Developing Family Theory

Abstract

With this issue, we inaugurate a new section of the journal committed to theory. Family scholars have expressed the need for theory development and for expanded outlets for publishing theory. For nearly 30 years, the Theory Construction and Research Methodology Workshop, which proceeds each annual meeting of the National Council on Family Relations, has provided a forum wherein scholars can present their developing work for discussion, including their theoretical work. Nonetheless, the submission of theoretical work to the journal remains low, less than 5% of all submissions. In some regards, this is not surprising; crafting theory is difficult. The new theory section of the journal is designed to increase the opportunities available for publishing theoretical work and perhaps the reasons for doing so. The theory section will follow the mission of the journal to publish work on a wide array of topics having to do with marriage or other similar forms of close relationships and families as they are so richly and broadly conceived. Appropriate content includes original theory using a variety of methods typical of the full range of the social sciences, inclusive of both qualitative and quantitative methods. Integrative reviews, as well as reports on methodological and statistical advances, are also welcome as general submissions to the journal, although they might not be appropriate for the theory section. The objectives of the theory section are: * to provide a forum for the development of theory that advances the study of families, including their attendant structures, relationships, or processes; * to encourage the field's self-reflective stance and synthesis of new and existing theory that reflects emerging trends in the field of family studies and personal relationships; * to foster the development of new paradigms for studying families in their diversity, including families of color, families of complex forms, and gender compositions with a greater sense of inclusiveness; and * to facilitate opportunities to shape the professional and public discourse about families, women and men, children, and their relationships. In developing and administering this initiative, I will use the deputy-editor model that has worked so well in the past. We currently have three deputy editors, and each serves in a similar role, but often in unique substantive areas. Deputy editors have responsibility for providing additional, and sometimes quite specialized, input into the decisionmaking process. This frequently involves decisions regarding manuscripts that have been submitted to the journal, but it also involves decisions regarding the operation of the journal or the development of special projects. …