Family Communication Division

The Family Communication Division exists to: (a) stimulate research and scholarship on family communication; (b) develop and disseminate pedagogical materials for instruction about family communication; (c) facilitate dialogues among those interested in the study of family interaction, both within and outside of the Association; and (d) plan convention programs dealing with family communication.

The Division upholds the belief that “family” is constituted in and through our human abilities to communicate and to co-construct meaning. Consequently, a variety of theoretical and methodological perspectives are welcome. Members examine a variety of family forms, as well as a variety of family communication issues and constructs, including issues of identity, attachment, dialectical tensions, family violence, conflict, divorce, (grand)parenting, storytelling, health, and affection, to name a few.

Finally, the Division promotes the continued development of knowledge in family communication by honoring outstanding scholarship in the form of the Sandra Petronio Dissertation Excellence Award, top article and book awards, and awards for Top Papers and Top Student Papers.

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