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Has Family Policy Come of Age? A Decade Review of the State of U.S. Family Policy in the 1990s
Author(s) -
Bogenschneider Karen
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
journal of marriage and family
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.578
H-Index - 159
eISSN - 1741-3737
pISSN - 0022-2445
DOI - 10.1111/j.1741-3737.2000.01136.x
Subject(s) - popularity , social policy , public policy , family leave , family life , state (computer science) , poverty , policy analysis , political science , public economics , economic growth , sociology , work (physics) , economics , public administration , law , algorithm , computer science , mechanical engineering , gender studies , engineering
Family policy has come of age in the 1990s, yet it has not achieved a status commensurate with that of economic or environmental policy. Because family policy has been difficult to define, this review proposes an explicit definition of the term family policy and a companion implicit term, a family perspective in policy making It updates the rationale for family policy, arguing that family commitment at its core is particularly consequential in an individualistic market economy with a small social safety net. It chronicles recent developments including philanthropic commitments, state and federal policy initiatives, and the use of research to inform family policy making. Selected family policy issues including family and work conflict, long‐term care, family poverty, and marriage, are overviewed. The paper concludes with developments during the decade in theory, methods, and dissemination that hold the potential for capitalizing on the current popularity of families as a theme in policy making.