Whither famology? Department name trends across four decades

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20 Scopus citations

Abstract

Inconsistent naming of academic departments has been a cause and symptom of an identity issue that has persisted in the family field for decades. Department name trends were examined across nearly four decades to consider whether the family field is beginning to converge on a common label. Results indicate that the problem persists - 103 different names existed among 217 academic units examined - but that convergence seems to be on two terms: family studies and family science. A survey of 752 faculty members in those academic units found that 78% believed the variation in department names within the family field was somewhat or very problematic. Discussion and implications center on key issues for understanding and addressing the problem.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)323-332
Number of pages10
JournalFamily Relations
Volume63
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 2014

Keywords

  • Disciplinary identity
  • Family science
  • Family studies
  • Famology

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Education
  • Developmental and Educational Psychology
  • Social Sciences (miscellaneous)

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