CEHD News

Rise in stubbornness seen from governments to relationships

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 11:40:05 -0600

Instant gratification through technology, isolation from other people due to being plugged in, and the rise of personalized and customized experiences have all contributed to a rise in "my way or the highway" stubbornness, according to family social science researchers. It can be seen on many relationship levels -- from couples in the home, to elected officials who butt heads as Minnesota's state government shutdown heads into its second week, with no clear end in sight.

This heels-dug-in attitude is us saying "I don't like how this is affecting me," says Dr. Steven Harris, director of the Marriage and Family Therapy Program at the University of Minnesota. In speaking to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Harris cites a waning amount of interpersonal interaction as breaking down not only relationship skills, but conflict resolution.

How (not) to say 'I'm sorry'

Mon, 13 Jun 2011 11:52:09 -0600

Family social science professor William Doherty shared some thoughts recently on how high-profile figures like Anthony Weiner should (or should not) apologize for their behavior. "A mistake is turning the wrong way down a one-way street or forgetting to get an anniversary present," Doherty said in "Better safe than sorry" in the Minneapolis Star Tribune. "A pattern of online relationships with multiple women requires more than 'I regret my mistakes, and I know I've hurt you.'"

The article captures the opinions of Doherty and two other local experts on the recent stories of celebrity missteps and subsequent mea culpas, including Weiner, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Gilbert Gottfried, Charlie Sheen, and Lindsay Lohan.

Media attention for ADAPT, supporting Guard, Reserve families

Thu, 19 May 2011 18:00:00 -0600

After Deployment Adaptive Parenting Tools (ADAPT), led by family social science/child development associate professor Abi Gewirtz and project manager Laurel Bidwell, is gaining attention in the news as the Minnesota National Guard prepares for its second-largest deployment since World War II. The project, which examines the effectiveness of an evidence-based parenting intervention modified for families in the National Guard and Reserves, is featured in the May 19 Star Tribune and on WCCO-TV, KSTP-TV, and KSAX-TV. The University of Minnesota home page also features ADAPT.

Family social science experts featured in the Star Tribune

Fri, 13 May 2011 09:46:19 -0600

Professors Paul Rosenblatt and William Doherty, both renowned researchers on family issues, were noted for their expertise in the Minneapolis Star Tribune recently. Rosenblatt, who is retiring after more than 42 years of teaching and research in the Department of Family Social Science, is the subject of a column by Gail Rosenblum titled "'Retired' hardly describes U prof who's charting his next chapter." Doherty is quoted extensively in a front-page story on the decline in number of married couples in the Twin Cities area.

For more than 50 years, Rosenblatt has studied all sorts of challenges facing families, including loss and grief, rural family issues, multi-racial and cultural diversity barriers, and how government and corporate policies affect families. Most recently, his book Two in a Bed: The Social System of Couple Bed Sharing created world-wide interest, including more than 170 media requests.

Innovative program builds parenting skills of returning soldiers' families

Fri, 29 Apr 2011 12:25:37 -0600

Family social science professor Abi Gewirtz is leading a first of its kind parenting study with Minnesota National Guard families to strengthen parenting skills of returning soldiers and their families. Funded by a $3.2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health and the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the five-year study is designed to help people parent effectively despite the difficulties of deployment.

ADAPT (After Deployment, Adaptive Parenting Tools) will recruit 400 families with kids between the ages of 5 and 12 to test the program's effectiveness over time. ADAPT is based on the Oregon Parent Management Training program. "It's a parenting intervention that has been shown to be very, very effective at supporting parenting in other contexts, so our test is to see whether it works at promoting children's resilience in this context," said Gewirtz in a recent Minnesota Public Radio story.

McCulloch delivers annual Hinsz Lecture at NDSU

Mon, 25 Apr 2011 12:01:48 -0600

Dr. Jan McCulloch, professor and department head of Family Social Science, delivered the annual Gertrude Weigum Hinsz Lecture at North Dakota State University on Friday, April 15, 2011.

The lecture series, sponsored by the the department of Human Development and Family Science at NDSU, featured Dr. McCulloch's research involving the health of older women living in rural settings. An abstract of her lecture and a podcast recording are available on the HDFS website.

Gewirtz gives tips on talking with children about disasters

Fri, 08 Apr 2011 16:19:38 -0600

Abigail Gewirtz, associate professor of Family Social Science, joined the morning show hosts on KARE 11 to share tips about talking with children about disasters, both natural and man-made.

