The Voice of Experience: How Social Scientists Communicate Family Research to Policymakers

Because scientific understanding of communicating family research to policymakers is incomplete, qualitative interviews were conducted with social scientists experienced in bridging the gulf between research and family policy. In keeping with the tenets of 2 communities and community dissonance theo...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Family relations 2009-04, Vol.58 (2), p.229-243
Main Authors:	Friese, Bettina, Bogenschneider, Karen
Format:	Article
Language:	eng
Subjects:	Barriers Child Health Children Communication Problems Communication Strategies Communities Community Relations Constraints Cooperation Cultural Differences Decision making Decisions Developmental Delays Earned income Economic impact Evidence evidence-based policy Family (Sociological Unit) Family Policy Family Programs Family relations Family studies Ideology Information Needs Intercultural Communication Interviews Kinship Motivation Techniques Policy Formation Policy Making policymaking Pragmatism Program Evaluation Public Officials Qualitative analysis Recommendations Research universities Research Utilization Researchers Respect Rewards School Effectiveness Single parents Social Action Social Science Research Social Scientists Socialization Stereotypes Studies Tax Credits Universities University administration Vulnerability vulnerable families Welfare reform Welfare Services
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Summary:	Because scientific understanding of communicating family research to policymakers is incomplete, qualitative interviews were conducted with social scientists experienced in bridging the gulf between research and family policy. In keeping with the tenets of 2 communities and community dissonance theories, the underutilization of research in policymaking was attributed, in part, to misperceptions and miscommunication between researchers and policymakers who operate in different cultures. Social scientists identified cultural barriers they encountered and rewards they experienced when communicating research to policymakers. Ten recommendations detail pragmatic strategies for communicating across conflicting cultures to promote greater use of research in family policy decisions. The findings suggest a paradigm shift away from simply disseminating research to policymakers and toward developing collaborative relationships with them.
ISSN:	0197-6664 1741-3729