Professionalism in Child and Family Studies - Research Paper Example

Professionalism in Child and Family Studies number Professionalism in Child and Family Studies Introduction The family has been one of the most important units of the society from the time man started to live in groups. It is usually a unit that is based on the ties that are created by blood and marriage that seeks to preserve bloodlines (Nam, 2004). The concept of the family is something that has, however, come under severe strain in the twentieth and the twenty first century. With a change in the traditional roles that people of either gender have to perform in the society, the role of the family as a unit has changed to a great extent.

I shall look at the role of counselors and professionals in the maintenance of the institution of marriage.​Beliefs about the family and the quality and nature of family life​ The concepts of the family having changed means that professionals who help couples deal with their problems have to reassess their conceptions of the family as a unit. One of the major interventions in the process of thought in the field of families was the queer family, which according to some developed during the eighties when there was an AIDS scare (O’Connell, 2011).

The problems that two people of the same sex may have regarding their marriage have also become a part of what marriage counselors have to deal with.Beliefs about the purpose of family life education An understanding of the purpose of family education and counseling too is a necessary feature of the job of the professional. He or she has to understand what the family requires out of a session of help. There may be various changes that a family may be looking to bring about, including changes in lifestyle and personal habits, including the setting of certain targets to meet.

Beliefs about the content of family life education There may be certain topics that a family may wish to talk of and some that they may want to avoid. The counselor has to keep this in mind while he is performing his duty. Apart from this, his knowledge may not suffice for him to give an opinion on certain matters and help, if rendered in such cases, can be quite harmful. Such cases must be referred to specialists in other fields.​Beliefs about the process of learning for families Different members of a family may have different opinions regarding the process of learning and while some individuals in a family may prefer to learn on an individual level, there may be others who prefer working as a group.

The professional has to take care of such difficulties while dealing with a family. There may also be cultural differences between the different parties involved that may affect the process of learning and these need to be taken into account while the counselor is at work.Conclusion Understanding a family and helping them would require the members of the family and the professionals who help them to develop a personal philosophy that would enable them to understand the cultures of others. It must also help them to understand the personal beliefs and values that others follow through a process whereby every party keeps an open mind to the ideas of the others.

Works CitedNam, Charles B. (2004). “The Concept of The Family: Demographic and Genealogical Perspectives”. Sociation Today, 2(2). Retrieved February 15th, 2012, from http://www.ncsociology.org/sociationtoday/v22/family.htm O’Connell, Ryan. “The Importance of Having a Queer Family”. Thought Catalog. Retrieved February 15th, 2012, from http://thoughtcatalog.com/2011/my-big-queer-family/