"It's hard to switch yourself off from all of the media coming [to us]," Gewirtz said, "It's hard to cut it off." She stressed the importance of simply listening to children, and letting them talk about their concerns or worries instead of trying to guess how they are feeling.

Undergrad research in family social science

Wed, 16 Feb 2011 14:41:01 -0600

Student Veronica Deenanath is learning the ins and outs of research and publishing by assisting associate professor Zha Blong Xiong (family social science) as an undergraduate. Find out more about their photovoice project involving Hmong youth and their concepts of home and family in "Early Investigations."

Gewirtz weighs in on parenting and 'Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother'

Mon, 24 Jan 2011 09:29:42 -0600

Abi Gewirtz, assistant professor in the Department of Family Social Science, spoke with the Los Angeles Times about parenting and Amy Chua's controversial memoir, "Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother." "Battle Hymn" describes "Chinese parenting" techniques that, as Chua says, would seem "legally actionable" to many Westerners, but have granted her daughters great success.

Gewirtz agrees that setting challenging goals for children is crucial, but expectations need to be reasonably tailored to each child. "If you push a kid to do well, and they're good at it, they benefit," she says, "[but] not every kid can be at the top of the class."

Read more from professor Gewirtz and the book at the LA Times.

Zuiker elected to AFCPE Board of Directors

Thu, 06 Jan 2011 10:16:06 -0600

Virginia Zuiker, associate professor and director of graduate studies in Family Social Science, was elected to the Board of Directors for the Association for Financial Counseling, Planning, and Education (AFCPE). She begins her three year term in January of 2011.

Zuiker was also awarded the Scholarship Award by the Minnesota Association of Extension Educators (MAEE) fo her co-authorship of "Financial Literacy of College Students: Understanding Student Interests in Technology."

U.S. News names marriage and family therapy one of '50 best career moves'

Thu, 06 Jan 2011 10:07:17 -0600

With more than 1.8 million people receiving treatment from marriage and family therapists, the field was picked by U.S. News and World Report as one of the 50 best career moves in 2011, and one with high promise for growth in the next decade.

The review cites an increasing acceptance of the field, which encourages people in need to seek out counseling, as a main indicator for growth. Employment in the field is expected to rise 14 percent from 2008 to 2018, according to the Labor Department.

For more information, see U.S. News' report here.

Gewirtz's work with military families highlighted in UM Moment

Wed, 15 Dec 2010 08:56:02 -0600

The current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan impact more than just those deployed--they also affect their families. Department of Family Social Science professor Abigail Gewirtz recently received a $3.2 million grant to develop a web-based training program that will help the families of troops better adjust to life back home. Gewirtz says the training program will target the families of National Guard members. For more information, listen to the U of M Moment.

CEHD students win Scholarly Excellence in Equity & Diversity awards

Tue, 14 Dec 2010 11:09:44 -0600

Three CEHD students were among the 2010 Scholarly Excellence in Equity and Diversity (SEED) award winners announced in November. Kimberly Diggles, Ph.D. student in marriage and family therapy (family social science); Kevin Hynes, senior in family social science; and Bai Vue, senior in human resource development were honored at a University ceremony for their outstanding work on issues of equity, diversity, and social justice in the classroom and in the community.

Diggles is a recipient of an American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy Fellowship. She is a former McNair Scholar and has research interests in racial and cultural socialization in minority families.

Hynes is majoring in psychology as well as family social science. He has worked on adoption research and cites his own adopted person status and Korean birth culture as contributors to his deep interest and understanding of cultural diversity.

Vue, in addition to his human resource development major, has minors in leadership and human resource industrial relations. He is the education co-chair for the Hmong Minnesota Student Association and has been a McNair Scholar and Multicultural Kickoff Ambassador.

Who initiates divorce, men or women? Doherty speaks to WCCO News

Wed, 17 Nov 2010 08:05:42 -0600

As part of WCCO news' "Good Question" series, reporter Jason DeRusha asked "Who initiates more divorces, men or women?" In addition to gathering comments and answers from the public on his blog, DeRusha spoke to family social science professor Bill Doherty, a national expert on marriage.

"Women are twice as likely to initiate a divorce as men," said Doherty, and women ask for two out of every three divorces. Women are more likely to analyze the state of their relationships; "for women, it's not about just being married, it's about the quality of the marriage."

