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Unit 1 Foundations and Trends in Family and Consumer Sciences
love and belonging? The apparel industry pro-
vides protective clothing for safety. How does
it satisfy the human need for self-esteem? What
examples can you think of in food and nutrition,
resource management, human development,
and family and consumer sciences education?
Core Concept: Individual
Well-Being
The promotion of individual well-being is
one of the clear goals of professional practice
in family and consumer sciences (Nickols et al.,
2009). Individual well-being, family strengths,
and community vitality are overlapping consid-
erations in the body of knowledge model. They
are interrelated. Without healthy individuals,
there cannot be strong families or vital commu-
nities. On the other hand, healthy families and
supportive communities are needed for individ-
uals to develop their unique potential. There are
many types of well-being, including physical,
emotional, material, social, and spiritual well-
being. In what way will you contribute to indi-
vidual well-being in your future career?
Core Concept: Family Strengths
The development of strong families is
another goal of the profession. As you learned
in Chapter 2, the concept of family has evolved
over time, and there are many different struc-
tures that can fulfill the basic functions of the
family. Researchers have found that certain
protective factors help keep families strong and
able to cope with the challenges of life.
These protective factors include an affirming
communication style that enables families to solve
problems calmly, rather than an incendiary style
that features yelling and blame. Families who can
draw on hope and spirituality in times of crisis are
more resilient. Equality and truth are also impor-
tant factors in family resiliency. During difficult
times especially, truthfulness within the family
and from those who interact with the family is nec-
essary. Families who are flexible and change their
roles and lifestyle to adapt to new circumstances
can return to harmony and balance. On the other
hand, maintaining family routines and rituals helps
people cope with adversity. Some families are har-
dier than others. In other words, they see a hard-
ship as a challenge, have a sense of control over the
situation, and forge a strong commitment to solve
the problem together. Families whose members are
healthy and who have a strong social network are
also more able to cope with the inevitable stresses
of life (McCubbin, McCubbin, Thompson, Han, &
Allen, 1997).
Core Concept: Community
Vitality
Family and consumer sciences looks at the
whole person, the whole family, and its sur-
rounding community. Communities provide
resources that most families alone cannot.
These include, for example, schools, libraries,
health and safety services, parks, museums, and
cultural and civic organizations. Without these
resources families would not be able to meet
their basic needs, individual well-being would
be compromised, and it would be difficult to
build strong families. Likewise, healthy indi-
viduals and strong families contribute to com-
munity vitality, the capacity of the community
to develop (Nickols et al., 2009).
Keep in mind that geographic communities
are not the only type of community. There are
also learning communities, professional com-
munities of practice, and online communities,
among others. What community resources
have you used during your life? How has your
ability to meet your goals been affected by the
quality of the community in which you live?
How do you plan to contribute to the commu-
nity where you live and to your professional
community?
Cross-Cutting Theme: Wellness
If you are not sick, does that mean you
are well? Not necessarily. Wellness is not the
absence of disease but, rather, optimal func-
tioning in every dimension of life. The National