Family theorizing for social justice: A critical praxis

Abstract

AbstractAlthough families are subject to multiple social stratifications and systemic injustices, family science was built upon foundational ideas that theorized a unitary, normative structure of family life. Increasing social and political awareness has brought a new urgency to theorize about and study how families actually live, with a need for critical theories to explain and understand the multiplicity and reality of family experiences. We examine new theoretical possibilities among a selection of seven family theories, including four foundational theories in the family science canon (symbolic interactionist theory, functionalist theory, life course theory, and family stress and resilience theory), and three critical theories that are rising in potential and prominence (intersectional feminist theory, critical race theory, and queer theory). We address the ways in which new forms of critical family theorizing—including the redemption of older foundational theories—are needed to account for macro‐level issues of antiracism and social justice, thereby offering innovative possibilities for generating explanations about diverse family structures, processes, and contexts. Critical praxis—turning theory into action—can fuel transformative social justice work, including antiracist activism that makes a difference in the lives of the families we study and with whom we live.