Family Communication Top Student Paper Interview
By Heather Martyn -- 11/21/08 Childhood is a supposed to be a wonderful time of life filled with laughter and dreams, however, incidents often occur that affect children and their growth into adulthood. Bullies, teasing and issues such as parental infidelity and an increasing transgendered society are part of today's childhood imprint and were of focus during the panel titled "The Top Student Papers in Family Communication."
"It is important to know that these interactions also provide moments where these adoptive families can constitute their relationships in really positive ways," stated Docan-Morgan who presented her paper on transracially adoptive families.
I found this panel extremely interesting, one because students were presenting their papers and dissertations on the topic of family communication or lack thereof and also because it opened the floor to a discussion of trends in society and familial relationships.
Just think: How many parents think that their children will come talk to them when they have been victimized, bullied, or have a problem? Docan-Morgan and Masaki Matsunaga's papers revealed that although parent's hope for that openness with their children, in reality children have a tendency to avoid disclosing to their parents negative peer experiences.
Watch the interview with Allison R. Thorson of the University of Nebraska, Lincoln regarding her paper "The Influence of Discovery Method on Relational Outcomes: A Study of Parental Infidelity":
Watch the interview with Kristen M. Norwood of the University of Iowa regarding her paper "Voices of Contradiction Surrounding Transgender Identity in the Family":