Families in a Multicultural World
2009 NCFR Annual Conference - San Francisco, CA

Greetings, Everyone!  It was great to see you in Little Rock and very exciting to witness the shaping of an engaging conference program for November. I also appreciate the feedback that you provided me relative to my initial thinking for the 2009 conference.

As you know, in the next few months, the 2009 conference planning will be underway in earnest. Nancy Gonzalez at NCFR Headquarters will assist me in “running with” the ideas that we generate.  Before we proceed, however, I would like to check-in one last time with you.  In determining which sessions to pursue, finding expert speakers, managing the complicated scheduling involved, we have to move forward with selections and issue invitations to speakers.

I have listed ideas for plenaries and special sessions.  I would appreciate it if a representative from your Section would weigh-in on these ideas—note your favorites, or ones you believe would not be of as much interest to conference attendees.  If you know of good speakers on the subject, please include their names. I have some names already in mind, but have not listed them because we have not yet begun any negotiations.

Would you also indicate, under each topic, your Section’s willingness to provide financial sponsorship for the session and a dollar amount I can work with?  Given the “international” theme of the conference, unless we can get broad support from all Sections, the International Section could experience a disproportionate sponsorship burden. Let us know if your Section can pitch in! 

Theme:  Families in a Multicultural World

Any ideas on capitalizing on the international aspects of San Francisco?

Plenary scheduled

Andrew Cherlin – Professor of Public Policy in the Department of Sociology at Johns Hopkins will be speaking Thursday at the conference on Merry-Go-Round Partnership Turnover in U.S. and other Western Countries. Dr. Cherlin will be comparing U.S. data with that of other western countries and discuss why partnership turnover is highest in the U.S.

Please offer comment on the following ideas and indicate your Section’s willingness to sponsor the event.

• Impact of Aging on Families
• Impact of HIV/AIDS on families in U.S. and abroad
• Adoption/International Adoption
  
• Adolescent Ethnic & Sexual Identities
• Religious belief and practice among families
• Enhancing cultural competence among family practice/researchers and educators; culturally sensitive mental health services
• Mate Selection
• Cohabitation
• Divorce and Relationship Dissolution
• Pedagogies for cross-cultural education
• FLE around globe
• Marriage Enrichment/Preparation for Diverse Audiences
• Immigration
• Families Down Under; Innovative Policy & Practice in Australia and New Zealand
• Others? ______________________________________

If you have any ideas about San Francisco events, pre-conference tours, attractions or anything interesting you know about in the Bay Area, please add your ideas here, as well.   Send your input to me at rhamon@messiah.edu . Thank you for your support and collaboration.

Raeann Hamon, Ph.D., CFLE
Chair of the 2009 NCFR Annual Conference