

the translation and dissemination of research

for and with communities from “before the

term came into vogue” (Grzywacz & Allen,

2017, p. 568). Hamon and Smith (2017) noted

1612Family Relations 70 (December 2021): 1612–1625

DOI:10.1111/fare.12545