Watch the video of the Good Question segment and read more of Professor Doherty's thoughts at WCCO's website.

Doherty talks in Psychology Today about unhappiness in marriage

Thu, 04 Nov 2010 15:11:47 -0600

Family social science professor Bill Doherty spoke to Psychology Today about how couples' expectations of marriage -- and what they feel they "should" be getting -- can affect the health of the relationship and often lead to divorce.

Doherty speaks to the idea of entitlement in American consumer culture, and how that can translate to marital problems. "We believe in our inalienable right to the intimate relationships of our choice," says Doherty. "[People] badger their partners to change, convince themselves nothing will budge, and so work their way out of really good relationships."

Gewirtz receives $3.2 million grant from National Institute on Drug Abuse

Wed, 03 Nov 2010 14:28:50 -0600

Researchers at the University of Minnesota and the Minneapolis VA received a $3.2 million grant award from the National Institute on Drug Abuse to develop and test a web-enhanced parenting program for families with parents returning from deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan.

The program, "After Deployment, Adaptive Parenting Tools/ADAPT" is based on Oregon Parent Management Training, a well-validated parenting intervention. Over the 5-year grant period, researchers will work closely with MN Army National Guard (MNARNG) personnel, to develop and test the parenting program among 400 MNARNG families in which at least one parent has been deployed. Earlier research led by one of the project's co-investigators, Dr. Melissa Polusny, showed that worries about family were an important predictor of soldier wellbeing during deployment, and that effective parenting during the period of reintegration was diminished among soldiers suffering from symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder.

Dr. Abigail Gewirtz, assistant professor of Family Social Science and the project's Principal Investigator notes that, "This program builds on the considerable strengths of military families, the success of prior research among our investigative team, and our strong collaboration with the MN ARNG and its nationally recognized Beyond the Yellow Ribbon reintegration campaign. This is the first National Institutes of Health-funded study that we know of to specifically address deployment-related parenting challenges and child resilience among National Guard families. We are very pleased to have the opportunity to work to support the families of our nation's military."

Xiaohui (Sophie) Li awarded Goebel-Macklin Award

Wed, 03 Nov 2010 09:46:00 -0600

Family Social Science graduate student Xiaohui (Sophie) Li was awarded the Goebel-Macklin Award at the 2010 Groves Conference on Marriage and Family in Seattle, Washington.

The award supports a promising graduate student who presents at the annual conference. Li gave a presentation entitled "Asian Perspectives on Human-Animal Connections," and presented a poster entitled "Chinese and Americans: Boundaries in Couple Relationships."

Cell phone use while driving poses risks to close relationships

Thu, 17 Jun 2010 10:27:01 -0600

Though the hazards of distracted driving while talking on a cell phone have been a key focus in road safety discussions, Professor Paul Rosenblatt believes that the same distractions can also harm close relationships.

In his recently published article in the journal Family Science Review, co-authored with graduate student Xiaohui Li, Rosenblatt examines factors that make driving while on a cell phone dangerous, such as longer reaction times and impaired attention, and can also make communication difficult.

Amanda Matzek wins Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship

Mon, 24 May 2010 11:12:17 -0600

Amanda Matzek, Ph.D. candidate in Family Social Science, has been awarded a Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship from the Graduate School for 2010-2011. The prestigious fellowship is intended to enable Ph.D. candidates of particular promise to devote full-time effort to the research and writing of the dissertation during 2010-11 academic year.

Doherty to parents of teens: tough love required

Mon, 03 May 2010 14:14:59 -0600

Professor Bill Doherty, of the Department of Family Social Science, offered advice to parents of teens, following a deadly weekend on Minnesota roads that claimed six young lives. Speaking to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Doherty cautions against "wishy-washy" parenting, stating that parents must establish firm expectations of teens, putting parenting duties ahead of friendship with their children.

"Many parents want to be buddies with their kids and don't want to come down too hard on them," Doherty said. "And many parents have this idea, 'Well, the kids are going to use alcohol anyway so why be the heavy, why talk about it that much?' What we know from the research is that teens who believe their parents are firmly against them drinking are less apt to drink. Our kids carry us in their brain and that's why [you need] a firm hand, that you're too young to drink and it's not acceptable to me as your parent that you drink at all, let alone drink and drive."