Chapter 3 The Current State of the F amily and Consumer Sciences Profession
53
offer useful networking opportunities as well as
the opportunity to hone your leadership skills.
The third reason to join a professional orga-
nization is to access job banks and career net-
working opportunities that are available only to
members. Employers who post jobs on profes-
sional organization websites or in their printed
material are looking for future employees with
the same professional interests or background
as many of the organization’s members.
Also, as a student member of a professional
organization, you may be eligible for several
financial benefits. Membership dues are often
reduced for student members. Some associa-
tions even offer lower membership rates for new
professionals. Scholarships and fellowships are
frequently offered to student members as well.
Overall, joining a professional organization is a
wise investment in your future.
Current Issues in Family
and Consumer Sciences
Where is family and consumer sciences
today, and where is it going? The family and con-
sumer sciences discipline of today is very differ-
ent from the days of Ellen Swallow Richards. The
very nature of the discipline demands change.
Thus, as society changes, so does the emphasis of
the educational and research programs in family
and consumer sciences. However, the profession
is not just reactionary. The profession’s leaders
are forward-thinking, anticipating changes that
will affect the family in the coming years. These
changes and trends will be discussed in detail in
Chapter 4. Chapter 5 explains how the profession
influences public policy to deal proactively with
societal changes and concerns.
Summary
The mission and definition statements of
family and consumer sciences have evolved over
time, but certain ideals have remained constant.
FCS professionals work in a holistic and integra-
tive way with individuals, families, and commu-
nities to improve quality of life. The profession
considers the context in which people are situ-
ated and seeks to change societal conditions that
may hamper optimal development.
From designing accessible housing for an
aging population to helping children make good
nutrition choices, all areas of specialization
within family and consumer sciences are unified
by a common body of knowledge. This shared
knowledge includes several core concepts:
basic human needs, individual well-being, family
strengths, and community vitality. Professionals
use two overarching theoretical perspectives in
their work: life course development and human
ecosystems. Several themes cut across all of
the specializations: wellness, appropriate use of
technology, global interdependence, resource
development and sustainability, and capacity
building.
Professionalism also binds the specializations
together. Professionalism is defined as the behav-
ior, aims, or traits that characterize a person as
meeting the standards of the profession. Family
and consumer sciences specialists are family
advocates and professionals in their field. Profes-
sionalism intrinsically carries with it an expecta-
tion of moral or ethical decision making. Although
ethics are hard to define in a multicultural society,
six pillars of ethical decision making were identi-
fied in this chapter. These include: trustworthi-
ness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring,
and citizenship. Ethical principles are specified
in codes of conduct developed by professional
organizations.
Family and consumer sciences needs
people who can act as ethical professionals and
leaders to carry the discipline forward. How can
you play a part? Professional organizations play
a major role in leading the future of the family
and consumer sciences profession. There are
many benefits for both student and professional
members of associations, including timely com-
munication, policy formation, family advocacy,
financial benefits, networking, and leadership
opportunities. They also serve as employment
resources.
Family and consumer sciences is alive and
well. Family and consumer sciences leaders and